NBC just added some major star power to the cast of its upcoming musical event, "The Wiz Live!." the Hollywood Reporter reported. Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah will be following the yellow brick road together this December.
Latifah, the Oscar-nominated actress, will play the character of the Wiz, "the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City," according to Entertainment Weekly. The former hip-hop artist isn't new to musicals, as she starred in the 2002 film adaptation of "Chicago" and the 2007 remake of "Hairspray."
Blige is a nine-time Grammy award-winning artist and also has some acting experience under her belt, EW reported. She was featured in the 2012 rock opera "Rock of Ages" and made an appearance on the hit Fox TV series "Empire." In "The Wiz Live!," she will be playing the role of Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West.
"The Wiz Live!" executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have worked on NBC's previous live musical events and also worked with Latifah on "Hairspray" and "Chicago." They told EW that they're happy to be reuniting with Latifah once again.
"We've been friends for a long time and we've had quite a lot of success together," Zadan and Meron told EW. "To see her play the iconic role of the Wiz and make it her own is going to be one of the joys of producing this event."
Based on L. Frank Baum's classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," "The Wiz" made its Broadway debut in 1975, according to Entertainment Tonight. NBC's live production is set for a Dec. 3 telecast.
