Margaret here with your live TV musical update. NBC has just announced the final principal cast members for its live production of The Wiz: R&B singer Ne-Yo as the Tin Man, Elijah Kelley (aka the showstopping dreamboat from Hairspray) as the Scarecrow, and Common as the Emerald City gatekeeper.
The full cast, then, is set:
While I stand by my original dreamcast (pour one out for Audra McDonald and Tituss Burgess), there's just no denying: this is an outstanding cast. Some really fine actors, a staggering amount of stage presence, and not a weak singer to be seen. Even the imports from the Billboard charts each have a respectable number of IMDb credits under their belts (unlike The Sound of Music Live's Carrie Underwood, bless her). In fact, this roster boasts a total of 16 Grammys (out of 69 nominations), 3 Tony nominations (all David Alan Grier), two Oscar nominations and one win (in Best Original Song).
Not to mention that it's set to be directed by Tony-winner Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun, Fences) and choreographed by movie and music video veteran Fatima Robinson (whose work you might remember from Dreamgirls).
We at TFE are nothing if not optimists, particularly when it comes to musicals, so maybe that's skewing my judgment-- but doesn't it seem like this has no chance but to be fantastic? The Internet got a lot of mileage out of ribbing the last two NBC live musicals. But with a cast this deep, a musical this fun, and the proven genius team's production designers, it's quite possible we'll love-love it, and not in the ironic way.
Is it foolish to be so confident? Which actor's performance are you most anticipating? And who else is counting down with me to December 3?