or


[08/13/15 - 10:06 AM]
Common, Ne-Yo and Elijah Kelley Are Newest Additions to All-Star Cast for "The Wiz Live!"
They'll play the Bouncer, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, respectively.

[via press release from NBC]

COMMON, NE-YO AND ELIJAH KELLEY ARE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO ALL-STAR CAST FOR "THE WIZ LIVE!"

NBC's Highly Anticipated Dec. 3 Telecast to Be Among Biggest TV Events of the Season

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Aug. 13, 2015 - Adding to an already A-list cast, Oscar winner Common, singer-songwriter-actor Ne-Yo and "Hairspray" co-star Elijah Kelley have joined NBC's highly anticipated holiday production of "The Wiz Live!," set for Thursday, Dec. 3.

Kelley will play the Scarecrow, the first of the three friends to meet Dorothy and who has always dreamed of having brains, but never realizing that he's the smartest of them all.

Ne-Yo will play the Tin Man, who was once a flesh-and-blood woodsman but a spell put on him by the Wicked Witch causes him to lose his limbs and heart. He learns that he's never lost the ability to feel.

Common will play the Bouncer, the gatekeeper of the entrance to Emerald City who is out to get what he can from Dorothy and her three friends.

Common and John Legend won Academy Awards earlier this year for Best Original Song for their composition of the single "Glory" from the 2014 film "Selma." He also co-starred in the movie - about the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. - as 1960s civil rights movement leader James Bevel.

As an actor, Common is also known for his role as recently freed slave Elam Ferguson on the AMC series "Hell on Wheels." Other roles include work on the films "American Gangster," "Terminator Salvation," "New Year's Eve" and voice-over support in "Happy Feet 2."

An accomplished musical artist, Common is a two-time Grammy Award winner for the singles "Love of My Life" (with Erykah Badu) and "Southside" (featuring Kayne West), respectively. Common has released 10 albums, his most recent being "Nobody's Smiling," which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 Chart upon its release last year. It's his highest-charting album since his 2007 disc "Finding Forrester," which debuted at #1.

Starting at a high bar and maintaining his R&B credentials over the years, Ne-Yo's first two albums, "In My Own Words" and "Because of You" each debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart. He has written songs for such acclaimed and varied artists as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Carrie Underwood, Anastacia and Ciara.

On the acting front, Ne-Yo has appeared on the TV series "CSI: NY" and "90210" as well as the films "Stomp the Yard" and "Red Tails."

"The Wiz Live!" reunites Kelley with Queen Latifah, as both co-starred in the 2007 film "Hairspray," where he played her son, Seaweed J. Stubbs. In addition, Kelley will once again collaborate with "The Wiz Live!" and "Hairspray" producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Kelley's other film roles include "Red Tails" and "The Butler." His TV work includes "The Shield," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Numb3rs" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

Other recent cast additions for "The Wiz Live!":

Queen Latifah stars as the Wiz, the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City, but whose metamorphosis from ordinary to extraordinary is itself a hoax. She rose to her lofty position after being transported by accident to Oz in a hot air balloon during a snowstorm.

Mary J. Blige will play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. She captures Dorothy and her friends to avenge the unintentional murder of her evil sister, Evvamean, and to get back the powerful silver slippers given to Dorothy by the Good Witch of the North.

David Alan Grier will play the Cowardly Lion, who asks Dorothy if he can join her in her journey down the Yellow Brick Road to ask the Wiz for some courage, which he is severely lacking.

Uzo Aduba will play Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, who finally reveals the secret of the silver slippers to Dorothy and points her way home.

Amber Riley will play Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North who isn't the best at magic but she does try. She is a sister of Glinda, Evillene and Evvamene, the other three witches of Oz. She points Dorothy to the Yellow Brick Road and her journey to Emerald City.

Shanice Williams, a 19-year-old New Jersey native who has been raised and trained in musical theater, is the new Dorothy.

Stephanie Mills will portray Auntie Em in "The Wiz Live!" Mills is best known to many for playing Dorothy in the original Broadway production of "The Wiz."

"The Wiz Live!" is adapted from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The production opened on Broadway in 1975 at the Majestic Theatre and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("The Sound of Music Live!," "Peter Pan Live!," Oscar-winning "Chicago") will executive produce. Kenny Leon (Tony winner, "A Raisin in the Sun") and Matthew Diamond are directors, with Harvey Fierstein (three-time Tony winner, "Torch Song Trilogy," "Hairspray" and "La Cage aux Folles") providing new written material.

