Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley and Common are joining the cast of NBC's "The Wiz."
The network announced at the Television Critics Association's semi-annual press tour that Ne-Yo will be joining the cast as the Tin Man, Elijah Kelley will be the Scarecrow, and Common has been cast as the Gatekeeper in Oz, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The trio joins cast members Mary J. Blige, who will play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, David Alan Grier, playing the Cowardly Lion, and Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em. "Orange is the New Black" star Uzo Aduba will play Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, and Amber Riley will play Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North.
NBC recently announced that it has casted 19-year-old newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy. The network conducted a nationwide, looking for an African-American woman between the ages of 18 and 27 with an "extraordinary voice" and a mature but youthful energy, Billboard reported. Williams auditioned with the songs "Home," "Ease on Down the Road" and "Be a Lion."
Oscar-nominated actress Queen Latifah will play the character of the Wiz, "the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City," according to Entertainment Weekly. Latifah isn't new to the world of musicals, having starred in the 2002 film adaptation of "Chicago" and the 2007 remake of "Hairspray."
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will executive produce. Kenny Leon will be the stage director and Matthew Diamond will serve as TV director. Harvey Fierstein will contribute written material for the stage production. "The Wiz" is NBC's latest musical production, following "The Sound of Music" and "Peter Pan."
The live production of "The Wiz" is set to air on Dec. 3 on NBC.
