IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! AND PETER PAN LIVE!, MULTI-AWARD WINNING EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS CRAIG ZADAN AND NEIL MERON RETURN TO PRODUCE A LIVE BROADCAST OF THE WIZ. Based on L. Frank Baum s classic story and the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, The Wiz Live! brings the wonderful world of Oz to life like never before, featuring a star-studded cast of performers and the awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Whisked away from home by a tornado, young Dorothy finds herself transported to the magical Land of Oz. With the help of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off on a quest to meet the great and powerful Wizard and find a way back home to Kansas. Crossing paths with enchanting friends and wicked foes, Dorothy s journey is a timeless tale about friendship, courage and learning to believe in oneself. The Wiz invites viewers of all ages to ease on down the yellow brick road for a vibrant adventure unlike any other.
A FRESH TAKE ON A CLASSIC STORY THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF THE WIZ OPENED ON JANUARY 5, 1975, GARNERING A TOTAL OF SEVEN TONY AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL. Featuring an all-black cast, the musical retold L. Frank Baum s classic story through the lens of African-American culture. The enormously successful Broadway production inspired a 1978 feature film adaptation starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, and Richard Pryor as the Wizard. Jackson and Ross recorded a duet of Ease on Down the Road that received a Grammy Award nomination in 1979. After four years of performances, The Wiz ended its Broadway run on January 28, 1979. A revival ran on Broadway in 1984. The popular musical has been performed around the world in London, the Netherlands, New York, and San Diego.
ON DECEMBER 4TH, 2014 NBC PRESENTED A LIVE, PRIMETIME TELEVISION EVENT Achieved a 2.4 Adult 18-49 rating, making it broadcast TV s #1 program of the night (out of 12), beating CBS Mom and Two and a Half Men. Delivered NBC s second-highest-rated Thursday in three and a half years among Adults 18-49 (excluding sports). Produced 9.2 million viewers, capturing NBC s second-most-watched Thursday in more than five years, among entertainment programs. More than doubled NBC s Thursday night season average among Adults 18-49 and total viewers. Grew 35% over NBC s primetime average among Women 18-34. Source: Nielsen, NTI. Live+ same day data. Dec 4, 2014, or as dated. Based on original telecast. Analysis and comparisons based on (000s). Total viewers = Persons 2+. Historical comparisons for Thursday Night based on averages for the full primetime (8-11pm). Sports excluded for all analysis. NBC primetime = Sep 22 Dec 4, 2014, M-Sa 8-11p, Su 7-11p.
ON DECEMBER 5TH, 2013 NBC PRESENTED A LIVE, PRIMETIME TELEVISION EVENT Delivered 18.6 million total viewers in its three hour telecast, making it NBC s most watched Thursday night since May 2004. Earned a 4.6 Adult 18-49 rating, achieving NBC s highest rated Thursday night since April 2009. Produced the most-watched Thursday night for any network since March 2011. Ranked as the #1 program of the night among total viewers vs 12 original episodes of broadcast programs. Ranked #2 among Adults 18-49, behind Big Bang Theory. Placed well ahead of all other competition, including Scandal, Grey s Anatomy, The Millers, The Crazy Ones, Two and a Half Men, Elementary, and X-Factor. Source: Nielsen, a. Live+ same day data (Live data prior to 2005). Dec 5, 2013 or as dated. Analysis based on ratings unless noted. Total viewers based on AA(000), P2+. Historical comparisons for Thursday Night based on averages for the full primetime (8-11pm). Sports excluded for all analysis. Frasier series finale = May 13, 2004, 22.6mil. ER series finale = Apr 2, 2009, 5.2mil. Most-watched Thur night among all networks = Idol, Mar 3, 2011, 25.3mil. All Networks = ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW.
ON DECEMBER 3RD, 2015 NBC PRESENTS A LIVE, PRIMETIME TELEVISION EVENT 3 HOUR TELECAST Live from New York City AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION TEAM Multi-Award Winning Executive Producers Craig Zadan & Neil Meron (The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live!) Tony Award-Winning Director Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun, Fences) EYE-POPPING SPECTACLE Choreographer Fatima Robinson (The Voice, Dreamgirls) Cirque du Soleil Theatrical NEW WRITTEN MATERIAL Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots, Newsies)
CAST QUEEN LATIFAH The Wiz Celebrated hip-hop artist and actress Queen Latifah will lend her many talents to the role of the Wizard in NBC s The Wiz Live! Latifah began her professional career in music, performing with a variety of hip-hop acts and winning a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance for U.N.I.T.Y. in 1995. In addition to music, Latifah has achieved widespread critical acclaim for her work in television and film. Latifah has been nominated twice for an Emmy Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role the 2002 feature film adaptation of the musical Chicago. MARY J. BLIGE Evillene Winner of nine Grammy Awards, Mary J. Blige will star as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, in NBC s The Wiz Live! Blige stormed on to the music scene in 1992 with the release of her multi-platinum debut album, What s the 411? Since then, Blige has sold over 50 million albums in a career spanning more than two decades. Outside of music, Blige has appeared in several prominent films, including Tyler Perry s I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Rock of Ages. Earlier this year, Blige made guest appearances in the television shows Empire and Black-ish.
