The setting was changed to an urban environment (a stylized New York City). Quincy Jones adapted the music for the film, and wrote additional songs with the help of Ashford and Simpson. Jones updated the “Emerald City Sequence” ballet with a disco vibe, and co-wrote with Anthony Jackson a funky “Poppy Girls Theme” for the parading ladies of the night. These urbanized changes turned the story from something ordinary into something imaginative. From the urban playground with graffiti munchkins to the taxis that won’t pick up black passengers, from the broken-down buildings to the abandoned carnival, from the witchdoctor in the subway to the lure of the skyscrapers across the bridge, the movie holds its own compared to the classic 1939 MGM version, music and all.
In choosing to revive the Broadway version, NBC scuttled what made The Wiz unique. The great music by Smalls remains, but the pop song “We Got It” by Ne-Yo was a tepid addition. The producers also wasted an opportunity to spice up the music with rap, unlike what Jones and Jackson had done with disco and funk. On the positive side, the sets were amazing, and the cast performed well. But it was a wasted opportunity, and certainly cannot compete with the film version of The Wiz.