Shanice News

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's the TOP TEN HOT TOPIX for the last half of 2015! What are the shows and stories we've been most excited about? Here they are! I hope you have a happy new year. And I'll see you at The Call on January 10, 2016 for the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration!

Just before New Year's is often a time of reflection, and BroadwayWorld is taking a moment to look back on the brightest lights in theatre this season. From a history-making creative team to jaw-dropping newby performers and an undeniable cult figure, we think 2015 has seen the rise of some of the top talents in the performing arts world.

With this strong ratings report, NBC will air an encore telecast of its holiday production on Saturday, Dec. 19 (8-11 p.m. ET).

Harvey Mason Jr. has worked with some of the biggest and brightest stars in the music industry. His work transcends generations and this year he became a household name as the music producer for NBC's THE WIZ LIVE!

Now that NBC's live production of THE WIZ has aired, the show keeps on leading fans down the yellow brick road to Oz. Broadway Records and Masterworks release THE WIZ LIVE! Original Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event physically today, December 18, 2015. Order the album now!

Grammy-winning singer Ne-Yo and Shanice Williams starred in THE WIZ LIVE! on NBC on December 3rd, and together they conquered Oz and social media.

On Monday, December 14, 2015, The James Brown Family Foundation (JBFF) will continue the legacy of the Legendary Godfather of Soul with charitable giving to The New Community Corporation's Harmony House.

On Monday, December 14, 2015, The James Brown Family Foundation (JBFF) will continue the legacy of the Legendary Godfather of Soul with charitable giving to The New Community Corporation's Harmony House.

Sony Music Masterworks and Broadway Records release the original soundtrack of the NBC Television event 'The Wiz LIVE!' via all digital service providers (download and streaming) today, December 11, followed by the CD on December 18.

Based on the smash hit 2003 film of the same title, School of Rock: THE MUSICAL, with music from the movie, as well as an original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Glenn Slater, a book byJulian Fellowes and direction by Laurence Connor, made its World Premiere on Broadway last night, December 6, at the Winter Garden Theatre. BroadwayWorld was there for the big night and we're taking you inside the red carpet below!

Saturday's episode of NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE featured a spoof on last week's live broadcat of THE WIZ LIVE! In the sketch, West Oz's Scarecrow (host Ryan Gosling) mistakenly ends up in East Oz with Dorothy (Sasheer Zamata), Cowardly Lion (Kenan Thompson), Tin Man (Jay Pharoah), Scarecrow (Michael Che) and The Wiz (Leslie Jones).

Based on the smash hit 2003 film of the same title, School of Rock: THE MUSICAL, with music from the movie, as well as an original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Glenn Slater, a book by Julian Fellowes and direction by Laurence Connor, made its World Premiere on Broadway last night, December 6, at the Winter Garden Theatre. BroadwayWorld was on the red carpet to chat with the evening's celebrity guests about how they rock out and you can find out the go-to rock songs of Shanice Williams, Andy Karl, Orfeh, Lilla Crawford, Anna Villafane and more below!

Now that we are a week removed from last Thursday's THE WIZ LIVE!, NBC's third live musical in as many years, we know that the production has predominantly been hailed as a critical and ratings success, vindicating the audacious experiment after two, less than artistically satisfying, outings. Led by a newcomer plucked from an open call, director Kenny Leon and executive producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan found a star in Shanice Williams and surrounded her with an all-star cast that ranged from serviceable to revelatory. However, as enjoyable as the event was, especially in relationship to past efforts, THE WIZ LIVE! was not a perfect production. There is, after all, a reason why no one did live TV musicals for nearly half a century; they are hard.

My co-host, the esteemed Jennifer McHugh, has a bit of an OCD streak. She likes lists; nay, she loves lists. She has lists of her favorite lists, and that's not hyperbole. So, since most TV shows take a break around the holidays, on this week's episode we break down our favorite holiday programs, favorite TV shows, and favorite movies. We also discuss the great first season of Netflix's JESSICA JONES, and a potential addition to the Classic Christmas Comedy Cannon, THE NIGHT BEFORE.

When mounting an upcoming Broadway version of NBC's THE WIZ LIVE, maybe producers should consider casting superstar Beyonce.

NBC aired its colorful holiday production of THE WIZ LIVE! last night, featuring newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy alongside Grammy and Golden Globe-winner Queen Latifah as the Wizard, nine-time Grammy-winner Mary J. Blige as Evillene, original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, as Auntie Em and David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion. Whether you missed the special presentation when it aired or just want to re-live the amazing journey through Oz, watch the entire show below!

Perhaps no one felt more relief after the conclusion of NBC's THE WIZ LIVE! than Shanice Williams. The 19 year old, unknown actress (until last night) made a big impression as the show's heroine, leaving theatre fans to question: Will she play Dorothy on Broadway?

As BWW reported earlier today, NBC's live broadcast of THE WIZ LIVE! brought in a whopping 11.5 million viewers - a reason to celebrate for the network. Another reason? The introduction of the unforgettable Shanice Williams. Cast member James Brown III caught Williams' re-entry backstage following her powerful performance of the show's finale, 'Home,' last night. Check out a quick video of the cast and crew's standing ovation for 'Dorothy' actress below!

NBC's musical television production of The Wiz Live! stars world-class performers and recording artists including Queen Latifah (Chicago), Mary J. Blige (Empire), Ne-Yo (Red Tails), and David Alan Grier (In Living Color). Staying true to the groundbreaking Broadway show that put a vivid urban spin on the land of Oz, this fresh new trip down the yellow brick road also stars Common (Being Charlie), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Amber Riley (Glee), Stephanie Mills (The Love Boat), and newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy. Also included on the DVD will be the NBC special, The Making of The Wiz Live, featuring the behind-the-scenes story of producing this live television event!

THE WIZ LIVE! rocked NBC last night will over 11 million viewers and celebrities were among the biggest fans of the night. Last year, the Twittersphere exploded with tens of thousands of viewer responses to NBC's Peter Pan Live! and this year the tweets didn't slow down!