The Wiz Live! facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Wiz Live! |
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Promotional poster
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| Based on | The Wiz by William F. Brown The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum |
| Written by | Harvey Fierstein |
| Directed by | Kenny Leon Matthew Diamond |
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Craig Zadan Neil Meron |
| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Universal Television Sony Pictures Television Storyline Entertainment |
| Distributor | Universal Studios Home Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | December 3, 2015 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Peter Pan Live! |
| Followed by | Hairspray Live! |
The Wiz Live! was a special TV show that was broadcast live on NBC. It aired on December 3, 2015. This show was a new version of the 1975 Broadway musical called The Wiz. The original musical was a soul and R&B take on L. Frank Baum's famous 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The live show was performed at Grumman Studios in Bethpage, New York. It mixed parts of the original Broadway play with elements from the 1978 film version.
Contents
Main Characters and Cast
This section lists the main actors and the characters they played in The Wiz Live!.
Dorothy and Her Friends
- Shanice Williams played Dorothy Gale, the main character.
- Elijah Kelley was the Scarecrow. He was also known as Sticks the Farmhand Man #3.
- Ne-Yo played the Tin-Man. He was also called John the Farmhand Man #1.
- David Alan Grier was the Cowardly Lion. He was also Robert the Farmhand Man #2.
- Scooter the Dog played Toto, Dorothy's loyal dog.
Other Important Characters
- Common played The Bouncer and The Gatekeeper of the Emerald City.
- Amber Riley was Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North.
- Uzo Aduba played Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
- Stephanie Mills was Auntie Em / Emily Gale, Dorothy's aunt.
- Mary J. Blige played Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West.
- Queen Latifah was the Wiz, the powerful ruler of Oz.
Songs from the Show
The songs in The Wiz Live! were performed in this order:
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Most songs were written by Charlie Smalls. However, "Tornado" was by Timothy Graphenreed and Harold Wheeler. "Emerald City Ballet (Psst)" was by Graphenreed and George Faison. "We Got It" was written by Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Harvey Mason Jr., and Stephen Oremus. "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day" was written by Luther Vandross.
Show's Impact and Awards
The Wiz Live! was a big event on TV. Many people watched it and it won several awards.
Audience Numbers
About 11.5 million people watched The Wiz Live! when it first aired. This was more viewers than NBC's previous live musical, Peter Pan Live!. The show was especially popular in cities with a large African-American population. These cities included Atlanta, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.. The special also created a lot of buzz on social media. It had more Twitter posts than any other live TV event in the four years before it. NBC showed the special again on December 19, 2015.
Awards and Nominations
The Wiz Live! received many awards and nominations for its excellent production.
- Primetime Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program: Paul Tazewell (winner)
- It was nominated for Hairstyling, Lighting Design, Makeup, Production Design, and Technical Direction.
- NAACP Image Awards
- Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special (winner)
- Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: David Alan Grier (winner)
- Critics' Choice Television Awards
- It was nominated for Best Movie Made for Television or Limited Series.
- Shanice Williams was nominated for Best Actress.
- David Alan Grier and Ne-Yo were nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
- Mary J. Blige was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
- Black Reel Awards
- Outstanding TV Special or Documentary: Kenny Leon, director (winner)
- Shanice Williams was nominated for Outstanding Actress.
- David Alan Grier and Ne-Yo were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor.
- Mary J. Blige and Amber Riley were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Watching the Show at Home
You could watch The Wiz Live! at home after its live broadcast.
NBC released a DVD of the special on December 22, 2015. It was sold by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The DVD included a special behind-the-scenes look called The Making of The Wiz Live!. Later, the full show was also made available online for a short time on YouTube. This was part of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Shows Must Go On" series. It helped support the African-American community and other communities of color.
