Cast This: NBC's "The Wiz Live"
Friday, April 3, 2015 at 8:00AM 
Margaret here. Earlier this week, NBC announced that this December they will be following the surprise ratings smash that was The Sound of Music Live and the more modestly-rated Peter Pan Live with a third simulcast musical: The Wiz! Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (fresh off their third and likely final Oscar ceremony) are returning, with Harvey Fierstein on board to augment William F. Brown's original book. The team is also partnering with Cirque du Soleil for the production, with plans to later move it to Broadway.
The 1975 "Super Soul Musical" is, for many reasons, an excellent choice. Because it's a pop musical, the network heads' desire to stunt cast with big stars will actually serve the material. And it's become a staple in high school productions because of its generosity with its musical parts- it requires a deep cast, with 9 characters who have their own show-stoppable numbers.
Like with most pop music, the score to The Wiz is only as strong as the people performing it, and the right actor can take even the least crucial number and make it into a sensation. That makes casting especially crucial. We owe it to the good people of NBC to make their jobs easy!
Here's my dream cast:
Dorothy, Our Heroine: Not only does she fill the Top-40-star slot, but Janelle Monáe has real musical chops, plenty of experience with soulful pop, and is adorable. She's not exactly a teenager, but she reads much younger than her age (29) and she's four years younger than Diana Ross was when she put on the silver slippers for the 1978 movie. She's also an excellent dancer, and her stage presence is bananas.
Alternate: Keke Palmer, currently killing it as Cinderella on Broadway
Aunt Em: The perfect spot for a stunt-cast. Bringing in Stephanie Mills, who starred in the original Broadway production, would make for a lovely handoff to the new Dorothy.
Alternate: Diana Ross, though she would probably never agree to it
Addaperle: The Good Witch of the North is flamboyant, a little saucy, and the queen bee of the munchkins. Patti LaBelle is a diva for all time, and though she's been famous for 50+ years she's absolutely still got it. She could nail the crowd-pleasing number "He's the Wiz" without lifting a finger.
Alternate: the vivacious Jill Scott and that voice of hers
The Scarecrow: (Confining a non-human scarecrow to our rigid gender binary would be wrong!!!) Patina Miller recently pulled down a Tony for her role as the Leading Player in Pippin, where she got a lot of practice with acrobatic stunts. She's more than capable of delivering oversized loosey-goosey physicality, and her voice was just made for this style of music - see her rendition of Simple Joys for proof. Plus Michael Jackson comparisons will be chasing whoever lands in that role, and casting a woman might take off some of the pressure.
Alternate: Bruno Mars, since you know NBC will be tempted, plus if you put a Police-sounding track under "Born on the Day Before Yesterday" it's basically already a Bruno Mars song.
The Tin Man: Recently minted TV star Jussie Smollett can croon gorgeously even when the Empire producers aren't turning the auto-tune up to 11, and he knows how to move. Fox might not want to lend out any of the actors from its monster hit, but casting him could help pack on viewers. Just look at those sensitive eyes!
Alternate: Wayne Brady, a skilled singer and dancer who hasn't gotten to show it off in a while
The Cowardly Lion: Anyone who recently mainlined Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix knows that Broadway veteran Tituss Burgess is gut-bustingly hilarious and has the voice of an angel. (Pinoooooot Noo-AHHH!) He has been TV-famous for all of one month and he is already the subject of approximately 60% of Buzzfeed's gif-based listicles. The part of the Lion, the funniest in the show, deserves his absurd vocal flexibility and physical comedy chops.
Alternate: None. Accept no substitutes!
The Wizard: For the famous magical con man, why not stack the deck with another Tony Winner? Ben Vereen is an old school song-and-dance man with more charisma than is strictly fair. He's danced for Bob Fosse both on tour and in All That Jazz-- infinite musical theater points! Watch him perform "Mr. Cellophane" on The Muppet Show and you might just believe he's a wizard.
Alternate: Norm Lewis has one of the world's most beautiful voices but he's so refined and imposing that the wizard-as-fraud reveal might get confused
Evilene: Orange is the New Black's Uzo Aduba's been racking up statues left and right for her perfect balancing act of scary and funny as "Crazy Eyes", and that's just the combination needed for the Wicked Witch of the West. She can go big and almost cartoonish while maintaining complete dignity, and her rich, beautiful voice is a great fit for the super low-pitched diva rant "No Bad News".
Alternate: Vanessa Williams, who can bring down an army with an arch of her eyebrow
Glinda: The litmus test for whether or not one of these casting posts is worth taking seriously is simple: CTRL + F "Audra". Living goddess, Tony winner in every acting category, and the saving grace of The Sound of Music Live, Audra McDonald could play and slay any part in the show. Let's go with Glinda then, since she's supposed to embody regal serenity and project immense warmth which to Audra is like breathing.
Alternate: Anika Noni Rose, another Tony-winning queen who radiates grace
I trust that good readers of The Film Experience have plenty of opinions about this. Go forth (in the comments) and cast your ideal show!
Reader Comments (58)
The accusation of racism was directed at me.
I was well aware of that.
Love you Paul Outlaw. Are you on Twitter?
Harvey Fierstein and Cirque du Soleil? Those additions have me worried. Sounds like the material will be "augmented" to appease white sensibilities/tastes and the production will be more spectacle than show (it's a grassroots musical not a Las Vegas high-wire act). And having seen the original Broadway production and a few "multicultural" versions: the show's essence and, yes, soul are always diluted when white actors are featured.
Very inspired choices, Margaret. Too bad Luther Vandross is no longer with us; he would've been a perfect Wiz.
Excellent choices! Bravo.
Melissa: a little late on this but you're taking my flip "unforgiving" comment on Jennifer Hudson way, way too literally. I'm sure she's a lovely person, but she's a mediocre actress, albeit with an impressive set of pipes.
Again, Grace Jones all the way! And Diana Ross! Put them in this production!!
Patti LaBelle as Evilene...the only voice ti sing "Dont nobody bring me no bad news"
CeeLo green as the lion. Gladys knight as aunt Em. Fantasia as good which South. Jordan Sparks as Glinda.
If Gods of Egypt needs to apologize so should The Wiz. I guess the unwritten rules apply only to one race not all. I will not watch. They should cast based on talent not color.