The upcoming remake of The Wiz on NBC will have a double dose of Hip Hop royalty included in the musical’s cast.
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Meanwhile, Blige will take on the role of Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. They will star with previously announced cast member Stephanie Mills, who will be playing Auntie Em. The original 1974 production, directed by Geoffrey Holder and choreographed by George Faison, won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. The casting reunites Latifah with Zadan and Meron. The multi-Grammy winning Blige most recently appeared on Fox’s Empire and ABC’s Blackish.
Kenny Leon’s live TV version of “The Wiz” just got a giant sass injection.
‘The story of Dorothy has always been about someone new, ‘ casting director Bernard Tesley said, adding: ‘It feels like the innocence of Dorothy should be a face that we don’t recognize and don’t know.’ Auditions began on June 6 in New York City. “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”.
“The Wiz Live!” is adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls.
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NBC is teaming up with Cirque du Soleil, as well as writer and actor Harvey Fierstein, to update the stage musical, which airs on NBC on December 3.
