Ne-Yo and Common are the newest stars added to the cast of NBC’s The Wiz Live! set to air this winter.
Ne-Yo will play the Tin Man, one of the colorful characters Dorothy meets on her way to meet the Wizard, and Common is reported to play the gatekeeper of the entrance to Emerald City, the “bouncer.”
As for the Scarecrow? That part goes to actor/singer-dancer Elijah Kelley, known for his roles in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Red Tails, Hairspray, and 28 Days.
Ne-Yo, Common, and Kelley will join Mary J. Blige (Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West), Queen Latifah (the Wiz), David Alan Grier (the Cowardly Lion), OITNB’s Uzo Aduba (Glinda, the Good Witch of the South), Glee’s Amber Riley (Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North), and Stephanie Mills (Dorothy in the original Broadway production of “The Wiz”, as Auntie Em in this production. Eighteen-year-old newcomer Shanice Williams will play the coveted role of Dorothy.
Queen Latifah as as the Wiz; Mary J. Blige as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West; David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion; Uzo Aduba as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South; Amber Riley as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North; and Stephanie Mills (who played Dorothy in the original Broadway production of “The Wiz”) as Auntie Em.
A solid cast, right? What do you think of the casting choices?
