This re-envisioning of The Wiz is co-produced with Cirque du Soleil Theatrical, which is also set to be part of the 2016-17 Broadway remounting. (When the show was announced for NBC, it was also announced that a major revival was planned for Broadway in the 2016-17 season.)
Williams, a 19-year-old actress from New Jersey, was picked from hundreds of girls to star as Dorothy for the 2015 musical event. Also featured were Mills (The Wiz's original Dorothy) as Auntie Em, Queen Latifah as The Wiz, Blige as Evillene, Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Uzo Aduba as Glinda, Amber Riley as Addaperle, Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man and Common as the Bouncer.
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Rounding out the cast are Chris Borrero, James Brown III, Olutayo Bosede, Elon Van Buckley, Ta'Rea Campbell, Jessica Castro, Kacie Garland, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Frankie Gordils, Khadija Griffith, Tre Holloway, Antonio Hudnell, Carlos Irizarry, Marcus Paul James, Frederic Jean, Capathia Jenkins, Mykal Kilgore, Tamika Lawrence, India R. McGee, Maurice Murphy, Antonio Moore, Danielle Polanco, Malaiyka Reid, Eric Sanchez, Sherisse Springer, Chris Silcox, Ahmahd Thomas, Raphael Thomas, Alex Wade, Donald Webber, DaShaun Wesley, Xavier Wilcher and NaTasha Williams.
For this production, the musical has been retooled by Broadway actor and writer Harvey Fierstein, who admitted to taking issue with certain plot points in "The Wizard of Oz." Along with director Kenny Leon (who enlisted Fierstein specifically for the project), the two restructured the piece to include a new song that's to function as an "Act I finale," backstory for Oz's characters and Winged Warriors (performed by Cirque du Soleil acrobats).
This re-envisioning of The Wiz is co-produced with Cirque du Soleil Theatrical, which is also set to be part of the 2016-17 Broadway remounting. (When the show was announced for NBC, it was also announced that a major revival was planned for Broadway in the 2016-17 season.)
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago" and "Hairspray," The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live!) are executive producers of The Wiz Live! Leon (Tony Award-winning A Raisin in the Sun, Fences) directs with live television direction by Matthew Diamond ("So You Think You Can Dance," Oscar-nominated "Dancemaker," Emmy Award-winning "Shining Time Station"). Fatima Robinson ("The Voice," "Dreamgirls" film, "VH1 Hip Hop Honors") choreographs.
Harvey Mason Jr. ("Dreamgirls," "Pitch Perfect 2") is the show's music producer with Stephen Oremus (Tony and Grammy Award-winning The Book of Mormon and Kinky Boots) as music director.
The Wiz Live! is based on The Wiz, featuring a book Brown and music and lyrics by Smalls. It was produced on the New York stage by Ken Harper.
Visit NBC.com/The-Wiz-Live.
