Film & TV NewsThe Wiz Live!, Starring Shanice Williams, Amber Riley, Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, More, Streaming June 12The Shows Must Go On! continues with the 2015 NBC presentation of the Tony-winning musical.
By
Dan Meyer
June 12, 2020
The YouTube channelThe Shows Must Go On!, which has aired several free, full-length recordings of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals and tributes, continues with the 2015 NBC broadcast of The Wiz Live!. The television adaptation starred newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Queen Latifah as The Wiz, Amber Riley as Addaperle, and David Alan Grier as The Cowardly Lion.
The Wiz Live! streams on YouTube (and above) June 12 beginning at 2 PM ET, with the video available for 48 hours.
Amber Riley and Shanice Williams
Rounding out the star-studded cast were Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em, Uzo Aduba as Glinda, Mary J. Blige as Evillene, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man, Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow, and Common as the Bouncer.
Kenny Leon directed, with Harvey Fierstein adapting the script for TV based on William F. Brown's book from the 1974 Broadway production, which earned seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.
In addition to the popular numbers by composer-lyricist Charlie Smalls like "Ease on Down the Road" and "Home," Ne-Yo, Harvey Mason Jr., Stephen Oremus, and Elijah Kelly wrote a new song for the live presentation, "We Got It." The Wiz Live! also included the song "You Can't Win," which was written for the Broadway version and cut out of town, but restored for the film version.
Elijah Kelley, Ne-Yo, Shanice Williams and David Alan Grier
Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC
Rounding out the ensemblewere Chris Borrero, James Brown III, Olutayo Bosede, Elon Van Buckley, Ta'Rea Campbell, Jessica Castro, Kacie Garland, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Frankie Gordils, Khadija Griffith, Tre Holloway, Antonio Hudnell, Carlos Irizarry, Marcus Paul James, Frederic Jean, Capathia Jenkins, Mykal Kilgore, Tamika Lawrence, India R. McGee, Maurice Murphy, Antonio Moore, Danielle Polanco, Malaiyka Reid, Eric Sanchez, Sherisse Springer, Chris Silcox, Ahmahd Thomas, Raphael Thomas, Alex Wade, Donald Webber, DaShaun Wesley, Xavier Wilcher, and NaTasha Williams.
The Shows Must Go On!has previously aired Love Never Dies, The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Cats, as well as NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! (though the stream was not available in the U.S.) and Hairspray Live. Proceeds go to The Actors Fund, Acting for Others, Broadway Cares, Actors Benevolent Fund, and more.
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First Look Inside Dress Rehearsal for The Wiz Live!
First Look Inside Dress Rehearsal for The Wiz Live!
Take a look inside the dress rehearsal for The Wiz Live!. Stephanie Mills, Uzo Aduba, Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier and Shanice Williams star in the production that will be broadcast live Dec. 3 on NBC.
Next year, Carnegie Hall's house band will perform Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony, unfinished works by Schubert, and the final concert of Conductor Bernard Labadie.
