Kenny Leon News

Below, watch cast members Ne-Yo, newcomer Shanice Williams, Stephanie Mills, Amber Riley and David Alan Grier rehearsing the classic number 'Ease on Down the Road'!

Finally! We've got a new trailer for NBC's upcoming broadcast of THE WIZ LIVE!, featuring the song, 'Brand New Day,' with a first look at Queen Latifah and more. Check it out below!

The 93rd season of the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (YPCs) will begin on Saturday, December 12, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. with the program "Fables and Folktales," the first in this season's series, Once Upon a Time, exploring music inspired by stories, poems, and legends. The season's first concert will feature Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Brandon Gill; Richard Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks; and the first performance of selections from the orchestral version of Raphael Mostel's Travels of Babar, Part One: The Honeymoon, accompanied by a digital slideshow of high-resolution scans of Babar author Jean de Brunhoff's watercolors. Joshua Gersen, in his first season as a Philharmonic Assistant Conductor, will make his Philharmonic debut leading the performance, and Vice President, Education, Theodore Wiprud will host the event.

The cast of NBC's THE WIZ LIVE is putting in 8-hour-a-day rehearsals for the highly anticipated December 3rd live broadcast. Today, Essence has shared a photo new gallery by Lance Gross. Check it out here!

Below, watch two Dorothies, Shanice Williams, who portrays the young girl from Kansas in the upcoming holiday special, and Stephanie Mills, Broadway's original Dorothy who takes on the role of Auntie Em, performing the classic number 'Home.'

Access Hollywood went behind-the-scenes of NBC's THE WIZ LIVE to speak with the cast of the highly anticipated live broadcast. The show will air live on NBC on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Shanice Williams, Ne-Yo, David Alan Grier and Elijah Kelley stopped by NBC's TODAY to talk about the upcoming television event 'The Wiz LIVE!' based on the Tony-winning Broadway hit.

Atlanta, GA, November 2, 2015-The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. announced winners for the 2014-2015 Atlanta professional theatrical season this evening at the 11th annual awards ceremony held at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center. Presenters included local favorite performers Denise Arribas, Tiffany Porter, Gina Rickicki, Clifton Guterman, Kevin Harry, Jeremiah Parker Hobbs, Chris Kayser, and Topher Payne.

Below, THE WIZ LIVE!'s Queen Latifah talks about NBC's exciting upcoming live broadcast of the musical classic, which she says will let you 'leave you world behind and escape reality for a bit'

Get ready for NBC's THE WIZ LIVE, starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Shanice Williams, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Common and more. The live broadcast airs Thursday, December 3 at 8/7c on NBC. Below, check out an all-new promo!

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director, Casey Reitz Executive Director) just announced complete casting for its upcoming New York premiere production of SMART PEOPLE, the new play by LYDIA R. DIAMOND (Stick Fly), directed by Tony® Award winnerKENNY LEON (A Raisin in the Sun, The Wiz Live!).  MAHERSHALA ALI (House of Cards), JOSHUA JACKSON (The Affair), ANNE SON (My Generation), and TESSA THOMPSON (Creed) will co-star in the production.

On October 22, executive producer Neil Meron and actors Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, and NE-YO came together for a discussion and Q&A about THE WIZ LIVE! at the Apple Store, Soho (103 Prince Street). iTunes has just released footage and audio from the event, and you can check it out HERE!

The journey to Oz can officially begin with THE WIZ LIVE!'s full cast easin' on down the road! NBC has finally revealed the complete company for upcoming holiday production, airing Thursday, December 3.

This evening, Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. revealed nominations for the 2014-2015 Atlanta professional theatrical season. The Suzi Nomination Party, which rotates venues, was hosted this year by Horizon Theatre. Guest announcers included the ladies of The Weird Sisters Theatre Project: Kelly Criss, Veronika Duerr, Jaclyn Hofmann, Tiffany Porter, and Megan Rose.

Tonight, executive producer Neil Meron and actors Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, and NE-YO got together for a Q&A on NBC's THE WIZ LIVE! at the Apple Store in Soho. BroadwayWorld is excited to give you the scoop on what the team revealed at the event!

Enter your video to win a prize pack from NBC's The Wiz Live! in honor of The Wiz's 40th Anniversary!

Tonight, October 22 (8PM) join executive producer Neil Meron and actors Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, and NE-YO for a discussion and Q&A about 'The Wiz Live!', at the Apple Store, Soho (103 Prince Street). To attend the special event, register at: https://s.apple.com/dE0c9J2R7g.

Get ready to ease on down the road! NBC will air the highly anticipated holiday production THE WIZ LIVE! on Thursday, December 3, with an encore telecast set for Saturday, Dec. 19 (8-11 p.m. ET).  Below, check out just-released art that celebrates the show's 40th anniversary!

Today, BWW catches up with Alison Dooley, Williams' Rahway High drama teacher who has been in close contact with her former student since rehearsals for the production got underway.

The man who brought funk and soul to Broadway got his big break on THE MONKEES.