The Wiz - Original Television Cast Recording

After two attempts at presenting "live" television musicals, the third time is the charm for the peacock, as NBC's recent production of "The Wiz," was not only a ratings success, but a well cast, well-crafted evening's entertainment that finally gave respect to this recent trend of broadcasting Broadway musicals for live television. Broadway Records has now made the cast album of the event available, and we have the opportunity to enjoy this strong score in its latest incarnation.

The 1975 musical, an urban take on the famous "Oz" story, spent four years on Broadway, with Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, so it's enchanting that Mills was brought on to play Aunt Em in this new version, starting the program with a rendition of "The Feeling We Once Had."

The show then features the debut of Shanice Williams as the Kansas youngster who finds herself in the strange land populated by munchkins, on an age-old quest to defeat the evil Wicked Witch of the West (the fashionably fabulous Mary J. Blige) at the bequeath of the power who can guarantee her return home, the Wizard (the gender-bending Queen Latifah).

The supporting cast is chock full of popular artists of today. In addition to Blige and Latifah, the cast includes NE-YO, Common, Uzo Aduba ("Orange is the New Black"), Amber Riley ("Glee"), Elijah Kelley and David Alan Grier. The score, by the late Charlie Smalls, include several classic toe-tapping tunes including "No Bad News," "A Brand New Day," and "Ease on Down The Road," as well as the inspiring songs, "Be a Lion" and "Home."

All these tunes get first class treatment on the cast album, under the careful eyes of producers Harvey Mason Jr, and Stephen Oremus ("Kinky Boots," "Book of Mormon"). NE-YO gets to perform "We Got It," a new tune written especially for the broadcast, and even though "Believe in Yourself" is an unnecessary song, one can't help but enjoy Uzo Aduba's inspiring vocal on the track.

The score travels fast, never bogging down with boring arrangements, making this record a positive reminder of the live production that NBC got right.

"The Wiz Live!"
$9.99
CD / digital formats
www.broadwayrecords.com