{"id":72671,"date":"2015-07-28T20:11:03","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T20:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2015\/07\/28\/queen-latifah-mary-j-blige-set-to-join-nbcs-the-wiz-live%e2%80%8f\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:42:28","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:42:28","slug":"queen-latifah-mary-j-blige-set-to-join-nbcs-the-wiz-live%e2%80%8f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/queen-latifah-mary-j-blige-set-to-join-nbcs-the-wiz-live%e2%80%8f\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen Latifah & Mary J. Blige Set To Join NBC’S The Wiz Live!\u200f"},"content":{"rendered":"

Queen Latifah & Mary J. Blige Set To Join NBC’S The Wiz Live!\u200f<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

July 28, 2015<\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/a><\/p>\n

Ready to bring their A-list talent to an unprecedented primetime event, Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige<\/strong> \u2014 multi-award winners, giants of the recording industry and stars of both the small and big screen \u2014 have been added to the cast of NBC\u2019s upcoming holiday musical production of \u201cThe Wiz Live!,\u201d<\/strong> set for Thursday, Dec. 3.<\/p>\n

Queen Latifah stars as the Wiz,<\/strong> the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City, but whose metamorphosis from ordinary to extraordinary is itself a hoax. She rose to her lofty position after being transported by accident to Oz in a hot air balloon during a snowstorm.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Mary J. Blige will play Evillene<\/strong>, the Wicked Witch of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. She captures Dorothy and her friends to avenge the unintentional murder of her evil sister, Evvamean, and to get back the powerful silver slippers given to Dorothy by the Good Witch of the North.<\/p>\n

The multi-talented Queen Latifah is a Golden Globe, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winner, as well as having earned Emmy and Oscar nominations.<\/p>\n

\"Oscars<\/a><\/p>\n

She scored her second career Emmy nomination as the title character in the critically acclaimed HBO biopic \u201cBessie\u201d as legendary blues singer Bessie Smith. On the film side, Queen Latifah received an Academy Award nomination and earned SAG win as part of the cast for her role as Matron Mama Morton in the Oscar-winning film \u201cChicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to \u201cChicago,\u201d Queen Latifah also co-starred in \u201cHairspray\u201d and the TV film \u201cSteel Magnolias,\u201d all of which were executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. \u201cThe Wiz Live!\u201d marks a reunion between the actress and producers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so happy reuniting with Latifah,\u201d<\/strong> said Zadan and Meron, who saw their executive-produced programs \u201cThe Oscars\u201d and \u201cPeter Pan Live!\u201d earn a combined 11 Emmy nominations for the 2015 Emmys. \u201cWe\u2019ve been friends for a long time and we\u2019ve had quite a lot of success together. To see her play the iconic role of the Wiz and make it her own is going to be one of the joys of producing this event.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Craig<\/a><\/p>\n

Other films on Queen Latifah\u2019s resume include \u201cBringing Down the House,\u201d the \u201cIce Age\u201d franchise, \u201cLast Holiday\u201d and \u201cThe Secret Life of Bees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queen Latifah has released seven albums and has an incredible array of musical styles and genres. On record and stage, she has performed hip-hop, rap, soul, jazz, gospel and standards. Over her career she has sung with an eclectic range of performers, including Tony Bennett, Dolly Parton, Missy Elliott and Stevie Wonder, among many others.<\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/a><\/p>\n

Ranked by Billboard as the top R&B performer of the past 25 years, Blige has sold more than 50 million albums and 25 million singles. She has released 12 albums, with her 1994 disc \u201cMy Life\u201d considered by many prominent critics and music publications to be one of the greatest albums of all time.<\/p>\n

Blige also has nine #1 albums setting a mark for a female artist. She has earned 30 Grammy nominations and won nine times.<\/p>\n

As an actress, Blige began her career on \u201cThe Jamie Foxx Show\u201d and has been featured on past hits such as \u201cEntourage\u201d and most recently \u201cEmpire\u201d and \u201cBlackish.\u201d She also co-starred in the Lifetime film \u201cBetty and Coretta,\u201d and the 2012 feature film \u201cRock of Ages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Stephanie<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to watch Mary bring the badness that is Evillene,\u201d<\/strong> said director Kenny Leon. \u201cHer talent range is off the charts and I know audiences won\u2019t be able to take their eyes off her.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stephanie Mills<\/strong> was previously announced to portray Auntie Em in \u201cThe Wiz Live!\u201d Mills is best known to many for playing Dorothy in the original Broadway production of \u201cThe Wiz.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional casting news will be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

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