Singer and actress Desirée Roots Centeio played "Dorothy" in a 1980s production of "The Wiz." She revisits the play this month. (Photo courtesy Desirée Roots Centeio)
Dorothy, Toto and the Emerald City awake memories in generations of theater and movie lovers who grew up enthralled by “The Wizard of Oz” and its all-black reincarnation, “The Wiz.” But few have the connection that local singer and actress Desirée Roots Centeio has. In 1981, at age 12, she auditioned for a Haymarket Theatre production of “The Wiz,” directed by Bev Appleton. Centeio, who originally auditioned for the role of a Munchkin — also a childhood nickname — “settled for Dorothy” (as she puts it) and turned 13 on opening night. The audience and director were impressed with her turn in the starring role and asked her to join the touring company once the Richmond run was over. But her parents decided that their little munchkin wasn’t ready for the road.
Desirée Roots Centeio plays three roles in Virginia Rep's "The Wiz." (Photo courtesy Desirée Roots Centeio)
Centeio reprised the role of Dorothy at age 21 at Dogwood Dell, but this summer, she’s stretching in a different direction — in three directions, actually. She will be portraying the roles of Evillene (the Wicked Witch of the West), Aunt Em (Dorothy’s aunt) and Addaperle (the Good Witch of the North) in Virginia Repertory Theatre's production of "The Wiz." This time, the role of Dorothy is played by Mariah Lyttle, who recently graduated from Ithaca College in New York.
“I think of [‘The Wiz’] as one of those productions that brings the community out and will also introduce theater to new community partners who just didn’t think about coming,” Centeio says.
But what makes this one different from previous productions of the musical, which first opened in Baltimore in 1974? “The Wiz” can be done in a million different ways,” says director Kikau Alvaro, whose vision for the production “leans into the 1970s orchestration,” maintaining a vintage feel while utilizing a color scheme inspired by Afro-futurism and the work of artist Vanessa German.
Singer and actress Mariah Lyttle plays Dorothy. (Photo courtesy Virginia Rep)
For local actress Jessi Johnson, who has been cast as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, this production will be a dream come true. As a child, she saw herself as Glinda and studied a VHS tape of singer and actress Lena Horne in that role in the 1978 film version of “The Wiz.” While the movie wasn’t a financial success, it became a cult favorite in later years. Johnson says she hopes audiences will drop expectations and prepare to be transported to another land.
Virginia Rep's “The Wiz” runs June 21-Aug. 4 at the November Theatre’s Marjorie Arenstein Stage. $36 to $63.
