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It's hard to overstate the impact and importance of "The Wiz"-- this musical and movie brought together a never seen before star studded cast, and touched millions of young people with a wholesome and celebratory version of Black Vaudeville: a tradition that goes back to the 1890s.

It didn't make a lot of sense to white audiences, but it wasn't really for them. You have to understand that as a little girl seeing a black woman as the main character in a movie for kids was ... well this was it.