DENVER — "The Wiz" musical is currently in town at the Denver Center of the Performing Arts, entertaining people of all ages. On opening night, a Denver dance studio owner was in the crowd and shared how she brought the show to the Mile High City years ago.
Cleo Parker Robinson was among the many people in the audience on opening night of the "The Wiz" at the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre.
"It was fantastic! I don't think you can ever get enough of 'The Wiz,' ever," Robinson said.
Robinson founded the dance studio, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, in Denver. She said seeing "The Wiz" in 2025 is a full-circle moment, as she helped the production flourish in Denver in the 1970s.
"So we produced 'The Wiz,' and I brought in a director out of Seattle. He was head of a black theater, Black Arts West, Buddy Butler. He became our director in Denver for many, many years. My father began to do sets and lights, designing and acting, so I was able to choreograph and help direct 'The Wiz,' and it was so magical," Robinson remembered.
Robinson said that when putting the show together, her son dreamed about being the Lion in the musical every night but had to settle for playing another character.
"The director put him in the show, so he's the only child in the show, and he was choreographed in with the flying monkey," Robinson said.
While Robinson said the revised Broadway production today did not have the flying monkeys, watching the modern-day version brings back memories.
"We chose 'The Wiz,' the costumes, and the choreography, and everything was mine. So, then I continued to do 'The Wiz' in the schools. I take it in the schools, and I traveled it, but I did it in Boulder with Ray Charles," Robinson said.
As Robinson went down memory lane, she could not help but remember the vibrant colors of the production and how "The Wiz" amplified the Black art community.
"In the Emerald City, everybody comes out in green, and then they come out in red, and then they come out, you know, blue and they are bad. So when it was happening on Broadway, I was there, and a lot of our friends came out of dance companies like mine and went into the Broadway show," Robinson said.
While "The Wiz" will be in Denver until April 20, Robinson said the performers will be stopping by her studio because she wants to make sure they feel at home in the Mile High City.
"I wanted them to know that they're in Denver and we are happy and blessed that they're here, and that they can come and take classes in the morning, keep their training and connect with us," Robinson said.
Tickets for the show are still available.
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