'Hello, world!'

There's a scene I can't get out of my head, so I suppose the only way to exorcise it is to write about it.

It's from "The Wiz," Sidney Lumet's all-black musical version of "The Wizard of Oz." I remember going down to the State-Lake with Robert and Johnny Killebrew for the Chicago premiere in 1978. It blew me away then, as it did when I saw a 30th anniversary re-release a few months ago.

A deliciously long-stemmed Diana Ross sang and danced her heart out as Dorothy. And she had one hell of a supporting cast: Pre-weird Michael Jackson was the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell the Tin Man, Ted Ross the Lion, Richard Pryor the Wiz. Lena Horne tore your heart up as Glinda, the Good Witch. (We'd seen Ross in the '75 stage version.)

It was a critical and commercial failure, but it did get four Oscar nominations, along with my perpetual admiration.

And the scene I can't get out of my head after Tuesday:

Evillene, the bad witch, has tortured the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion in her sweatshop, filled with grotesque slaves. When she threatens to toss Toto into a pot of fire, Dorothy hits the sprinklers. The witch dissolves. The slaves' ugly costumes split -- and out come lithe, supple folk in tones of brown and black, amazed at their real beauty. They dance joyously across their work benches, freed from their evil spell. It's a moment of exultation, to the tune of Luther Vandross' "Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice)."

I can't post the video of that exuberant scene (Universal holds the copyright), but here's one from another fan who obviously gets it: