New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Sony Music Masterworks; Broadway Records) Sony
Music Masterworks and Broadway Records will release the original soundtrack of the NBC Television event "The Wiz LIVE!" Available now for preorder at Amazon, "The Wiz LIVE!" soundtrack features the well-known hits "Ease on Down the Road," "A
Brand New Day" and "Home," plus the new song "We Got It." Written by Grammy Award winners, NE-YO,
Harvey Mason Jr. and Stephen Oremus with Elijah Kelley, "We Got It" will be performed in the broadcast by cast members NE-YO and Kelley, along with
Shanice Williams,
David Alan Grier and The Wiz ensemble. The single "Home" performed by Williams will be available digitally on November 27. "The Wiz LIVE!" soundtrack will be released via all digital service providers (download and streaming) December 11, followed by the CD on December 18.
NBC's highly anticipated production of "The Wiz LIVE!" will broadcast December 3. Rising star
Shanice Williams (Dorothy) leads an all-star cast featuring
Queen Latifah (The Wiz),
Mary J. Blige (Evillene),
David Alan Grier (Cowardly Lion), NE-YO (Tin Man), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Uzo Aduba (Glinda),
Amber Riley (Addaperle),
Common (Bouncer),
Stephanie Mills (Aunt Em) and Cirque du Soleil.
"The Wiz LIVE!" 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 opened on Broadway in 1975 at the Majestic Theatre and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical.
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("The Sound of
Music Live!," "Peter Pan Live!" and Oscar-winning "
Chicago") will executive produce.
Director Kenny Leon (Tony winner, "A Raisin in the Sun") collaborates with live television director, Matthew Diamond, and
Harvey Fierstein (three-time Tony winner, "Torch Song Trilogy," "
Hairspray" and "La Cage aux Folles"), who provides new written material.
Esteemed choreographer Fatima Robinson ("Dreamgirls," "Ali") is also on board, along with music producer
Harvey Mason Jr. ("Dreamgirls, "
Pitch Perfect 2") and Stephen Oremus ("The Book of Mormon," "Kinky Boots") as music director, orchestrator and co-producer of the music.
"The Wiz LIVE!" is produced by Universal Television in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.
Sony
Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMusicMasterworks.com
Broadway Records has produced cast albums for many major Broadway shows (including the Grammy® nominated Matilda The Musical as well as The Visit, Side Show (2014), Doctor Zhivago, Bonnie & Clyde, Big Fish and more) and NBC's television event,
Peter Pan Live!. Broadway Records also created the critically acclaimed "Live at 54 BELOW" album series featuring top Broadway stars including Patti LuPone,
Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Micky Dolenz,
Sierra Boggess,
Laura Benanti, Marin Mazzie, Annaleigh Ashford and many others. www.broadwayrecords.com.
TRACKLISTING:
Prologue (Orchestra)
Tornado (Orchestra, Ensemble)
Slide Some Oil to Me (NE-YO)
What Would I Do If I Could Feel (NE-YO,
Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley,
David Alan Grier, Ensemble)
