Based on the Tony Award winning Broadway Musical, "The Wiz," NBC seeks to recreate the 1974 musical adored by fans. NBC broadcast their live version of "The Wiz" on Dec. 3, 2015, at 8 p.m. Having watched their version of "Peter Pan Live," I was extremely skeptical that this production would be successful. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I was "eased down the road" of NBC musical productions and can say I truly enjoyed it.
The highlight of the show was without a doubt the costumes and staging. Every single scene was orchestrated to perfection using bright colors. Additionally, each member of the cast brought unique talents to the production and meshed incredibly well together.
Amber Riley: The "Glee" alum is wonderful as Addapearle, one of the production's two good witches. Truly exemplifying the positive qualities of her character she is sugary sweet and positively delightful.
Shanice Williams: Starring as Dorothy Gale, "The Wiz" is her breakout and first acting role. NBC's decision to use an unknown actress for the lead role in their production certainly paid off. Williams is a free face that you certainly have not seen the last off.
Elijah Kelly: Playing the Scarecrow, Kelly is stellar. Previously starring in the 2007 version of "Hairspray" and "The Butler," Elijah Kelly is the total package: incredible voice, a dancing superstar and fantastic actor. Although his character has no brains, NBC certainly put their brains to work casting him. Kelly is a clear standout in this talented cast.
Uzo Aduba: Known for her work on "Orange is the New Black," Aduba returns to her musical theater roots in "The Wiz Live." A Broadway alum, Aduba is fantastic as Glinda the Good Witch. A true natural, Aduba graces the stage as calm, cool and collected.
Queen Latifah: Unapologetically sassy as the Wiz, Latifah is bold and intimidating in the production's title role. She is virtually unrecognizable in full costume only distinguishable by her unique voice. Latifah's portrayal is simple and frank in the best way.
Common: An Oscar-winner for his musical work for "Selma," Common is tough and steadfast as the Bouncer. However, he is lost in the sea of extremely talented cast members.
David Alan Grier: Broadway legend, David Alan Grier is earnest and down right hilarious in his portrayal of the Cowardly Lion. You find yourself rooting for the Cowardly Lion because of Grier's heartwarming performance.
Ne-Yo: The "Miss Independent" singer portrays the Tin Man in the production and is without the biggest surprise. Having only heard Ne-Yo in the radio, It was truly enlightening to hear him sing live and especially watch him dance. It was especially neat to watch him keep up with musical theater legends including David Alan Grier and Queen Latifah.
Mary J. Blige: As Evelline, Blige is aggressive and down right evil. R & B legend, Mary J. Blige appears in her second musical following her appearance in 2012's "Rock of Ages" and brings a star quality to the production. Her performance catapults this production into "must watch" territory.
The inclusion of Cirque de Soleil was innovative definitely out of the box. Especially noteworthy is their appearance as the tornado transporting Dorothy to Oz. That being said, the choreography was fantastic for a live musical production and was especially suited for television. The simplest details made this production stellar especially the casting of Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em because she played Dorothy in the original broadway production.
Overall the casting of the four primary characters: Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion was stellar making the entire performance wonderful. "The Wiz Live" was outstanding and restored my faith in NBC musical adaptations after the disaster that was "Peter Pan Live." It is truly a "brand new day" for NBC musical adaptations.
