Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/14
Featured Actor Joined: 1/26/08
As amazing as that would be, you have to remember it's during family hour and for a family audience. While California and New York might love to see that, many people in the midwest would find it 'offensive'.
I would love to see the below be in it, but I know chances of big recording stars [yes, I know Carrie did it] are not as likely since it's such a long commitment.
Zendaya as Dorothy
Usher as The Scarecrow
John Legand as the Tin Man
Ceelo as the Lion
Vanessa Williams as Glinda
Jill Scott as Addaperle
Lionel Richie as The Wiz
LaChanze as Evillene
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/14
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
Can someone tell me what is offensive in "The Wiz" to start? Nothing. Throw in the drag factor? Likely still nothing. The thing about Kinky. Boots that drove the crazies, well.. crazy is the fact that it CELEBRATED drag, that it focused on the drag, that it was a song about ACCEPTANCE and that you had very "visibly" heterosexual men dancing proudly in heels. The. We toss in the whole 9am on a "family holiday" screams they let out... Well, that is a recipe for the crazies to let loose on even the least offensive thing if it isn't entirely aimed at the level of a 4 year old.
A drag queen as a witch would probably nearly earn a raised eyebrow from the same people if it is not made a FOCUS.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/29/12
Still wanna see people like Mary J. Blige or Patti Labelle in the cast...love the Vanessa Williams idea. She definitely needs to be back on the screen, and better yet, singing. Also LOVE the Lionel Richie idea. Lenny Kravitz would also be amazing. Maybe as The Wiz or the Tin Man?
If they do this, I really hope it isn't Live. You can get better performances out of non seasoned Broadway performers when they can do multiple takes. I feel like doing THE WIZ Live would be such a mess.
Bilbo3 No I think it would be much easier and it would be more sucessful if they did Wicked. Wicked is more well known than the Wiz by a long shot. Even the movie didn't do well and they had Michael Jackson in it! And it would be cheaper for Universal to produce a live Wicked TV special than to make a feature film so they'll benefit with that.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
I was just watching Disney Channel a few minutes ago and there was a commercial that shows how Zendaya went to a performing arts school and how it gave her intense training in the theatre, and how she starred in shows like Once on this Island and Richard III. Being Dorothy in The Wiz would be a great way for Zendaya to show off both her voice and her theatre training.
Understudy Joined: 11/13/14
The person who plays Dorthy needs to be able to BLOW. Zendaya ain't It.
My cast, I am dead ass serious, in my world lmao
Dorthy - Jazmine Sullivan, Tinashe, Azealia Banks
Scarecrow - Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake
Tinman - TREY SONGZ YES GAWD but cannot dance
Lion - Trey S, Billy Porter
Evillene - Keke Wyatt, Rupaul
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/14
"Zendaya is a pretty big name. She (and China Anne McClain) are from Disney Channel, so it would attract a lot of little kids and tweens who watch Disney Channel"
Exactly. But, the issue with Zendaya is her contract with Disney (she has a new show) and her vocal range may not fit the part. However, China Anne McClain no longer has a Disney Channel tv series or movie, so it may end up working out with her, and she has the vocal range.
Please, let's cast an AGE APPROPRIATE Dorothy. Please...
Please.
My cast:
Dorothy- China Anne McClain
Aunt Em- Audra McDonald
Adaperle- Raven Symone
Scarecrow- Idk, a "star" may not be interested in it.Maybe an unknown.
Tinman- Taye Diggs, perhaps
Lion- Billy Porter
Evillene- Queen Latifah, JHud, Patina Miller, the options for female singers/actresses in this role are limitless!
Glinda- Vanessa Williams (can she sing *the song*--is it in her range?)
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/14
Broadway Star Joined: 7/29/12
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