“I am happily free to fall in love with anybody here. If you’re gay, if you’re straight, if you’re non-binary, trans, I don’t care,” said Wayne Brady in an interview earlier this year with People. And for Brady, who’s been in the public eye for more than 25 years, that includes himself.
Now starring in the title role of the Broadway revival of The Wiz (through June 12), Brady is back in the spotlight. He’s using the opportunity to celebrate Black creativity and the expanse of the LGBTQ+ community.
Brady is stepping into iconic shoes. Nearly 50 years ago, the production opened on Broadway starring legend André De Shields (who’s about to appear in the reimagined Cats: “The Jellicle Ball.“) Brady brings his own swagger to the role, helped by a revised book by Amber Ruffin.
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Brady says, “It’s never too late to take a hold of your story.” The multi-faceted actor and producer came out as pansexual in August 2023 and has used his platform to speak about the importance of living an authentic life and also the challenges facing queer people of color.
Now, eight times a week, Brady is stepping into the fantastical, Afro-futuristic world of Oz with a stellar cast that includes R&B star Deborah Cox as Glinda, pop singer Avery Wilson as Scarecrow, and Nichelle Lewis making her Broadway debut as Dorothy.
Queerty caught up with Brady shortly after opening night to find out more about his pre-show rituals, who he’d like to work with next, and the show that changed his life.
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The House of Dorothy reigns supreme in ‘The Wiz’ with Wayne Brady in the titular role
Nearly 50 years after it first opened on Broadway, “The Wiz” returns to ease on down the road.
The Wiz doesn’t appear until Act II, which gives me a whole act backstage to …
My pre-show ritual consists of showing up to the theater, then I always brew a pot of hot tea. I warm up by doing my straw exercises, singing the songs through, I write down my lines to make sure that I’ve still got them in my head. And I have to stretch because getting on stage, I’ve got two songs and two numbers, it can be a jolt to the system, and in my second song, you know, I’m kicking it old-school, and I don’t want to knock something out of place. So, definitely, a physical warm-up is part of my pre-show ritual.
If I could click my heels three times and make any dream come true …
Everyone can love whoever they wanted to, and it was everyone’s own damn business who they were involved with, that no one would take it upon themselves to be angry over the way that anyone else lived their life or whom they happened to live their life with.
The Wiz is a showman. During the rehearsal process with director Schele Williams, I discovered that …
With two songs and two scenes, I knew that I needed to create a backstory and make it rich. And it let me play. The thing that I discovered is that I hadn’t gotten a chance to really play in a while. The rehearsal process let me stretch my wings and play and use my imagination.
The show that changed my life the most …
Kinky Boots. Playing Lola in Kinky Boots absolutely changed my life. It made me a better performer and it made me a better human. I’ve never gotten a chance to deliver such a message of positivity on stage. And even just as a role to take such a star turn and to realize that I could do it, that I could live up to this bar that Lola set. To live out loud and be proud. That’s when I decided I needed to change my life and started living it the way that I wanted to.
The LGBTQ+ theatermaker I’d love to collaborate with …
I would love to collaborate with Jordan E. Cooper.
At my dressing table, you’ll find …
Honey, two yarn dolls of The Wiz (one of which was made for me by Megan, my amazing dresser), pictures of my family all over the place, beard oil, beard conditioner, scalp conditioner, cologne, and a video game controller.
Kangol2
This pan king is fire on Broadway.
Pietro D
I hated this new production of THE WIZ; it stank to high heaven so I was not the least bit surprised that it was completely snubbed for the TONY AWARDS, 2024……… not a single nomination! Even bad shows often get a single nomination. The TONY Committee must have really hated this re-incarnation as did I.