Hip-hop stars MC Lyte and Common have joined the producing team of the new Broadway production of The Wiz.
The duo joins media moguls and partners Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker, who will also produce the upcoming musical, set to return for the 2023/24 season.
“It is my greatest pleasure to have the opportunity to serve as an investor in this historic production of The Wiz,” MC Lyte said in a statement. “Having grown up watching all of the Broadway musicals in the 70’s [sic] and 80’s [sic], The Wiz has always been a favorite of mine. Now, as a co-producer, I’m honored to be able to partner behind the scenes and with communities nationwide to help make this production an artistic and memorable treasure for future generations.”
Common added, “Theatre has always affected me in a way that reaches my soul and spirit, in some measure because I didn’t realize as a kid that I could dream big enough to be part of it. This is a true dream come true as one of my favorite movies growing up was The Wiz.”
The entertainers will work alongside a star-studded cast, including Wayne Brady as The Wiz, Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy and Deborah Cox as Glinda.
The production will include “Everybody Rejoice,” with music and lyrics by Luther Vandross, as well as “Emerald City Ballet,” with music from Timothy Graphenreed, who composed two numbers for the original Broadway run.
The Wiz will launch its national tour on September 23 in Baltimore, Maryland, before it begins on Broadway in spring 2024.
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