As a busy vocalist, recording artist and producer, Kyla Jade is no stranger to the road. But with the new North American tour of The Wiz making its way to Tennessee Performing Arts Center next week, this versatile Nashville-based singer is quick to admit that “there’s no place like home.”
“I actually saw my first Broadway show at TPAC as a college student,” says Jade, who attended Fisk University and has called Nashville home for 23 years. “So it definitely feels like a full-circle moment to be back there, performing for so many wonderful friends. I’ve been hearing from everybody, which is really exciting. I’m ready to come home, and I’m very proud of the show that we’ve built.”
Jade grew up in Kansas and got her start singing in the church. After college, she spent 15 years with The Bobby Jones Gospel Hour on BET, and toured with everyone from Wynonna Judd to Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Hudson before stepping into the spotlight as a finalist on NBC’s The Voice in 2018.
Now she’s back on the road with an all-new Broadway tour of the Tony Award-winning musical The Wiz — the first in 40 years. It’s directed by Schele Williams (The Notebook) and features choreography by JaQuel Knight (the creative mind behind Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” dance) and new material by Tony- and Emmy-nominated writer Amber Ruffin, so Jade insists: “This is not your mama’s Wiz.” But she’s thrilled to be making her national Broadway tour debut with the iconic show, taking on the roles of both Aunt Em and Evillene — two very different but uniquely rewarding characters.
“I patterned Aunt Em after my mother,” Jade says. “She’s soft-spoken but strong. Aunt Em is familiar and warm. I think everyone has an Aunt Em figure in their life, so her character was sort of easy to find.
“Evillene, on the other hand,” she continues, “is so big and boisterous. But I feel like there’s more depth to her because she’s actually really fragile and hurt — she just shows it in a very loud, frustrated way. It’s funny, because I think people would say that’s really polar opposite to my own personality. So finding her was more of a challenge, but it’s also been so much fun.”
And while Jade says she looks forward to performing Evillene’s big number “No Bad News” every night, her favorite moment in the show is actually the extended dance sequence at the top of Act II.
“I’m not even in it, but it’s my absolute favorite scene,” she says. “This is where you’re finally introduced to the Emerald City, and it’s just amazing. From the costuming to the lighting to the music — it’s absolutely breathtaking. It really is just Black excellence at its best. And I can’t wait for Nashville to see it.”
Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the musical, Jade says it’s been exciting to see such a huge response from a multigenerational audience.
“People are bringing their children, their grandmothers — because there’s really something for everyone,” she says. “And I love that we get to introduce it to folks that maybe don’t know the Broadway show, or who haven’t seen the film. Audiences still respond because it’s a universal story about home. And I think everyone is searching for home in their own way — especially in our current climate. We’re all searching for love and happiness and kindness, and all the things that make us feel safe and seen.
“Our director Schele often talks about the joy of this show,” Jade continues. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life, or if you’ve had a bad day at work. When you see The Wiz, you’re going to experience joy. So 50 years later, if we can bring people joy at a time when it’s so fleeting, then I feel like we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. And what an honor to share in that legacy.”
More upcoming theater performances:
Sept. 27 at TPAC’s Polk Theater: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Sept. 27-Oct. 30 at Nashville Children’s Theatre: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Musical
Oct. 9 and 11 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall: Nashville Opera’s The Shining
Oct. 10-12 at TPAC’s Polk Theater: Nashville Ballet’s If I Can Dream
Oct. 14-19 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall: The Outsiders
Oct. 18-19 at TPAC’s Johnson Theater: Improvised Shakespeare
Oct. 23-25 at OZ Arts: Compagnie Dyptik’s Le Grand Bal
Nov. 7-22 at The Barbershop Theater: Street Theatre’s ThanksKilling: The Musical
Nov. 12-13 at OZ Arts: TeatroCinema’s Rosa
Nov. 18-23 at TPAC’s Johnson Theater: All Puppet Players’ Die Hard: A Christmas Carol
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