The cast of NBC's THE WIZ LIVE is putting in 8-hour-a-day rehearsals for the highly anticipated December 3rd live broadcast. Today, EW shares a special clip of two Dorothies, Shanice Williams, who portrays the young girl from Kansas in the upcoming holiday special, and Stephanie Mills, Broadway's original Dorothy, who takes on the role of Auntie Em, performing the classic number "Home." Check it out below!
Williams spoke to the site about working with Mills, sharing "one of the best pieces of advice she's given me is always stay humble and live in the moment, because I'm not ever going to get this opportunity again. This is once in a lifetime, so live in the moment. And also, when I sing "Home," she always reminds me, "You're the only one on stage, and this is your moment - don't hold back."
Comments Mills of her co-star, "Shanice has all the innocence and purity that Dorothy should have. She's 19 years old and she's just wonderful in that role. I'm glad she's basically an unknown, because she's not tainted by anything; she's pure." Read the interview in full here
NBC's upcoming holiday production of THE WIZ LIVE! will air Thursday, Dec. 3. The production will star newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy alongside Grammy and Golden Globe-winner Queen Latifah as the Wizard, nine-time Grammy-winner Mary J. Blige as Evillene, original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, as Auntie Em and David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("The Sound of Music Live!," "Peter Pan Live!") serve as executive producers. Tony winner Kenny Leon will direct with Harvey Fierstein providing new written material. Fatima Robinson serves as choreographer. "The Wiz Live!" is produced by Universal Television in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.
Videos