Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah to Star in 'The Wiz Live!'
This winter, NBC will air a live version of “The Wiz,” and they’ve grabbed some big names—Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah will both be joining the cast of the musical.
“The Wiz Live!,” the adaptation of the 1975 Broadway hit, is produced by the same team that created NBC’s live stagings of “Peter Pan” and “The Sound of Music.”
Latifah will portray the Wiz herself, while Blige while play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West. Stephanie Mills, who played Dorothy in the original Broadway production, will take on the role of Aunt Em.
“To see [Queen Latifah] play the iconic role of the Wiz and make it her own is going to be one of the joys of producing this event,” “Wiz” executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron told PEOPLE.
NBC is currently searching for a fresh face to play Dorothy, and will hold an open casting call to fill the role.
Latifah’s musical credits include Chicago and Hairspray, while Blige starred in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages.
“The Wiz Live!” will air on Dec. 3.