THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL- Page 12

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 3:49pm

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/181605/ease-on-down-belters-five-rising-stars-wed-love-to-see-play-dorothy-in-nbcs-the-wiz-live/

[jkl011]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 6:48pm

"Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige are the latest to join NBC’s live adaptation of the The Wiz, which will air Dec. 3.

Latifah will play the titular Wiz, who holds the keys to the Emerald City, while Blige is set to play the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Latifah’s musical past includes starring in 2002’s Chicago and 2007’s Hairspray, and Blige has nine Grammy awards under her belt. They’ll star in The Wiz alongside previously announced cast member Stephanie Mills, who’s playing Auntie Em."

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/28/the-wiz-casting-news-queen-latifah-mary-j-blige

[Showface]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 6:54pm

Oh.My.Goodness.
Yes!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 6:54pm

I'm not really familiar with THE WIZ. I've only seen the movie a handful of times years ago. Is Evilene the same as the Wicked Witch? Either way I don't see MJB playing an evil character very convincingly. 

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 6:56pm

Um, the wizard is a man.  I'm so tired of these PC adaptations.  

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 6:59pm

i wonder if they are doing to double the roles

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:14pm

Love  queen latifah<3 great casting. I'm really looking forward to this. AND grease with aaron tveit

[Starship]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:19pm

SO thrilled!

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:26pm

I don't have a problem with the Wiz being a woman in this update of the story. This isn't L. Frank Baum's "Oz." If this were a straightforward version of "The Wizard of Oz," I would say no. Why? Baum was specific in giving his female characters in this story all of the real strength and power. Dorothy (the "heroine"), and the four witches (two good, two bad) are the real catalysts the propel the story. Dorothy's friends are all missing something (brains, heart, courage), and the Wizard is a phony.

To cast the title role as a woman would go against his original vision of a female-dominated, American fairy tale. And in 1900, with Baum's mother-in-law Matilda Joselyn Gage being one of THE most prominent suffragettes in our country's history, I don't think it's an appropriate move.

But for "The Wiz," already an adaptation of the story, I'm not sure it matters as much (or that much). I may change my mind after I see it, but my initial reaction is "why not?"

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:45pm

I admit I was campaigning for Queen Latifah to play Evillene but the casting of her as The Wiz, is so unique because you never would have thought of it before. And Mary J. Blige as Evillene would be SO EPIC!!!!

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:50pm

You do know Eveline has to act as well don't you. Have you ever seen Mary J. Blige act??

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:56pm

You may not think she can act, well but you never know she could surprise everyone

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:57pm

"You do know Eveline has to act as well don't you. Have you ever seen Mary J. Blige act??"

While most of her acting experience is playing herself, these are some of the other places I've seen her act. Are you trying to say I haven't seen Rock of Ages, Black Nativity or Empire?

[Showface]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 7:58pm

And it's not like Evilene is some deep multi-dimensional role

Updated On: 7/28/15 at 07:58 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 8:13pm

I'm not thrilled with Queen Latifah as The Wiz but since this will be an updated version with a new book it's hard to judge whether or not anyone is right for their newly written roles. I hope they don't cut The Wiz's songs or decide to have new songs written for her like they did with Peter Pan. The original stage score was butchered in the first movie. It would have been nice to have a more straightforward adaptation of the material this time around but we'll see how it goes I guess.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 8:17pm

I love the Wiz's songs from the show (So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard, and Y'all Got it). Both were cut from the horrendous film version. It would be nice to hear them in this live adaptation.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 8:19pm

I will add this ...

In the original Baum story, Dorothy and her friends visit the Wizard in the throne room separately, and each one sees a different version of the "Wizard." One is a big floating head, another is a beast, and yet another is ... a woman!

So again, why not?

[Showface]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 8:21pm

I think one of the main reasons I'm excited for this, is because I've never seen the stage version! I've only seen the film version, which honestly, I like, even when its awful! :)

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 8:49pm

Very unusual casting, I am intrigued but skeptical!

I can't imagine "So You Wanted To Meet the Wizard" with Latifah singing it but I can't wait to hear her spin. I am indifferent on Blige.

I want to echo the hopes that it's at least mostly close to the stage score even if they do fiddle with the (admittedly iffy at times) book. I want a good complete high fidelity recording of those sensational original orchestrations/vocal arrangements!!

[silent]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 8:58pm

This is terrible casting news! Mary has a terrible blinking problem and she can't act to save her life. She was horrific in that Tyler Perry movie and she only had a few scenes. 

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 9:04pm

In the original Baum story, Dorothy and her friends visit the Wizard in the throne room separately, and each one sees a different version of the "Wizard." One is a big floating head, another is a beast, and yet another is ... a woman!

So again, why not?

 

Yes!

 

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 9:08pm

Jeeze, some of you are acting like Blige will be playing Mama Rose. It's a live TV production of the The Wiz, no need to panic. Did you guys see the laughable acting in the live Peter Pan?

[Showface]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 9:11pm

"Jeeze, some of you are acting like Blige will be playing Mama Rose. It's a live TV production of the The Wiz, no need to panic. Did you guys see the laughable acting in the live Peter Pan?

"

This.
All she has to do is belt her face off on her big number and act like an evil diva witch.

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 9:54pm

Casting

It says at the beginning of this article that NBC annouced that the telecast was cast on Thursday. And they announced Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige today on Tuesday. So does thay mean we'll be hearing who's in this as the weeks go by? If so I hope Audra McDonald is playing Glinda!

 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/28/15 at 10:30pm

QUEEN LATIFAH AS THE WIZ!!! I'm so excited for this production all of a sudden. I've missed her in musicals since Hairspray almost a decade ago. I've never heard of a woman Wiz, how crazy is this??? And Audra McDonald would be terrific as Glinda.