NBC is rolling out a big event for the holiday. The reboot of the famed Broadway show is coming back to the screens with an all-star African American cast. Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, it will premiere on the network.
Will it be a hit or a flop?
The cast includes Shanice Williams, Ne-Yo, Amber Riley, Elijah Kelley, Common, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier and Uzo Aduba.
It will premiere on the network on December 3rd.
It's been 40 years since The Wiz. The 1975 Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical was an early example of Broadway's mainstream acceptance of works with an all-black cast.
The Broadway show is an urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of modern African-American culture.
Stephanie Mills, who once played Dorothy in The Wiz will make a guest star role as Aunt Em.
The musical inspired a motion picture film that featured Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne and Michael Jackson. It was viewed as a flop but remains a cult classic among the fans.
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