The Wiz is back!!
For those of you who don’t know, The Wiz was an all African American Cast adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1978. The original The WIZ stared Michael Jackson (Scarecrow), Diana Ross (Dorothy), Nipsey Russell (Tin Woodman), Lena Horne (Glinda) and Richard Pryor (Oz).
The 2015 cast is no less star studded. NBC has secured an awesome group of people who will hopefully do this production justice! Even though the original The Wiz was fantastic and had such an amazing cast, it never got the reviews and views they thought it would.
NBC’s The Wiz Live! Will air Dec. 3 2015 and stars Queen Latifah, Uzo Aduba, Common, Amber Riley & Stephanie Mills.
Queen Latifah Plays The Wizard of Oz
Uzo Aduba plays Glinda – The Good Witch of The South
Common plays the Bouncer – Gate Keeper of Emerald City
Glee’s Amber Riley is set to play Addapearle, The Good Witch of The North
Stephanie Mills plays Auntie Em, 30 years after playing Dorothy on Broadway!!
While the cast of the 2015 adaptation may have stronger actors than The Wiz 1978, musically I don’t know that it can get any better! The music for The Wiz was created by some of the best musicians to grace the earth. Michael Jackson and Diana Ross collaborated on much of the writing and vocals with musical sensations Luther Vandross & Quincy Jones producing. Let’s hope they keep some of the original songs from The Wiz in this production!
Shanice Williams will be playing Dorothy, the 18 year old actress was selected out of hundreds of applicants nationwide. She will play alongside Wicked Witch of the West Mary J. Blige and Cowardly Lion David Alan Grier.
We will definitely be watching!
