NBC has revealed that The Wiz will be the networks third annual live-musical event. The latest adaptation of the 1974 Broadway show, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz with an all-black cast and a Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack, will be co-produced byCirque du Soleils theatrical division. After the musical airs live on NBC on December 3rd, the new Wiz will then Ease on Down the Road to Broadway with a revival scheduled for the 2016/17 season, Variety writes.
At the Television Critics Association panel in January, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt announced that NBC had settled on two finalistsfor their next live musical, The Wiz and The Music Man.The network ultimately opted for the Tony-winning Wiz, which was previously adapted for a 1978 film starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor. The Wiz follows the Carrie Underwood-ledThe Sound of Music and 2014s Peter Pan adaptation with Girls Allison Williams. On top of The Wiz, NBC is also planning an Underground Railroad musicalexecutive produced by Stevie Wonder.
We love this yearly tradition and were more excited than ever to not only bring another Broadway musical to Americas living rooms, but also see it land on Broadway as well, Greenblatt said in a statement. Cirques incredible imagination will help bring the fantasy world of Oz vividly to life and give this great show a modern spin on the age-old story we all love.
While NBCs ratings droppedfor last years Peter Pan broadcast, that hasnt scared off fellow networks from going the live-musical route: In January, Fox announced their own plans to bring Grease to the small screen with actresses Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens.