As BWW just reported, Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba and Screen Actors Guild Award winner "Glee" star Amber Riley have joined the all-star cast of NBC's hotly anticipated holiday production of "The Wiz Live!," set for Thursday, Dec 3.
Aduba, who once again is nominated for an Emmy this year, is best known for her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on the Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black." She will play Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
Last year Aduba won the Emmy for guest actress in a comedy series as well as two SAG Awards - outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series and outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 2014. Before starring on television, Aduba made her Broadway debut in "Coram Boy" in 2007 followed by the hit musical revival of "Godspell" in 2011. She discovered her talent for singing at a very early age and became a classical music major at the Boston University School of Fine Arts.
Aduba was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for best supporting actress in a play for her work in the Kennedy Center/Olney Theater production of "Translations of Xhosa." Other theater credits include "Dessa Rose" at the New Repertory Theatre, "Turnado: Rumble for the Ring" at the Papermill Playhouse and "Abyssinia" at the Goodspeed Theatre.
Riley will play Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North who isn't the best at magic but she does try. She is a sister of Glinda, Evillene and Evvamene, the other three witches of Oz. She points Dorothy to the Yellow Brick Road and her journey to Emerald City. Riley, who has played Mercedes Jones on "Glee" for six seasons and was a significant musical force on the series, won a SAG Award in 2010 for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series, and was nominated three other times in the same category.
In 2013, Riley won the 17th season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" as she was partnered with five-time champion Derek Hough.
Below, check out some of our favorite performances from these talented stars!
Uzo Aduba performs PIPPIN's "Simple Joys" at the "Godspell Sings Schwartz" event:
Aduba performs "By My Side" from the 2011 revival of GODSPELL at Broadway's Circle in the Square:
Riley joined Patti LaBelle and Lil' Kim for a performance of "Lady Marmalade" live on the Dancing With The Stars 10th Anniversary Special.
In her role as Mercedes Jones on GLEE, Riley performed a stirring rendition of the Whitney Houston classic, "I Will Always Love You":
On ABC's DANCING WITH THE STARS, the champion brought down the house with her performance of "Do Your Thing"
Riley performed her original song "Colorblind" on The Queen Latifah:
Videos