CAST NE-YO Tin Man A talented singer, songwriter, dancer and actor, Ne-Yo will bring plenty of heart to the role of the Tin Man in NBC s The Wiz Live! Ne-Yo rose to prominence in 2004 by penning the hit single Let Me Love You for singer Mario. Ne-Yo s 2006 debut album, In My Own Words, achieved platinum status and featured several hit songs, including the number-one single So Sick. In 2011, Ne-Yo collaborated with Pitbull and Nayer on the hit single Give Me Everything, which also reached the top spot on the charts. As an actor, Ne-Yo has starred in Stomp the Yard, Battle Los Angeles, and Red Tails. COMMON The Bouncer A gifted hip-hop artist, actor, and poet, Common will play the role of the Bouncer, the gatekeeper to Emerald City, in NBC s The Wiz Live! Common rose to fame as a hip-hop artist, winning his first Grammy Award for the 2002 hit single Love of My Life. Common received a second Grammy Award for the performance of his 2007 song Southside with Kanye West. Earlier this year, Common received an Academy Award for his song Glory from the 2014 film Selma.
CAST UZO ADUBA Glinda Actress Uzo Aduba will play role of Glinda the Good in NBC s The Wiz Live! Aduba is best known for her Emmy Award-winning performance as Suzanne Crazy Eyes Warren on Netflix s critically acclaimed series Orange is the New Black. In 2007, Aduba made her Broadway debut playing the part of Toby in Coram Boy. From 2011 to 2012, she performed in the Broadway revival of Godspell. AMBER RILEY Addaperle Amber Riley, best known for her role as Mercedes Jones on Fox s musical series Glee, will play the part of Addaperle in NBC s The Wiz Live! Riley showcased her singing and acting talents on Glee for six seasons, winning a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2010 as part of the ensemble cast. In 2013, Riley showed off her dancing skills on the 17th season of ABC s Dancing with the Stars, winning the competition alongside Derek Hough. ELIJAH KELLEY Scarecrow A skilled actor, singer, and dancer, Elijah Kelley will take on the role of the Scarecrow in NBC s The Wiz Live! In 2006, Kelley s dancing skills were on full display in the ballroom dance drama Take the Lead. The following year, Kelley gave a magnetic performance as Seaweed in the feature film adaptation of Hairspray. In 2012, Kelley appeared in World War II film Red Tails followed by an appearance in Lee Daniels The Butler in 2013.
CAST DAVID ALAN GRIER Cowardly Lion Actor and comedian David Alan Grier began his career on Broadway playing Jackie Robinson in The First, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. After a role in Dreamgirls, Grier made his feature film debut in Robert Altman s Streamers. Grier is perhaps best known for his work on the Emmy Award-winning sketch comedy series In Living Color. More recently, Grier received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the play Race, as well as a Grammy Award nomination and a Tony Award nomination for his work in the The Gershwins Porgy & Bess. Grier currently appears in the NBC comedy series, The Carmichael Show. STEPHANIE MILLS Auntie Em Stephanie Mills, who starred as Dorothy in the original Broadway production of The Wiz, will play the role of Auntie Em in NBC s The Wiz Live! Mills made her Broadway debut at age nine in the musical Maggie Flynn before originating the part of Dorothy on Broadway in 1975. In addition to her Broadway career, Mills has enjoyed success as an R&B singer, producing many hit singles over the years, as well as a gold record with the album What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin in 1979.
FEATURING SHANICE WILLIAMS as Dorothy Newcomer Shanice Williams beat out hundreds of other applicants in a nationwide casting call to land the coveted role of Dorothy in NBC s The Wiz Live! The 18-year-old New Jersey native will take on the iconic role played by Stephanie Mills in the original Broadway production of The Wiz. Williams has five years of musical training, including dance and piano, and has appeared in local productions of West Side Story, You re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, 42nd Street, Seussical and Pippin. Last year, Williams received a nomination for best leading actress in a musical at the Paper Mill Playhouse's annual Rising Star Awards.
AWARD-WINNING PRODUCERS ZADAN & MERON After the incredible success of NBC s collaboration with acclaimed producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron on The Sound of Music Live! in 2013 and Peter Pan Live! in 2014, they are returning to produce the network s next live family event. Zadan and Meron are the producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films (Chicago, Hairspray), television movies (A Raisin in the Sun), television series (Smash) and Broadway productions (Promises, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). All totaled, their films and television movies have garnered six Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, thirteen Emmy Awards, and two Peabody Awards. Their work in theater has received twelve Tony nominations, including two wins. They have also received five Grammy nominations, including one win.