The Wiz Live!

The Cast

T​he Wiz Live! is an upcoming live-television adaptation of the broadway show confirmed by NBC that will air on December 3rd, 2015. The show will be co-produced with Cirque du Soleil. Since the orginal show began touring in 1975, this new version comes for the 40th anniversary of the original. 

History

NBC embarks on its latest musical holiday tradition with a live television production of the groundbreaking Broadway show that brought the vivid world of Oz to the streets of New York in a fresh, funky sing-along journey down the yellow brick road.

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the original show was a massive hit on Broadway and even spawned a feature film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Now, a Tony-winning creative team, the hugely imaginative Cirque du Soleil Theatrical, and a diverse cast of showstopping performers will come together to create an eye-popping new take unlike anything seen before.^{[citation needed]}

Cast

• Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em
• Mary J. Blige as Evillene
• Queen Latifah as the Wiz
• Shanice Williams as Dorothy
• David Alan Grier as Cowardly Lion
• Uzo Aduba as Glinda
• Amber Riley as Addapearle
• Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow
• Ne-Yo as Tinman
• Common as the Gatekeeper

Production Credits

• Studio Universal Television, Cirque du Soleil Theatrical^{[citation needed]}
• Executive Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago" and "Hairspray," "The Sound of Music LIVE!," "Peter Pan LIVE")^{[citation needed]}
• Director Kenny Leon (Tony Award-winning "A Raisin in the Sun," "Fences")^{[citation needed]}
• Choreographer Fatima Robinson ("The Voice," "Dreamgirls" film, "VH1 Hip Hop Honors")^{[citation needed]}
• New Written Material Harvey Fierstein ("Kinky Boots," "Newsies," "Torch Song Trilogy," "La Cage aux Folles")^{[citation needed]}

Trivia 

• This is NBC's 2nd Oz project after the cancelled and then reordered Emerald City (TV series). It is likely that this was either picked up as a replacement or to insight a renewed interest in Oz in which the series was pitched again.
• Before the confirmation, it was revealed that NBC also had the choice doing The Music Man or A Few Good Men as its annual live winter musical for 2015 (Previous: Peter Pan Live! in 2014 and The Sound of Music Live! in 2013).
• Stephanie Mills played as Dorothy in the original broadway production.
  • David Alan Grier and Queen Latifah played Uncle Henry and Aunt Em respectfully in the The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
• This will be the first time the Wizard of Oz is protrayed by a female actress.
• David Alan Grier once played the Wiz in La Jolla's version of the production.
• Queen Latifah and Elijah Kelley played alongside each other in the 2007 film adaption of Hairspray as Seaweed and Motormouth Maybelle.

Gallery

Queen Latifah as The Wizard

Supposed design for Evillene

Supposed design for Glinda

Externand  l links

NBC Show Listing