Alex PanischNBC’s track record with live musical events has been a mixed bag. From Carrie Underwood starring in The Sound of Music to Allison Williams as Peter Pan, well…you decide.
We were hoping that The Wiz Live! would be the special that would change the course of NBC’s live musical events. With Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Queen Latifah as the Wiz, Mary J. Blige as The Wicked Witch, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man, David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow, and Uzo Aduba as Glinda the Good Witch, the show’s got an all-star cast.
But if the trailer is anything to go by, the show may be aiming for schlocky and campy-in-the-bad-way. I’m hoping that I’m wrong, since The Wiz is an excellent musical and NBC’s amassed exceptional talent. Furthermore, the trailer mostly showcases the borderline terrifying costumes (like Today show Peanuts costumes) and canned one-liners. We don’t see much of the acting and musical performances that could make The Wiz Live! unmissable.
What do you think? Slam-dunk or slip-up? Watch the trailer below and let us know:
00The Wiz Live! Trailer Is Out and It’s Exactly What You’re Expecting