Slide some oil to the Peacock…NBC has announced that its next live musical television event will be The Wiz to air Thursday, Dec. 3, reports Variety.
The Wiz marks NBC’s third live musical production, after The Sound of Music Live! starring Carrie Underwood and Peter Pan Live! in which Brian Williams’ daughter Allison Williams played the title character.
The Wiz will be co-produced by Cirque du Soleil’s new stage theatrical division. After the television event, the musical will make its Broadway revival for the 2016-17 season, also presented by Cirque du Soleil.
Casting for both projects is yet to be announced.
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who exec produced NBC’s Sound of Music and Peter Pan, return as exec producers. Kenny Leon will direct both the TV production and the Broadway revival, along with Harvey Fierstein, who will contribute new material to the original Broadway book by William F. Brown.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to not only produce this as our next live musical for NBC, but to then see it move to Broadway for a new generation to experience,” said Zadan.
Meron added, “It will be a joy to work again with Kenny Leon, who did ‘Steel Magnolias’ and ‘Raisin in the Sun’ with us.”
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