"The Wiz's Unforgettable Homecoming in Beaumont: JWCPA Leaves Audience Amazed"

The Wiz Came Home to Beaumont. JWCPA Made It Unforgettable.

JWCPA's production of The Wiz ran three performances across one weekend. The set design, the costumes, the performances, and the moments nobody in that theatre will forget.

When the lights went down at the Julie Rogers Theatre on Friday, June 26, the audience did not know exactly what they were about to see. By the time the lights came back up, they did. And then they came back Saturday. Twice.

The Jonathan Williams Center for the Performing Arts mounted a production of The Wiz that Beaumont will be talking about for a long time. Professional-grade projected backdrops transformed the Julie Rogers stage into Kansas farmland, Emerald City, and every world in between. Costumes that stopped people mid-sentence. Performances from cast members who had been rehearsing since June 1 and arrived on that stage ready.

"This production gives our community an opportunity to come together, celebrate the arts, and experience the power of unity through storytelling."
— Candace Buckley, Glinda

Marshey Smith as Evillene commanded the stage alone and made the audience believe every second of it. The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion brought the kind of energy that reminded everyone in the room why live theater exists. And then there was the moment that stopped people cold.

Glinda and Dorothy are played by Candace Buckley and Tiauna Smith. They are mother and daughter. Both known and loved in this community. When they shared that stage together, it was not just a scene from a musical. It was a mother and daughter living something out loud in front of a full house. When Tiauna sang "Home," the kids in the cast cried. When she turned to the Lion and sang "Be a Lion," giving courage to someone who forgot they had it, the room went still.

These were not theater moments. These were life happening on a stage.

André Pitre played The Wiz. A Beaumont native who came home for this role. His own words after the show: "Full circle." He said it simply and it said everything.

And Tra'Marion, playing an Emerald City Citizen, performed in his very first play ever. At the Julie Rogers Theatre. In front of a full house. That is the JWCPA story in one sentence.

This summer marked JWCPA's fourth or fifth summer production, and the organization is still growing. In September, they will celebrate their 10th anniversary as an organization. The 10th Year Celebration Banquet is set for September 26, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Ten years of impact. Countless lives inspired. Jonathan Williams made a promise to his students more than a decade ago and has been keeping it ever since. Mark your calendar now.