NBC To "Ease On Down The Road"? — Page 5

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#101

NBC To

Posted: 1/17/15 at 3:26pm

My vote is for reconstruction of Geoffrey Holder's designs and staging, with George Faison doing choreography, and Ken Page as the Lion.

I did good?

Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05

Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28

#102

NBC To

Posted: 1/17/15 at 3:51pm

What has Kenny Ortega been up to lately?

#103

NBC To

Posted: 1/17/15 at 4:19pm

^Descendants on the Disney Channel.

#104

"If not played by a star, the actress playing Dorothy will at least be 18."

"There is no way there going to get an actual little girl for Dorothy. They need someone who is more reliable that can handle the pressure."

China-Anne McClain has carried three seasons of a TV show, and she had at least one song in each one. Not to mention she had been in multiple movies, and she was one of the strongest contestants in "Sing Your Face Off", and she can sing her face off.

Zendaya also has carried multiple TV shows, has recorded many songs, been in multiple movies, and can sing her face off.

I think they both can handle a few months of rehearsing for The Wiz.

#105

NBC To

Posted: 1/17/15 at 7:47pm

^ Exactly.

#106

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 12:43pm

Another thing to keep in mind for this project is the contacts the stars have with various record companies. NBC will undoubtedly want to release an album again, and competing companies are rather protective of their artists. Competing labels would lead to another Cinderella situation with no album being released.

#107

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 1:15pm

Hold up. When you refer to CINDERELLA do you mean the Whitney Houston/Brandy television movie from the '90s. I have a soundtrack for it and it definitely isn't an audio rip from the DVD, it's the actual studio recordings with an alternate unused version of It's Possible/Impossible included.

Hmmm...interesting.

Updated On: 1/18/15 at 01:15 PM

#108

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 1:15pm

I think this is actually a wonderful idea. Something CONTEMPORARY! It would also be terrific to hear the score as it was originally done without Quincy Jones' thick production. No one but David Alan Grier should play the Wizard. They obviously need to do some tweaking to the book, but overall I'm more excited about this than I was about SOUND OF MUSIC or PETER PAN or--Gawd help us--THE MUSIC MAN.

Anyone suggesting that Seth "George Zimmerman Eyes" McFarlane should have TMM as his showcase really ought to be shot.

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” ~ Muhammad Ali

#109

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 4:14pm

The Whitney Huston one definitely never got an official soundtrack release. Perhaps you have something from a "For Your Consideration" Emmy Award pack or something.

#110

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 4:32pm

It would also be terrific to hear the score as it was originally done without Quincy Jones' thick production.

NO.

They obviously need to do some tweaking to the book,

I SAID NO, DAMMIT.

Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05

Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28

#111

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 4:35pm

THE WIZ could be a very interesting choice if they confirmed that it would be the next one. So much potential with this.

#112

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 4:41pm

The Wiz needs to get back to Broadway

#113

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 4:45pm

I would love to see a version that's actually faithful to the stage version. Essentially any version other of The Wiz other than the one we have out there would honestly be fantastic. Also, call me crazy, but I think Quvenzhané Wallis who just played Annie in that dreadful Annie remake would be a great Dorothy. Don't get me wrong, I love Judy, love Stephanie Mills...but I feel like every retelling of "Oz" loses something when Dorothy is played older. I would really love to see a really talented younger actor tackle the role.

Updated On: 1/18/15 at 04:45 PM

#114

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 6:12pm

That is correct, there wasn't a commercial album release of the Brandy/Houston Cinderella. There was some sort of weird deal with Brandy's record label. However, it has been around illegally.

Updated On: 1/18/15 at 06:12 PM

#115

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 7:18pm

Evilene- MoNique
Addapearl- Jackee Harry or Wanda Sykes
Glinda- Phylicia Rashad

Zendaya for Dorothy? not familiar with her voice range.

wouldn't be surprised if Keke and Nene were reunited for this.
Raven could be a cute Addapearl

#116

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 7:20pm

THE WIZ OBC is infinitely better than the Quincy Jones version. As for the book, it has some extremely tone-deaf racial humor that will have to be dealt with. So yes, it needs tweaking.

#117

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 7:20pm

Wanda Sykes would be hysterial.

#118

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 8:08pm

What about Patina Miller for Evillene?

#119

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 8:24pm

I would love for Patina to be a part of it, but since Madam Secretary was just picked up for a second season, who knows whether or not she'd be available for it?

#120

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 8:29pm

"Also, call me crazy, but I think Quvenzhané Wallis who just played Annie in that dreadful Annie remake would be a great Dorothy."

You're crazy. The problem is that she's not a good dancer. If you look at any of her live performances, Dancing With The Stars or Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, she's always moved to the back when the dancing starts.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#121

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 8:35pm

NBC, the correct choice out of The Music Man and The Wiz is obviously, The Wiz. It would be easier to cast, and they could bring more viewers than The Music Man.

Honestly, if people think Janelle Monae has a shot at playing the role as Dorothy in The Wiz on NBC has to drop that thought. Yes, she is a great singer and all, but she doesn't have the name behind her for people wanting to tune in. The young women who will be strongly considered for the role of Dorothy will most likely be Zendaya, China Anne McClain, and KeKe Palmer (wouldn't be surprised if Willow Smith got a call to read and sing a few lines). But at the end of the day, I personally think the role will go to KeKe Palmer (Even thought I would love if Adrienne Warren was given a shot) , with big diva names as the witches, and known males as The Wiz, and the others.

#122

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 9:53pm

It should be Adrienne Warren, but sadly we all know that won't happen.

#123

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 10:28pm

THE WIZ OBC is infinitely better than the Quincy Jones version.

If you like a thin sound (particularly with regard to vocal arrangements) and tempi at a glacial pace, then yes it's infinitely better.

As for the book, it has some extremely tone-deaf racial humor that will have to be dealt with.

It was written by the one white guy on the team in the mid-to-late Seventies. You were expecting something nuanced? I'll go as far as interpolations from his revisions for stuff like the La Jolla '06 revival, but no further. No wholesale rewriting like Pan.

Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05

Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28

#124

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 10:33pm

Get the Harlem Godspell people.

Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none

#125

NBC To

Posted: 1/18/15 at 11:00pm

Maybe I would be the first to say that if The Wiz had to be the 2015 Live Musical I would be very disappointed, especially if they had to swop this with The Music Man as I was so looking forward for The Music Man Live.
I confess that I am not a fan of pop-music or anything that its pop related.

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