NBC's Next Musical Disaster Will Be Michael Jackson's “The Wiz”

NBC has announced their next live musical project: "The Wiz."

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After an extremely awkward performance of Peter Pan, NBC continues to double down on the “live TV musical” genre. They have already announced The Music Man as its next live production, and the network has decided to add The Wiz to its schedule as well.

“What the hell is The Wiz?” you may ask. Well, it’s fairly similar to The Wizard of Oz, except it features an entirely black cast. Most notably, the film version from 1977 starred Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, and Richard Pryor as the Wizard. Barring the use of holograms, that cast will not be returning this time.

NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt has gone on record saying that the show is “catchy and cool,” and that it may jump Music Man in line to be released. Whether it's in 2015 or 2016, The Wiz will certainly be fascinating to watch even without The King of Pop.

[via Deadline]

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