Stephanie Mills, the original broadway star of “The Wiz,” is on board to play a part in NBC’s live musical update of the African-American spin on the “The Wizard of Oz.”
NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt announced on Monday during the network’s upfront presentation that Mills would play Aunt Em in the production set to air on Dec. 3.
Mills is the first cast member to be announced for the network’s follow-up to “The Sound of Music” and “Peter Pan.” Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are returning to produce “The Wiz,” which will also yield a Broadway revival in 2016.
Greenblatt explained that the search for a fresh face to play Dorothy — originally played by Mills on Broadway and then Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation — is just beginning.
Tony Maglio contributed to this report.