VIDEO: Andre De Shields Talks 'Game-Changing' Original Broadway Production of THE WIZ

Broadway star and Emmy Award winner André De Shields joined NBC's News Janice Huff to talk about his role in the 1975 production of THE WIZ and his current role on the new Broadway musical GOTTA DANCE, playing at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre.

"THE WIZ in 1975 was a game changer on many levels," explains the Tony nominated star. "Probably the most important level is that it finally changed the reputation of the Great White Way in being inhospitable to African Americans." Watch the appearance in full below!

GOTTA DANCE, the new Broadway-bound musical about professional basketball's first ever aged 60-and-older dance team, has its pre-Broadway World Premiere at Broadway In Chicago's Bank of America Theatre December 13, 2015 through January 10, 2016. This show re-unites De Shields with director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell. The pair worked together on the Broadway production of THE FULL MONTY for which De Shields received his second Tony Award nomination.

A multiple Tony Award nominee, De Shields is best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Wiz, Ain't Misbehavin', Play On! and The Full Monty. His numerous accolades include an Emmy Award for the NBC Special presentation of Ain't Misbehavin', the 2015 Award for Excellence in the Arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University, the National Black Theatre Festival's Living Legend Award, the Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, and two Doctor of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York-College at Buffalo.

Source: NBC News