“It means a lot to me,” Williams says of finally breaking that streak.
“It is shocking to me.
I am very deeply connected to legacy.
Schele Williams.Unique Nicole/Getty
It’s something that’s really important to me.
How in the world have we gone this long?
It was shocking to me.
Kyle Ramar Freeman as Lion, Nichelle Lewis as Doroth, Phillip Johnson Richardson as Tinman, Avery Wilson as Scarecrow.Jeremy Daniel
I’m like, that’s got to change.
We must continue to tell our stories, and we have capacity to tell many stories.
They just don’t have to be stories about Black women.”
Wayne Brady as The Wiz.Jeremy Daniel
Did you plan it that way?
SCHELE WILLIAMS:I never expected it in a million years, and it’s thrilling.
It’s really exciting in moments; it’s overwhelming, but I couldn’t be happier.
‘The Notebook’ on Broadway.Julieta Cervantes
I understand you played Dorothy inThe Wizin high school.
Has it been a dream of yours to bring it back to Broadway since?
I was absolutely shocked and excited when I got the call to direct it.
‘The Notebook’ the Musical.Julieta Cervantes
Jeremy Daniel
Can you tell me your memories of the first time you encountered it?
I had seen a number of shows.
It became something that was real in 1978.
I never saw myself in any fairytale.
I was always on the outside looking in.
It gave me a sense of belonging in a space that I had never seen myself.
Amber Ruffin has revised the book a bit.
How did you two decide what you wanted to update or change?
Amber is a genius.
Why is she living with her aunt and uncle?
Then, we wanted each character to have a little bit of a backstory.
There’s definitely some more modern callouts or turns of phrase.
How did you and Amber negotiate that?
Because obviouslyThe Wizcan feel timeless, but also you’re making it connect with a modern audience.
The original script was deeply entrenched in the ’70s.
We are really trying to create something that does feel modern and timeless at the same time.
The cast is largely newcomers, but why was Wayne Brady the guy to play The Wiz?
I think it’s someone who’s charming.
Switching toThe Notebook,you and Michael Greif first met onRent.How did you end up being co-directors?
Michael and I, we have been friends for a really long time.
He’s more than capable.
And I read it and I went, “Oh my gosh, the piece is magnificent.
I’m in.”
Michael talked to me about how they were conceiving casting this piece and what it meant.
For both of us, there’s no ego in this.
Julieta Cervantes
I understand your mother has Alzheimer’s.
How has that shaped your involvement and directorial choices?
It’s made a big difference.
I’m currently living this every day, so I am seeing it firsthand.
But I am aware that every person’s journey is individual.
It’s been a healing experience for me in a lot of ways.
So it’s been really beautiful to begin to engage and have conversations with people who get it.
It’s a really tough thing to live through as a child.
And certainly for my dad as a spouse.
Our show shows that, but also shows that there is the person that is living.
There is still a world that is happening for them.
And it is our job to get inside their world and allow their world to be true.
Is that something that is now inherent to the storytelling that will inform casting going forward?
I don’t want to be predictive about what the future will mean for every company.
Every time we approach this piece, we’re going to do it with great care and consideration.
That will always be the same.
it was really fun to imagine where they overlapped.
Do you have a bucket list of other shows you would like to bring to the stage?
I don’t have a bucket list of shows.
I’m really excited to getAidato New York.
It’s in Holland right now, but bringing back Disney’sAidais a big priority for me.
I’ll know it when I see it.
I never sawThe NotebookorThe Wizcoming.
So we’ll see what surprises are next for me.
