Schele Williams is making her Broadway directorial debut this spring with both The Notebook and the revival of The Wiz an artistic achievement she describes as a milestone that I wish never happened.

As numerous outlets have pointed out , Williams, who starred in Elton John and Time Rices musical Aida, is the first Black woman to direct a full-fledged musical on Broadway since Vinnette Carroll , who in 1972 staged Dont Bother Me, I Cant Cope at the now-defunct Playhouse and Edison theaters.

There have been other trailblazers, of course, including Camille A. Brown , who directed and choreographed For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Broadways experimental choreopoem billed as a play with music , in 2022.

But given the scope and popularity of musicals like Dreamgirls and The Color Purple that highlight Black womens experiences, Williams achievement is noteworthy.