When word got around that producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan were mounting a production of “The Wiz” as their next live presentation on NBC, they were surprised at the voluble reaction, especially among prominent African-American artists, actors, directors, and producers.“They said, ‘Don’t blow it!’” recalls Craig Zadan, citing Kerry Washington, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey among those who contacted the producers. “We realized at that moment just how much reverence there was for this material. We chose ["The Wiz"] not because of that reverence but because we loved it. We just felt an added responsibility to do it correctly.”They fulfilled that objective by every metric. Following the Meron-Zadan live productions of “The Sound of Music” and “Peter Pan,” “The Wiz” was by far the best reviewed. With very few reservations, the critics praised director Kenny Leon and the entire cast, which included Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, and newcomer Shanice Williams. And the telecast drew over 11 million viewers, topping the ratings for “Peter Pan” by three million but coming short of the 18 million-plus who tuned in for “The Sound of Music.” Prior to the broadcast, both producers noted that they had learned a lot since their first special three years ago drew big ratings but inspired what came to be called “hate watching” — nasty commentary in the blogosphere. While many took to the Internet to throw Carrie Underwood off the Alpine cliffs for her wooden performance in “The Sound of Music,” “Peter Pan” received a huge share of carping as well. “In the first year,” says Zadan, “it was a total experiment; nobody had done a live presentation in fifty years. But the second year we found out something that we could not have known: the Peter Pan story had outstayed its welcome. Two months ago, a $150 million movie [“Pan’] opened and not one person went to see it. Something had changed in the culture. We weren’t sure whether these big titles would suffice or whether we needed big stars as well as big titles.”That “Peter Pan” fatigue is something producer Harvey Weinstein is dealing with as he watches the dwindling grosses of “Finding Neverland” on Broadway. (While Kelsey Grammer returns to the production on January 19, “Glee” star Matthew Morrison exits on January 24). On the contrary, the success of NBC telecast means that the Broadway revival of “The Wiz,” slated for next year, will come in on a sizable head of steam. Cirque du Soleil, six of whose acrobats provided pivotal moments in the telecast, will head the production, and Kenny Leon, who helmed “The Wiz Live!” will once again direct. While no casting has been announced for Broadway, Leon said that he hoped the four leads — Grier (the Cowardly Lion), Ne-Yo (The Tin Man), Kelley (The Scarecrow), and Williams (Dorothy) — would reprise their roles. As for the rest — including Latifah, Blige, Amber Riley, Uzu Aduba, and Stephanie Mills (who created Dorothy in the 1974 original production) — the director said it would depend on their respective concert schedules. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t try!” he added.Meanwhile “The Wiz Live!” will be re-broadcast on December 19.
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