NBC's The Wiz Live

[Raph's Girl]

Well NBC is at it again for live shows. This year it's The Wiz.

The cool thing tho is that Queen Latifa has been cast as the titular characer. I actually find that awesome. Queen Latifa as the Wizard of Oz! Mary J. Blige has been cast as the Wicked Witch with Stephanie Mills (who played Dorothy in the original Broadway production) has been cast as Aunty EM.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2015/07/28/megastars-queen-latifah-and-mary-j-blige-ease-on-down-the-road-in-nbcs-the-wiz-live-394213/20150728nbc04/

[MsMarvelDuckie]

This, I like. Our high school did a production of this my senior year, and I was one of the citizens of the Emerald City. Our Wicked Witch fell into her "throne" during the first dress rehearsal, and got stuck. She was SUPPOSED to fall into a box underneath. Also, her "messenger" (who gets carried off to be beheaded) came out of the closet later that year- to NO ONE'S surprise. He was a real character, LOL! And our Dorothy went on to win the talent competition at the JCL State convention, and 3rd in Nationals that year for her 10 minute, one-person rendition of the play, and even sang the national anthem at a Dallas Stars game! She was an awesome singer. I may have to watch this, just because of the memories it would bring back!

[ranger_scout]

Beyonce has been offered the role of Glinda, but no deal has been made yet.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/30/beyonce-wiz

[turtlefanforever]

somebody had to do it


CjQKFoUdk4g

[BubblyShell22]

I don't know how I feel about this. I liked The Sound of Music Live, but Peter Pan dragged on waaay too much for me to enjoy it. But I might check this out and see if it's worthwhile.

[ranger_scout]

The producers have found their Dorothy. The casting will be revealed on The Today Show.

https://www.facebook.com/TheWizMusical/photos/a.422006841315782.1073741828.413007182215748/427984087384724/?type=1&theater

[ranger_scout]

David Alan Grier is going to play the Cowardly Lion.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/04/nbcs-wiz-live-casts-david-alan-grier-cowardly-lion

18 year-old newcomer, Shanice Williams has been cast as Dorothy.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/05/dorothy-wiz

[Raph's Girl]

Uzo Aduba (crazy eyes in Orange is the New Black) and Amber Riley (Mercedees Jones in Glee) have been cast as the good witches of the North and South... Uzo is Glinda of the South and Amber is Addaperle of the South. Apparantly all 4 witches are sisters!

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2015/08/06/last-two-witches-fly-into-the-wiz-live-crazy-eyes-uzo-aduba-and-glee-star-amber-riley-615513/20150806nbc05/

[ranger_scout]

Elijah Kelley, who played Seaweed Stubbs in Hairspray has been cast as the Scarecrow. Ne-Yo will be playing the Tin Man and Common has been cast as the Bouncer, the gatekeeper of the entrance to Emerald City.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/08/13/common-ne-yo-and-elijah-kelley-are-newest-additions-to-all-star-cast-for-the-wiz-live/447719/

[ranger_scout]

First full look photos:

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-04-800.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-03-435.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-05-800.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-02-800.jpg

http://www.people.com/article/the-wiz-live-nbc-costumes-first-look?xid=rss-topheadlines&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+people%252Fheadlines+%2528P EOPLE.com%253A+Top+Headlines%2529

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1447702154/the-wiz-02.jpg

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1447702154/the-wiz-03.jpg

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1447702154/the-wiz-01.jpg

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/16/wiz-live-queen-latifah-uzo-aduba-common

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151130/mary-j-blige-435.jpg

http://www.people.com/article/wiz-live-mary-j-blige-wicked-witch-first-look

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/17/18/2E842E3C00000578-3322454-image-m-47_1447784167089.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/17/18/2E8421CE00000578-3322454-image-m-58_1447784481487.jpg

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3322454/Queen-Latifah-Uzo-Aduba-unrecognisable-intricate-costumes-Wiz-Live-musical-production.html

[Raph's Girl]

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-03-435.jpg


That Scarecrow... I just can't stop staring at that costume...

At least Toto is a Cairn Terrier like the original.

[TigerClaw]

First full look photos:

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-04-800.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-03-435.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-05-800.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-02-800.jpg

http://www.people.com/article/the-wiz-live-nbc-costumes-first-look?xid=rss-topheadlines&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+people%252Fheadlines+%2528P EOPLE.com%253A+Top+Headlines%2529

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1447702154/the-wiz-02.jpg

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1447702154/the-wiz-03.jpg

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1447702154/the-wiz-01.jpg

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/16/wiz-live-queen-latifah-uzo-aduba-common

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151130/mary-j-blige-435.jpg

http://www.people.com/article/wiz-live-mary-j-blige-wicked-witch-first-look

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/17/18/2E842E3C00000578-3322454-image-m-47_1447784167089.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/17/18/2E8421CE00000578-3322454-image-m-58_1447784481487.jpg

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3322454/Queen-Latifah-Uzo-Aduba-unrecognisable-intricate-costumes-Wiz-Live-musical-production.html
I love that David Alan Grier as the Cowardly lion looks more like an actual lion with a mane, The costumes look pretty good.

[Raph's Girl]

I love that David Alan Grier as the Cowardly lion looks more like an actual lion with a mane, The costumes look pretty good.

Yeah but uh actual lions don't have dreads... :P

[ranger_scout]

And here are the four "easing on down the road".

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2015/news/151026/the-wiz-01-800.jpg

[ranger_scout]

This was far superior to both The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live! There wasn't a weak link in the entire cast. Everyone sang with gusto and the acting was very believable. Third time really was the charm for NBC tonight. Bravo! :grin:

[Raph's Girl]

This was far superior to both The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live! There wasn't a weak link in the entire cast. Everyone sang with gusto and the acting was very believable. Third time really was the charm for NBC tonight. Bravo! :grin:

Indeed!! I loved every minute of it!! I've never seen the 1980's production with Michael Jackson (I was really only familiar with the Move on Down the Road song) so I was surprised by alot of stuff. What was really weird tho is Toto. He was in it for all of a minute. Guess they figured he would have been in the way?

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Toto isn't really in the original much, either, IIRC. He certainly didn't paly a big part in our HS production.

After watching this, I had both good and bad reactions. Most of the cast was stellar, especially the Tin-Man and Lion, and Wiz, Addapearl was great, And I loved Evilene. I was a little put off by the costumes in the Emerald City, though, as they felt a bit TOO over-the-top. And Dorothy was- not bad, but a little too technical for my taste and not quite as good as I'd hoped. I kept comparing her mentally to "our" Dorothy, and she came up short, without the zest and sense of fun and enjoyment that the girl in our production had. Then again, she was an AMAZING singer, worthy of Broadway even while still in high school (and this was in 1996), and voices like hers don't come along very often.

For the most part, I loved this. It was great, and did indeed bring back some great memories. Some songs from the live show weren't even in ours, so I'm guessing they got cut for time or just to streamline the script for a smaller production. Either way, I found myself singing along with many of them, and enjoyed almost every minute!