Original Dorothy Poses With New Dorothy from Rehearsal of NBC's Star-Studded The Wiz (Photo) | Playbill

News Original Dorothy Poses With New Dorothy from Rehearsal of NBC's Star-Studded The Wiz (Photo) Rehearsals begin Oct. 5 for NBC's Dec. 3 live broadcast of the Tony Award-winning musical The Wiz, Harvey Fierstein announced via Twitter. Fierstein, who also shared a photo from the rehearsal room, is adapting the book for the star-studded TV event, which features original Broadway lead Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em, Queen Latifah as The Wiz, Mary J. Blige as Evillene (the Wicked Witch of the West) and David Alan Grier as The Cowardly Lion.

See Fierstein's photo below:

 

Also among the cast are "Orange Is the New Black" Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba playing Glinda,  "Glee" star Amber Riley playing Addaperle, 18-year-old newcomer Shanice Williams in the lead role of Dorothy, Oscar-winning hip hop artist Common, singer/song-writer Ne-Yo and "Hairspray" actor Elijah Kelley.

Kenny Leon is directing The Wiz, with Fierstein adapting the book. This latest incarnation of The Wiz is also on track for a full-scale Broadway revival.

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Ne-Yo

William F. Brown wrote the book for the soulful contemporary retelling of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The Wiz also features music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The original 1974 production, directed by Geoffrey Holder and choreographed by George Faison, won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. The premiere Broadway company featured Hinton Battle, Tiger Haynes, Stephanie Mills, Ted Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater, André De Shields and Mabel King. Diana Ross and Michael Jackson starred in the film version. The musical, according to NBC, is described thus: "Dorothy, a young woman from Kansas, is swept up in a tornado and relocated to a fantasy world that is inhabited by munchkins, good and bad witches, and, of course, flying monkeys. She eventually takes a path down a yellow brick road to find a wizard who can help her go home and along the way meets a scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion, who all learn to help one another."

 
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