The Wiz Live! (NBC) - General Discussion

[JessePinkman]

Some casting news for live production airing December 3rd on NBC.

 

She's "Home"! Meet the Young Newcomer Who Will Star as Dorothy in The Wiz

 

Newcomer Shanice Williams has been announced to step into Dorothy's silver slippers in the upcoming NBC broadcast of The Wiz. She joins original Broadway star Stephanie Mills, Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier and Mary J. Blige.

 

 

 

NBC made the right decision and cast a unknown and someone who isn't 30. Thank goodness. Here's part of her casting audition and video of her finding out she got the role. And video of the announcement. Spoiler, she's adorable.

 

I'm so happy that this production is shaping up to be cast with people who can sing.

 

 

[Luckylyn]

I'm more excited about the casting for The Wiz than I was for the previous live productions.    I really think NBC is making great choices this time.

[BW Manilowe]

Another casting update:

Glee's Amber P. Riley will play Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North (who gives Dorothy the silver [in this version of the story] slippers & points her towards the Yellow Brick Road) & Orange is the New Black's Uzo Aduba will play Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (who tells Dorothy the secret of the silver slippers & points her toward home). They're sisters to Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Mary J. Blige).

http://tvline.com/2015/08/06/amber-riley-wiz-live-cast-uzo-aduba-nbc/

Edited August 6, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[JessePinkman]

Wow, it just keeps getting better! All of these talented women (and David Alan Grier lol), I'm so thrilled.

[Spartan Girl]

Yeah, I'm actually a bit excited for this one! Hopefully it's better than Peter Pan...

[JessePinkman]

Yeah, I'm actually a bit excited for this one! Hopefully it's better than Peter Pan...

 

Won't take much! Already this one has more than one person who can sing (sorry Alison and Christopher).

[Trini]

More casting:

Ne-Yo and Common have joined the cast of NBC’s upcoming holiday production of The Wiz Live!, set to air December 3. Additionally, Elijah Kelley (Lee Daniels’ The Butler) has been cast as the Scarecrow, the role Michael Jackson played in the 1978 movie version .... Ne-Yo is set to play the Tin Man, and Common will play the non-singing role of the gatekeeper of Oz.

 

I'm really starting to look forward to this!

Edited August 13, 2015 by Trini

[topanga]

I'm excited about Ne-Yo and Ejijah Kelley. Common bugs me for some reason. Maybe it's because people are always declaring how groundbreaking and amazing Common and Outkast are, but I personally have never enjoyed their music.

[crimsongrl]

Are there major differences between the Broadway and movie version of The Wiz? I've only seen the movie (a hundred times!) and I want to be prepared. I remember watching The Sound of Music Live and wondering where the hell was the gazebo! :)

*I thought NBC would move heaven and earth to get Usher as the scarecrow.

[JessePinkman]

I think the only major difference is that Dorothy in the play is a teenager and not a 24 year old school teacher. I've looked and I don't believe any of the songs were altered.

 

ETA: Oh apparently in the play Dorothy is brought to Oz by a tornado like in the original story, for the movie their decided to "urbanize" it by making it a snowstorm in Manhattan.

 

And: 

 

The Scarecrow's song was changed from a gospel-style number in the play to a new funky pop tune for the movie. All three of the Wiz's songs were cut. Glinda has an introductory number in the play that was not used in the film. In the play, when the four friends learn that the Wiz is a fraud they confront him with a song called "Who Do You Think You Are?" which was also cut from the movie.

 

 

 

And "You Can't Win" is not in the stage production, although it was written for it. This is the Scarecrow song from the play.

Edited August 14, 2015 by JessePinkman

[Trini]

Cast photos are out! The only costume I'm not really feelin' is the Lion.

[JessePinkman]

That Scarecrow makeup is horrifying, I'm fully prepared for people to talk about how that traumatized them as children 20 years from now.

 

The photoshop they did on that poor girl is a mess, she's so cute in motion. I wonder if NBC paid for the rights to make her shoes red, I thought MGM owned the rights to the "ruby slippers".

Edited October 14, 2015 by JessePinkman

[AyeshaTheGreat]

I am looking forward to this production.  The main cast has me excited and I may even recognize some of the members of the ensemble.  As for the costume, I will wait until I can see them in motion.  I was not really feeling Scarecrow's costume and Tinman's costume design is going to have to grow on me.

[JessePinkman]

The Scarecrow is going to sing "You Can't Win" instead of the song from the stage production.

[JessePinkman]

Shanice Williams and Stephanie Mills sing "Home".

 

They sound pretty phenomenal.

[Chrissytd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzPnU6NtCHQ

[Trini]

There's going to be a 'Making of' special Wednesday the 25th, 8pm.

 

http://www.nbc.com/the-wiz-live

[topanga]

Darn. I missed the making of special. Ill check to see it's coming on again. 

[Dots And Stripes]

Darn. I missed the making of special. Ill check to see it's coming on again. 

The making of special is available on the NBC app, if you're interested.

 

I'm looking forward to this more than Fox's Grease (where the casting is cringeworthy), although I'm still hoping for the Music Man next year. 

 

NBC has done a decent job in the past of mixing phenomenal singers with stronger actors. From the special, I'm probably most looking forward to Ne-Yo and Elijah Kelley. Latifah has me little worried. I think she's out matched vocally.

 

The sets look amazing and costumes look amazing. 

[revbfc]

Why I'm looking forward to this:

-It can't be any worse than Peter Pan.

-There can't possibly be a moment more uncomfortable than Vampire Bill and brood surrounded by a hundred swastikas while singing.

-The movie version of the Wiz (though visually stunning) was awful.

-I like most of the cast.

There's only room to move upwards for this year's NBC holiday musical special.

Edited December 2, 2015 by revbfc

[St. Claire]

I'm looking forward to this being good, unlike the past two years (during which I watched for snark value and to lament that poor Christian Borle was being wasted). It's been decades since I saw either the stage production or the movie, so I'm going in without many preconceptions. 

[bmoore4026]

I'll probably watch tonight, but I'm so numb from what happened yesterday in San Bernadino (and with what happened last week in Colorado) that it just feels awkward to watch it.

 

And that's a shame because I actually was going to really watch it instead of "snark watching" like the Peter Pan one last year.

[Rick Kitchen]

Morons are outraged that The Wiz has an all-black cast.

[bmoore4026]

It's started and, good God, Stephanie Mills is a queen!

[random chance]

Yay there's a thread!  I couldn't find this in the search engine so I was afraid there wouldn't be.  I love how they did the tornado.  (Have not seen The Wiz before.)  The Munchkins' costumes remind me of an illustration out of Alice in Wonderland.

[Enero]

I agree. The tornado was well done.

The sound could be a little better, but so far so good.

[funkopop]

This is so good!

[27bored]

The scarecrow...didn't have a brain...but he eased his ass down that yellow brick road, now didn't he?

[random chance]

Ohhh  Uzo Aduba is Glinda.  Cool!  

[Machiabelly]

Some of those crows had great bird movements

[dcalley]

I heard this interview on the radio today: Dee Dee Bridgewater On ‘The Wiz,’ Then And Now

 

I didn't watch the other two and wasn't going to watch this, but I tuned in at 8:30 anyway. I'm really liking the dancing.

[Chorusgirl]

Where's the dog?

[Irlandesa]

I was skeptical when they chose The Wiz, mainly because I didn't know much about it and it's all about me, but I was wrong.  This is the kind of show I wanted when I first heard NBC was doing live musicals. 

 

DAG makes for a great lion.

[JessePinkman]

This is really fantastic so far, certainly in comparison to the last two. This has an unmistakable energy that the other two just fundamentally lack.

[Machiabelly]

Dorothy has great presence. And if I may be a bit creepy for a minute, nice gams

[ByaNose]

I didn't know DAG could sing. Who knew? Very lively. It looks like a stage production whereas The Sound of Music was done in a studio or airport hanger. It looks amazing in 4K. Of course, it might not even be broadcasting in 4K but it looks great to me. LOL!!!

[random chance]

I forgot how cool and creative costumes and sets can be when someone can't rely on special effects.  Those monkeys! 

 

The Lion was in Jumanji but I don't recognize the character's name. 

[SimoneS]

I am watching this off and on as I don't usually like musicals, but this is a talented cast of singers. I had no idea that David Allen Grier could sing. He is really good. I have to second, who knew?

Edited December 4, 2015 by SimoneS

[BestestAuntEver]

I'm loving this. DAG was definitely cast perfectly as the cowardly lion

[SmithW6079]

So the Emerald City is a dance club from the '80s, where all the residents vogue?

Otherwise, I'm digging this.

[RealityCowgirl]

Morons are outraged that The Wiz has an all-black cast.

Morons. Yep.

Enjoying it so far. Agree: more of the caliber of performance I was expecting of these live shows.

Edited December 4, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[Irlandesa]

I am watching this off and on as I don't usually like musicals, but this is a talented cast of singers. I had no idea that David Allen Grier could sing. He is really good. I have to second, who knew?

Reading his bio, it looks like he actually started in musical theater and was nominated for a Tony in the early 80s.  So who knew?  I guess people who knew Broadway from the 80s. 

 

I didn't know until tonight and so he's surprisingly the MVP for me in a very solid cast...unlike The Sound of Music when Christian Borle and Laura Benanti only had to breathe to be MVPs.

[Trini]

Loving the production design. The costumes especially!

[SimoneS]

I like Queen Latifah as a performer, but I think that she has been the weakest singer so far.

 

I can't believe that this show has another hour to go. This is way too long, but made worse by the horrible endless commercials.

Edited December 4, 2015 by SimoneS

[rustyspigot]

The wicked witch of the west lives in Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation.

[SimoneS]

Oh, Mary J. You are a Queen! 

[Trini]

I was expecting less commercials too. Oy.

[JessePinkman]

I like Queen Latifah as a performer, but I think that she has been the weakest singer so far.

By far, I've never thought she was a particularly good singer but she's certainly been trying for the last 10 years or so.

Mary J is surprisingly good! Those commercials had me scared.

[ByaNose]

Mary J was awesome. Oh, it's a Brand New Day. Gotta go!

[methodwriter85]

Wow, they FINALLY figured out how to make these work! The production values look amazing.