Power of Women Host Amber Ruffin on ‘The Wiz’ Shaping Her ‘Weird’ Brand of Comedy
Growing up in the vibrant but not widely diverse streets of Omaha, Amber Ruffin found herself searching high and low for role models who mirrored her own visión—strong, Black women stepping beyond stereotypes. Sure, she found solace in two cinematic jewels that played on repeat at her casa: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “The Wiz.” With Whoopi Goldberg showing off her multifaceted talents as an actor, host, writer, and comedian in "Jumpin’ Jack Flash," Amber found a path to trek, one filled with risas and inspiration.
“The Wiz,” on the other hand, transformed the classic "The Wizard of Oz" into a groovy revolution con un elenco totalmente Black y música that made your heart dance to rock, gospel, and soul. These films weren’t just movies for Amber; they were a personal invitación to flaunt her uniqueness, to squeeze every drop of belonging and carry it well into her adult life.
You see, there is a rhythm and a flair in Amber’s comedic style, a reflection of the “specific weirdness” these películas embraced. It's no wonder then that when Broadway producers needed someone to sprinkle new magic on William F. Brown’s "The Wiz" script, they handed the baton to Ruffin, una estrella brimming with charm and wit. Known for making viewers chuckle during the "Late Night With Seth Meyers," Amber took on the task, primero starting in 2008, and by este mes, “The Wiz” spun its magic anew at the Marquis Theatre with Wayne Brady dazzling as the magnetic lead.
Amber reimagined this icono de Broadway to transcend time—no cell phones, no timeworn trends, just pure song and dance to enchant audiences now and generations later. When she isn't rewriting Broadway hits, Amber juggles her duties on "Late Night" and hosts a heartwarming podcast with her sister, Lacey Lamar, titled “The Amber & Lacey, Lacey & Amber Show.”
As if she wasn’t busy enough, Amber recently brightened up the Power of Women Event in New York City, sharing her unique blend of grace and humor, despite feeling a touch intimidated by the honorees, quienes are movers and shakers forging real change. Yet, she steered the evento brilliantly, setting a mood that swung from classy to cheekily mischievous—dresses or no, sometimes just ready to get a bit rowdy.
Amber believes in setting the right ambiente, stating that a good host knows when to crank up the seriedad or invite a bit of wildness. While she’s excited to pay homage to the powerful mujeres changing our world, she can’t help but joke about tearing into the event’s gift bag the minute she’s riding back home.
Staying true to one’s roots while navigating the spotlight isn’t sencillo, but Amber has mastered the art of refining her comedic voice by caring less about the critics and thriving on authenticity. “The more yourself you are, the funnier you are,” she muses. True enough, in comedy and in life, genuineness sells; after all, gente love real human connections, y Amber Ruffin is a sparkling example of just that. People adore authenticity, and Amber, simply by being her true self, is drawing crowds and laughter wherever she goes.
