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#78

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:41am

Zendaya as Dorothy would be a good casting choice.

I kinda want to see Beyonce as the Wicked Witch. Lol.



Updated On: 3/31/15 at 12:41 AM

#79

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:43am

"Is it clear if the broadcast will be the Broadway revival? Or are they 2 separate things?"

The way all the articles I've seen have been worded it seems that the television broadcast will be used as the template for the Broadway revival. So my guess is it will be staged and filmed on a soundstage like the previous two live musicals, and then adapted to go into a Broadway house afterwards.

The question I would have is if you fill the broadcast with a bunch of huge stars who end up not doing the subsequent Broadway revival will that hurt ticket sales? There's been a lot of fantastic fantasy casting so far for the broadcast, but a lot that I don't see as feasible for a Broadway run.
#80

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:57am

I am assuming a lot of the people they get for the broadcast will not end up in the revival. I would guess they could get bigger names for a one night live performance than they could to commit to a full scale revival. I could see there being some overlap, though (Vanessa Williams, for instance).

Regarding Patina Miller- wasn't Madam Secretary renewed for a second season? Putting aside the fact that Madam Secretary airs on CBS, I don't think she'd be able to commit to The Wiz given the filming demands of Madam Secretary.
#81

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 2:04am

I imagine the broadcasts physical production and direction will be the basis for the revival. And I am sure that for whom ever is in the ensemble that it will be in there contract the opportunity to transfer. It would be to much of a dream come true for a full star studded Broadway revival. I'm super glad that Ashton will not be taking this one on, and I am super pumped to see what direction they go for in the score.
#82

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 10:12am

"PLEASE, let's get some music legends in this."

Definitely. They're going to have to get some names that people recognize. And they're going to have to cast Dorothy fairly young because when they go in for closeups, you don't want to see a middle aged Dorothy. (That was one of the problems with the movie.)

That's why I suggested Aretha Franklin. Everyone knows her, everyone loves her. She'll pull in viewers because she is a "presence." People of my parent's generation won't necessarily tune in to see The Wiz, but they know Aretha Franklin is mega-talented and they would tune in to see her.
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.
#85

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 11:07am

"They're going to have to get some names that people recognize."

Also keep in mind that producers Craig Zadan & Neil Meron have openly expressed in an interview once stating that they always like to go for more interesting (and perhaps controversial) casting choices.
#86

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 11:35am

My dream cast would be:

Dorothy - China Anne McClain
Scarecrow - Bruno Mars
Glinda - Raven Symone
Cowardly Lion - Tituss Burgess
Tin Man - Jay Pharoah
The Wiz - Jesse L. Martin
Evilene - Patti LaBelle
#87

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 11:52am

Anything would be an improvement on the movie adaptation. Diana Ross playing the role of Dorthy turned everything on its head as suddenly the character was a timid adult teacher afraid of her shadow. The rest of the cast was good but the central concept sunk the venture.
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren
#88

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:09pm

"Also keep in mind that producers Craig Zadan & Neil Meron have openly expressed in an interview once stating that they always like to go for more interesting (and perhaps controversial) casting choices."

And hopefully they learned that Allison Williams and Christopher Walken weren't the correct casting choices.
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.
#89

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:20pm

I wouldn't discount the same cast - or at least SOME of the same cast - being carried over to the Broadway revival, especially since Cirque de Soleil is involved in producing both and both will more than likely use the same version of the musical's book.

As far as casting goes, I'm unfamiliar with the specifics of how the TWWoO story was adapted for the musical and therefore can't speak to who might be best suited to the roles, but just as a general music and musical fan, I'd love to see Jennifer Hudson, Tracie Thoms, Jesse L. Martin, and Taye Diggs involved somehow.
#90

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:38pm

I don't hate the Raven Symone idea. She's made some idiotic comments in the press recently, but she pleasantly surprised me in Sister Act.

The Wiz is the show that introduced me to musical theatre and I can't wait to see a proper revival.
#91

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 1:21pm

I love the idea of Janelle Monae as Dorothy. Can we get Retta as Evilene or Addaperle?

And since this is an NBC production, where will they cast Christian Borle?
#92

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 1:34pm

James Monroe Inglehart was a terrific Lion at City Centers years back, and I'd love to see him reprise the role.
A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.
#95

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 2:44pm

The only white actor that has any reason to be mentioned in this thread is Christian Borle. Let's nip this nonsense in the bud.

Updated On: 3/31/15 at 02:44 PM

#97

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 3:06pm

The Wiz is the perfect musical to bring ratings back - it's a classic, but it's also a campy relic; and some of the casting choices speak for themselves. Glad they didn't pick something boring.

I saw he got some flack in the Zhivago threads, but didn't Des McAnuff do a pretty well received production in La Jolla a few seasons ago?
#98

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 3:30pm

If they havent already offered Jennifer Hudson something they should. I dont see them doing the little kid route for Dorothy. I think a lot is riding on this especially after peter pan. They wouldn't consider her but Ciara Renee would be a great addition to the cast.
#99

THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL

Posted: 3/31/15 at 3:33pm

Not a little kid, no, but hopefully a teen or someone barely past teens.

Though Quvenzhané Wallis is young and I bet she could pull it off!

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