Shanice Williams Will Star As Dorothy In NBC’s ‘The Wiz Live!’

Shanice Williams, a newcomer on the theater scene, will officially star as Dorothy in NBC’s new musical The Wiz Live!

Shanice Williams Set To Play Dorothy In ‘The Wiz Live!’

Williams, 18, is set to play Dorothy in ‘The Wiz Live!’ the Today Show announced Wednesday. The young actress was selected out of hundreds of applicants from a nationwide, open casting call.

NBC announced in March plans to team up with Cirque du Soleil for an updated version of The Wiz, which will be presented as a Broadway revival.

Williams will be added to the cast which features: Queen Latifah as the notorious Wizard, Wicked Witch of the West Mary J. Blige and Cowardly Lion David Alan Grier.

Stephanie Mills, who starred as Dorothy in the original Broadway production of The Wiz will be taking on the role of Aunt Em.

The Wiz Live! is NBC’s third live musical production, after The Sound of Music (2013) and Peter Pan (2014).

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who were behind both of the previous NBC musicals, will executive produce “The Wiz Live!”

The musical is adapted from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls.

The Wiz Live! will be Williams’ first TV role. The actress co-starred in several plays in her home state of New Jersey, including West Side Story and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

“My teachers in high school have always helped me, gave me encouragement, taught me so much. So I feel like all of that combined together gave me a great start up for this,” Williams told NBC BLK.

“I’m excited to meet the cast and start working with them and learning from them,” Williams added.

The Wiz Live! is set to air Dec. 3 on NBC.