‘The Wiz’ Heading To Broadway: Will NBC Cast Go With The Production?

NEW YORK (AP) – NBC’s new holiday tradition of presenting a live musical production seems on firmer ground after an estimated 11.5 million people watched “The Wiz”, with interest rebounding from last year’s “Peter Pan”. But the buzz wasn’t all good; the show also sparked a racial controversy online. For additional video content, click the “video” tab at the top of this page.

The Wiz Live! was also a major success on social media. Celebrities are raving about her performance in the show.

“If you run into any racists today yelling and moaning about this all black version of The Wizard of Oz that NBC seemingly pulled out of its ass and you really want to piss them off?” NBC’s third annual live musical production was up 21 and 38 percent from what last year’s Peter Pan Live! averaged, while shy of what The Sound of Music Live!

This Nov. 30, 2015, image released by NBC shows Shanice Williams as Dorothy during a dress rehearsal of “The Wiz Live!’ in NY”.

In metered-market households, the 7.9 rating, 13 share for “The Wiz Live!” represents the highest-rated Thursday for any network in the local markets, excluding sports, in more than a year, since September 25, 2014 (8.4 for ABC’s season premieres of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” and the series premiere of “How To Get Away With Murder”).

The hyper-color musical offered many sensational moments during the broadcast.

And NBC has a variety of others ways to make even more money off “The Wiz”: The cast recording goes on sale December 11, with a DVD following shortly thereafter, and the network has already scheduled an encore airing December 19. The retro camerawork didn’t help, constantly going in for closeups when one yearned to see the fully populated stage, letting the viewer be the editor, a chief distinction between live theater and watching a film or TV movie.