“The Wiz” will ease on down Broadway once again, but this time it will make a stop on NBC for a live broadcast.
The musical — which originally opened on the stage in the mid-1970s and went on to be adapted into the 1978 film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson — will air live on NBC on Dec. 3, the network announced Monday. Then, the show, whose creative team will feature Harvey Fierstein (“Kinky Boots,” “The Torch Song Trilogy”) and Cirque du Soleil, will become part of the 2016-17 Broadway season.
Kenny Leon, who won a Tony for directing the 2014 production of “A Raisin in the Sun,” will stage the Broadway and television versions of “The Wiz.” Leon also directed a TV version of “A Raisin in the Sun” for ABC in 2008 and a TV adaptation of “Steel Magnolias” in 2012.
“The Wiz” will be the third time NBC has aired a live Broadway favorite in three years. In 2013, the network aired “The Sound of Music Live!” starring Carrie Underwood as Maria. “Peter Pan Live!” aired in December, with Allison Williams in the starring role, but its ratings failed to reach the level of “The Sound of Music.”
“We love this yearly tradition and we’re more excited than ever to not only bring another Broadway musical to America’s living rooms, but also see it land on Broadway as well,” NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said in a press release.
“The Wiz,” an African-American-themed retelling of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” tells the story of a young woman named Dorothy who is whisked off to the land of Oz. The original Broadway production opened in 1975 and went on to win best musical and six other Tony awards.
Casting for the new production was not disclosed in the announcement Monday.
West has moved on to another venture that, while less fashion orientated, is still every bit influenced by his creative spirit and desire to be a high flying business exec. European airline easyJet has announced Kanye West will come on board in a yet-to-be-determined position. While easyJet has operated solely on European soil (or air!) to this point, the newly-named “yeezyJet” partnership will see the airline enter the United States marketplace for the first time.
“The notion of ‘getting fly’ is something I stayed awake at night thinking about,” West said in the official press release. “With DONDA, it happened on a more metaphysical, psychological level. With yeezyJet, I’ve manifested myself. I’m taking people places they’ve never been before. There are 300 million people within a one-hour drive of an yeezyJet airport. I sell out one concert, that’s only 100,000 people. I want to reach the most people possible. I want to literally show them the way.”
As to what to expect from the maiden voyage, which will depart from a yet-to-be-determined American hub on April 22, details include premium, hand-woven Italian textile-clad seats, Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 1998 artisanal beverage service, and an exclusive viewing of in- flight media experience ‘Getting Out Our Dreams’ – a never-before-seen chronicle of West’s favorite songs, movies, artists and TV shows.
Additionally, those lucky enough to book a reservation on the inaugural flight will be treated to a concert on the tarmac by the likes of Pusha T, Common, John Legend, and newly-signed G.O.O.D. music artist, Holt. Kanye West said, “This is Willy Wonka, except I’m giving out gold chains instead of golden tickets.”
For those wanting to get in on the action, visit yeezyjet.com or call toll-free 1-844-2FLYEEZY.
Specifically, the vehicle was inspired by the film And the World Stood Still, a dramatic short film created to coincide with the launch of the original model. The film was recently accepted into the British Film Institute National Archives and to celebrate, the English car manufacturer created a slightly film noir version of their most powerful vehicle to date. References to the genre are seen through a unique two-tone Silver and Jubilee Silver paint scheme, while a solid-silver hand-cast Spirit of Ecstasy acts as the femme fatale to the leading man. Opening the doors, the interior is more colorful than the exterior suggests.
Performance aspects include a shorter wheelbase, wider rear track and 624 bhp/465 kW derived from the twin turbo V12. Drivers will be going from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds.
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