Growing up in Omaha, Amber Ruffin didn’t have many role models who looked like her. “I had not seen Black female performances that weren’t a stereotype and honestly, it was a while until it became regular.” Luckily, there were two movies on regular rotation in her home: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “The Wiz.”
The first started Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg, in whose hyphenate shoes Ruffin would follow, becoming an actor, host, writer and comedian. And the latter was the big-screen adaptation of the revolutionary 1974 Broadway musical, a retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” with an all-Black cast and bumping tunes that blended rock, gospel and soul. Says Ruffin of the films, “They were just so specific and weird that it was like an invitation to be yourself. So I had to squeeze all of the belonging out of those two movies and they lasted me well beyond childhood.”
One can see parallels between that specific weirdness and Ruffin’s own endearing, enthusiastic style of comedy. So it makes sense that when producers were looking for someone to update William F. Brown’s book for the musical, they turned to Ruffin, a writer on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” since the show’s beginning known for her appearances in segments like “Amber Says What?” and “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell.” After a long journey — Ruffin started the project in 2018 — “The Wiz” revival opened on Broadway this month at the Marquis Theatre, with Wayne Brady in the title role.
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Ruffin has updated the show, but also made it timeless. “My biggest challenge was bringing the story from the 1970s to a place without a time,” she notes. “I’ve set it in a place where there’s no cell phones or strong specifics of the era. So I feel like you could perform it 20 years from now and it will still work.”
In addition to “The Wiz,” Ruffin is busy with her day job at “Late Night” and her podcast, which she hosts with her sister Lacey Lamar, called “The Amber & Lacey, Lacey & Amber Show.”
And now Variety is fortunate enough that Ruffin has found time in her busy schedule to host this year’s Power of Women Event in New York City. Though a veteran of her own late-night show, “The Amber Ruffin Show,” and hosting awards shows like the Webbys and the Writers Guild Awards, Ruffin confesses to being a little bit intimidated. “These honorees are real professionals who are making actual change on this planet,” she says. “And I imagine they’re not going to let me anywhere near them.”
As for what makes a good host, Ruffin says it’s all about setting the mood. “Sometimes that mood is prim and proper. Sometimes it’s, let’s see how bad we can act and still be allowed in public. But sometimes the mood is: Hey, we’re all wearing dresses, but we can also get a little bit rowdy. I think that’s the mood I’d like to set.” She adds that she’s looking forward to honoring the women in the room — that and the gift bag. “I won’t even wait to get home,” she vows. “I’ll be going through that thing in the car ride home.”
And while she may be able to point to her early comedic influences, Ruffin manages to stay current by following her own path. “I feel like I’ve developed my comedic voice by caring less and less,” she says.
“The more yourself you are, the funnier you are. People like comedy and characters and well-written jokes, but they truly love human beings. People love people. And the fact that you are one is already a great starting point.”
