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Watch: NBC releases first teaser trailer for 'The Wiz Live!'

By Wade Sheridan
NBC has released the first promo for its upcoming musical production of "The Wiz Live!" starringDavid Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Queen Latfiah as The Wiz, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man and Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow. Photo courtesy of NBC.
NBC has released the first promo for its upcoming musical production of "The Wiz Live!" starringDavid Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Queen Latfiah as The Wiz, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man and Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow. Photo courtesy of NBC.

NEW YORK, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- NBC has released the first teaser trailer for their latest musical production of The Wiz Live!

The promo, set to the musical's "Ease on Down the Road," features David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man and Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow as they happily walk down the yellow brick road.

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"There's no place like home," Dorothy says holding her dog Toto.

The Wiz Live! will be a three-hour live version based on the Tony award-winning 1974 musical The Wiz which itself is inspired by the L. Frank Braum novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In 1978 The Wiz was famously adapted into a film starring Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross and Michael Jackson.

The Wiz Live! also features Queen Latifah as the Wiz, Mary J. Blige as Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the East, Uzo Aduba as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, Amber Riley as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em and Common as Bouncer.

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The special follows the network's two previous live musicals, 2013's The Sound of Music and 2014's Peter Pan.

Back in August, Williams landed the role of Dorothy after hundreds of applicants nationwide had auditioned for the role.

Directed by Kenny Leon, The Wiz Live! premieres Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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