Queen Latifah & Mary J. Blige Set for NBC Telecast of The Wiz

No bad news here! Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige have been tapped for the live telecast of The Wiz. The musical will air on NBC on December 3, with plans to bring it to Broadway in the 2016-17 season.

Latifah is set to take on the role of the titular Wiz, the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City. The Grammy Award-winning singer-turned-actress received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Chicago and also appeared on screen in Hairspray. Nine-time Grammy winner Blige will play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. Blige's acting credits include The Jamie Foxx Show, Entourage, Empire, Blackish and Rock of Ages.

The duo join the previously reported Stephanie Mills, who is set to play Aunt Em in the TV production. Casting for Dorothy will be announced at a later date, although we have some suggestions. No word yet either on who will play Glinda, but we're thinking a Broadway vet has to be a shoo-in for that character...

Tony Award winner Kenny Leon will stage both the television production and Great White Way revival of The Wiz in collaboration with Tony winner and Broadway icon Harvey Fierstein, who will contribute new material to the original Broadway book by William F. Brown. The show follows the familiar L. Frank Baum story of Dorothy and her adventures in Oz, but with a rock-filled revamp. Charlie Smalls' soulful score includes show tunes that have transcended the divide between theater and mainstream pop culture, including “Ease on Down the Road,” “No Bad News” and “Home.”