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Wayne Brady Just Proved He's Still King of the Musical Improvisers
The Wiz star created some freestyle magic rhyming with random items with help from Jimmy Fallon.
From playing Dracula and The Wolfman at Universal Studios to currently portraying the Wiz on Broadway — Wayne Brady's had quite the journey on stage and screen.
Brady rose to fame as an improv master on Whose Line Is It Anyway? He has also hosted his own talk show, the game show Let's Make a Deal, and even competed on Dancing With the Stars. And in recent years he's gained a whole new audience on TikTok from his family's viral videos.
On a March 21 visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Fallon asked Brady about his audition process for Whose Line Is It Anyway? Brady shared that it was when he was asked to make up songs on the spot during his audition that he landed a role on the long-running comedy series.
"The thing that really flipped it was when they said, 'Hey we need you to improvise some songs. Can you do that?' recalled Brady. "Yeah, I can improvise a song. And then one round after the next round, and at the end of the day I had a job. It was ridiculous."
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Wayne Brady improvises a rap song about The Wiz with The Roots
"You are so good at improv and freestyling, by the way," Fallon told him. "I've seen you do it, and it's unbelievable what you do. You're so talented. I thought it would be fun for the audience if you did a little freestyling maybe about The Wiz tonight."
"But I know you like a little pressure," Fallon added, upping the challenge. "So what I have here is random things, and if I show the object can you add them into your freestyle?"
"Easy money," Brady answered confidently. "The best part of it is, I actually get to say on my resume that I performed with The Roots."
Backed by The Roots, Brady began his freestyle frenzy, incorporating random items that Fallon placed on his desk including a slice of New York pizza, the cover of Beyoncé's upcoming Cowboy Carter album, a Polaroid camera, a guitar, and to bring it all home: A Playbill for The Wiz.
Watch the video to see Brady make improv magic — he's known as a master improviser for a reason.
