NBC invites viewers to "Ease On Down the Road" with Dorothy, the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion with its upcoming broadcast, "The Wiz Live!," as previously reported by HNGN. The network is continuing with its live musical broadcasts, following up on the success of "The Sound of Music Live!" and "Peter Pan Live!" with a live performance of the 1974 musical and the 1978 film "The Wiz."
The network's updated version of "The Wiz" features a star-studded cast, with Queen Latifah as The Wiz, Mary J. Blige playing Evillene the Wicked Witch of the West, David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Uzo Aduba as Glinda the Good Witch of the South, Amber Riley as Addaperle the Good Witch of the North, Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow, Common as Bouncer (the gatekeeper to Emerald City), Ne-Yo as the Tinman and Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em.
Rounding out the cast is New Jersey teen Shanice Williams, who earned the role as Dorothy after a nationwide audition, as previously reported by HNGN.
In 1974, William F. Brown wrote the "The Wiz" musical, which is a retelling of the 1939 classic film "The Wizard of Oz" based on L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." It opened on Broadway in 1975 and toured nationally before it was adapted to a film by Universal Pictures and Motown Productions in 1978, according to the Wiz Musical's official website.
The 1978 film traded the rural Kansas farm setting to an urban one in New York City's Harlem neighborhood and told the classic tale through the lens of the African American experience, according to IMDB. In the film, iconic Motown singer Diana Ross played the role of Dorothy, a 24-year-old school teacher who lives a sheltered live with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. The original film also starred the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.
NBC's three-hour-long broadcast of "The Wiz Live!" is directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon and executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the Oscar-winning duo behind "The Sound of Music Live!" and "Peter Pan Live!," according to NBC.
"The Wiz Live!" kicks off on Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. on NBC, with a live stream available here.
See below for a performance by "The Wiz Live!" cast during the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:
