Special to the AmNews
Tonight, Dec. 3, NBC embarks on its latest musical holiday tradition: a three-hour live production of the groundbreaking Broadway show that brought Oz to life in a funky sing-along journey down the yellow brick road.
The red carpet was replaced by a golden one, and the Amsterdam News was invited to participate in a VIP press day to meet the creative team and stars of the holiday event.
“The Wiz” is the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The original massive Broadway hit spawned a feature film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
Magic is promised and will easily be achieved in the capable hands of Executive Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning “Chicago” and “Hairspray,” “The Sound of Music LIVE!,” “Peter Pan LIVE!”). Helping to shape the magical night is the imaginative team of Cirque du Soleil Theatrical.
Other members of the team include writer Harvey Fierstein (“Kinky Boots,” “Newsies,” “Torch Song Trilogy,” “La Cage aux Folles”), music producer Harvey Mason Jr. (“Dreamgirls,” “Pitch Perfect 2,” Chris Brown’s “F.A.M.E.,” “Jennifer Hudson,” Beyonce’s “B-Day,” Justin Timberlake’s “Justified,” Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough”) and music director Stephen Oremus (Tony- and Grammy-winning “The Book of Mormon” and “Kinky Boots”).
The show is directed by Kenny Leon (Tony Award-winning “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Fences”) with live television direction by Matthew Diamond (“So You Think You Can Dance,” Oscar-nominated “Dancemaker,” Emmy Award-winning “Shining Time Station”) and choreography by Fatima Robinson (“The Voice,” “Dreamgirls” film, “VH1 Hip Hop Honors”).
The cast includes Queen Latifah (the Wiz), Mary J. Blige (Evillene), David Alan Grier (Cowardly Lion), Uzo Aduba (Glinda), Amber Riley (Addaperle), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Common (Bouncer), Ne-Yo (Tin Man) and Stephanie Mills (Auntie Em), and introducing Shanice Williams in the iconic role of Dorothy.