Esteemed choreographer Fatima Robinson ("Dreamgirls," "Ali") is also on board, along with music producer Harvey Mason Jr. ("Dreamgirls, "Pitch Perfect 2") and Stephen Oremus ("The Book of Mormon," "Kinky Boots") as music director, orchestrator and co-producer of the music.

"The Wiz Live!" is produced by Universal Television in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.





  [august 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· WIZ LIVE!, THE (NBC)





[11/25/24 - 02:49 PM]
Hallmark's Critically Acclaimed, Hit Series "The Way Home" Jumps Back Into the Pond When Season 3 Premieres January 2, Exclusively on Hallmark+
Season three picks up where season two left off - with Kat (Chyler Leigh) and her brother Jacob (Spencer Macpherson), who went missing more than two decades ago at the age of eight and is now an adult, poised to walk into the Landry home to an unsuspecting Del (Andie MacDowell).

[11/25/24 - 12:30 PM]
"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" Returns This January for the Final Chapter
"The Final Chapter" offers a conclusion to Natalia's story as she strives for healing and resolution in her tumultuous journey filled with decades of unexpected twists and turns.

[11/25/24 - 12:00 PM]
Matthew Broderick and Son James Wilkie Broderick to Guest Star on CBS' "Elsbeth" in 2025
This will be the first time the father and son share the screen together.

[11/25/24 - 11:00 AM]
Peacock's "Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes" Exposes the Troubled Man Behind the Dark Myth Through Firsthand Recordings and Accounts from Some of the Women Who Knew Him Best
Collected from more than 25 hours of audio recordings - most of which have never been heard before - and including revealing interviews with his family, friends and wife, the series explores the dark forces that led Ramirez to become the infamous Night Stalker.

[11/25/24 - 10:32 AM]
Video: Tom Hanks Narrates an Extraordinary Journey - "The Americas" - NBC
Narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks comes the extraordinary journey of Earth's great supercontinent.

[11/25/24 - 10:30 AM]
Epic Landmark Natural History Series "Asia" Set to Premiere Saturday, January 25 on BBC America and AMC+
Presented by renowned naturalist and three-time Emmy Award-winner Sir David Attenborough, the cinematic series explores each corner of this remarkable part of our planet and journeys through Asia's most stunning landscapes, uncovering stories of extraordinary unseen animal behavior.

[11/25/24 - 10:20 AM]
AMC Networks' Launches Inaugural "Celebrating Indigenous Stories" Collection on AMC+
Also included in the special collection, and as part of the company's "Future of Film" initiative, which partners with indie film festivals that feature emerging talent from historically excluded communities, is the company's first-ever "Indigenous Rising Stars" collection.

[11/25/24 - 09:02 AM]
MTV's "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" Rings in the New Year with All-New Episodes Starting Tuesday, January 7 at 8PM ET/PT
MTV today announced the return of the popular docuseries, bringing viewers more drama, music, and the personal stories that keep fans hooked.

[11/25/24 - 09:00 AM]
Final Season of "Blue Bloods" to Conclude on Friday, Dec. 13 with Two Remaining Episodes
Amanda Kloots and Edward James Olmos will guest star in the final installments.

[11/25/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases the First-Look Teaser for "Beast Games" Competition Series
The series is set to debut weekly on Thursday, December 19 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[11/25/24 - 08:00 AM]
Legendary Artist, Actor, Producer, Author and Entrepreneur Queen Latifah to Host "The 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors" to Be Broadcast Sunday, Dec. 22 on CBS
The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves, each other and our world.

[11/25/24 - 07:16 AM]
Stream Max Today for 70% Off
This limited time deal is available now through Monday, December 2 for both new and returning subscribers on Max.com, Apple, Google Play, Roku, Samsung, and Xumo, and for new Max customers only on Amazon Fire TV.

[11/25/24 - 07:05 AM]
2024 Billboard Music Awards to Air on December 12 in First-of-Its-Kind Multi-Platform Viewing Experience Across FOX, Paramount+ and Amazon's Fire TV Channels
Hosted by actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, the 2024 BBMAs presented by Marriott Bonvoy airs on Thursday, December 12 at 8:00pm ET/PT on FOX and Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+, with performances also rolling out across Billboard.com, and via BBMAs and Billboard social channels.

[11/25/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Missing You" - Official Trailer - Netflix
What would you do if your ex disappeared and came back into your life after 11 years? Your next Harlan Coben New Year's Day watch is almost here.

[11/25/24 - 07:01 AM]
5&2 Studios Announces Theatrical Debut of "The Chosen: Last Supper" (Season 5) on March 27, 2025 and Unveils First Look Trailer
Later in 2025, the season will make its streaming debut.