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Image Courtesy Peter Kramer/NBCQueen Latifah and Mary J. Blige are both looking forward to their roles in the upcoming live musical broadcast The Wiz Live!
Although she’s a seasoned actress, Latifah is nervous about the live element. “It’s completely terrifying,” Queen Latifah tells Broadway.com. “I’m so out of any comfort zone that I’ve been in.” Aside from her nerves, Latifah is hoping the broadcast impacts someone. “You think about how you see this play and kids are going to be doing these dances,” she says. “This opens up a world. I hope that it touches someone. Not just someone African American, but anyone who feels like this could be [him or her].”
Blige is also excited about acting in her first live theatrical event. “I’m pulling every acting job I ever had,” says Blige. “The only reason I’m here is because of The Wiz and what it has done for me as a kid in my neighborhood. That’s why I’m here — so I can give someone else hope.”
The Wiz Live! airs December 3 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC starring Common, Ne-Yo, David Alan Grier and newcomer Shanice Williams in the role of Dorothy.
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