That's just wizard! Newcomer Shanice Williams cast in role of Dorothy for TV musical adaptation of The Wiz Live!
She was offered the ruby red shoes to wear and she was only too pleased to fill them.
Newcomer Shanice Williams will be stepping onto the Yellow Brick Road to star in the NBC live production of The Wiz.
The 18-year-old, who was unveiled on Wednesday said on Today: 'This is always what I wanted to do. So I guess I'm ready. I'm ready now.'
She's got those ruby red shoes to fill! Newcomer Shanice Williams is set to star as Dorothy in the TV musical adaptation of The Wiz Live!
The New Jersey native makes her television debut when the live show airs on Dec. 3.
Of the appointment casting director Bernard Tesley said: 'The story of Dorothy has always been about someone new.
'It feels like the innocence of Dorothy should be a face that we don't recognize and don't know.'
Delighted: The 18-year-old said it was her dream role to play the part
Tears of joy: When seen on Today show telling her mother the good news she got very emotional
She joins an all star cast which includes Queen Latifah, 45, as The Wiz, Mary J. Blige, 44, as the Wicked Witch of the West and David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion.
The show is adapted from 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls.
The production originally opened on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tony's, including best musical.
The original Broadway production featured Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, Dee Dee Bridgewater as good witch Glinda and Andre De Shields as the Wiz. Mills returned as Dorothy in a 1984 revival.
A 1978 movie version of 'The Wiz' starred Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor in those respective roles.
Castmates: Queen Latifah is also starring as The Wiz and Mary J. Blige as the Wicked Witch of the West - they are pictured here at the 2014 Matrix Awards
He's on the Yellow Brick Road: David Alan Grier will be playing the Cowardly Lion - he his pictured here at the premiere of 'Peeples' in LA in 2013
Michael Jackson co-starred as the Scarecrow, with Nipsey Russell as the Tinman and Ted Ross as the Lion.
NBC has revived the live TV musical, after scoring nearly 19 million viewers for 'The Sound of Music' which starred Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer.
The networks partner on the TV version will be Cirque du Soleil's new stage theatrical division, which will then present "The Wiz" on Broadway for the 2016-17 season.
Back again: Stephanie Mills appeared in the original 1975 Broadway production as Dorothy (pictured) she is starring in the current version as Auntie Em
Ruby shoes: Diana Ross also played the role in the musical in 1978
Of the gender-blind casting, which sees Queen Latifah as the Wizard, executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said: 'To see (Queen Latifah) play the iconic role of the Wiz and make it her own is going to be one of the joys of producing this event.'
Meanwhile, Mary, 44, will take on the role of Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the production.
Stephanie Mills, who portrayed Dorothy in the original Broadway cast, will also join NBC's adaptation as Auntie Em.
Line up: The late 70's version of the musical saw Michael Jackson starring at The Scarecrow
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3186241/That-s-just-wizard-Newcomer-Shanice-Williams-cast-role-Dorothy-TV-musical-adaptation-Wiz-Live.html#ixzz3hxwUEZ9W
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