SCREENING
The Wiz
Monday, Jun 19 at 1:00 pm
Part of Musical Matinees and Queens on Screen
Special introduction by Speaker of New York City Council Adrienne E. Adams on Monday, June 19
Dir. Sidney Lumet. 1978, 134 mins. DCP. With Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor. Did you know this jazzy, family-friendly retelling of The Wizard of Oz was filmed right next to where MoMI now stands, at the local Astoria Studios (now Kaufman Astoria Studios)? Join us for the beloved musical, featuring a dazzling all Black cast and iconic images of 1970s New York City that transform the ruins of the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park into a magical cityscape and the World Trade Center into the Emerald City. Diana Ross plays Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross), who saves her dog Toto from a storm and is magically transported to a fantastical urban world called Oz. To get back home to Manhattan, Dorothy must find the Wiz (Richard Pryor), with help from the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson), the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell) and the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross).
Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free for MoMI members at the Senior/Student level and above. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.