"The Wiz" at South Philly High continues long music tradition that had been broken

“Music, to me, is like breathing air.”
—Davia Blair, one of two Dorothys in the South Philadelphia High production of The Wiz.

Writing for The Notebook, Dale Mezzacappa explores the history of music at South Philadelphia High School, once an artistic hub that produced musicians such as Marian Anderson, Chubby Checker, and more. Sadly, the music program at the school had since lain dormant for many years, but it has recently been revitalized under the leadership of music teacher Louis Russo, Curtis’s ArtistYear fellows, and the school’s previous and current principals.

“Tackling a full-fledged musical, though, was due to the initiative of Curtis Institute graduate Alize Rozsnyai, a fellow with Artist Year, an initiative to bring art and music to underserved communities. Last year, the school staged Dreamgirls; this year, The Wiz.”

Read more about this year’s production of The Wiz, the second annual musical produced with help from ArtistYear fellow Alize Rozsnyai at Chalkbeat Philadelphia.