The Wiz Live!
Directed by Kenny Leon and Matthew Diamond
Written by Harvey Fierstein
Based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
Starring Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Stephanie Mills, Uzo Aduba, Amber Riley, Common
NBC
Air Date: Thursday, December 3rd, 2015, 8:00pm

Thursday night, 11.5 million people tuned in to NBC’s 3rd live show, The Wiz Live!, making it the most sucessful one yet.

And I know why.

The story of a young lost girl who journeys through a magical land, just trying to find her way back home, is timeless. Set to the same funky music of the original 1975 Broadway musical, but also keeping one of the songs from the 1978 movie starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, this rendition was a delight from start to finish. It also trended during the entire broadcast, thanks to some serious live tweeting.

More below.

NBC is keeping up with its now annual holiday tradition of live musical theater with The Wiz Live! The special, an adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical, which later became a movie starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, puts an urban spin on The Wizard of Oz. This event airs live Thursday, December 3rd at 8:00pm ET on NBC, and stars Queen Latifah as The Wiz, and David Alan Grier as The Cowardly Lion.

Check out the sneak peek and preview videos below.