'The Wiz Live! Soundtrack Available December 18

(New York, N.Y.) Sony Music Masterworks and Broadway Records will release the original soundtrack of the NBC Television event “The Wiz LIVE!” Available now for preorder at Amazon, “The Wiz LIVE!” soundtrack features the well-known hits “Ease on Down the Road,” “A Brand New Day” and “Home,” plus the new song “We Got It.” Written by Grammy Award winners, NE-YO, Harvey Mason Jr. and Stephen Oremus with Elijah Kelley, “We Got It” will be performed in the broadcast by cast members NE-YO and Kelley, along with Shanice Williams, David Alan Grier and The Wiz ensemble. The single “Home” performed by Williams will be available digitally on November 27. “The Wiz LIVE!” soundtrack will be released via all digital service providers (download and streaming) December 11, followed by the CD on December 18.

NBC’s highly anticipated production of “The Wiz LIVE!” will broadcast December 3.  Rising star Shanice Williams (Dorothy) leads an all-star cast featuring Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Mary J. Blige (Evillene), David Alan Grier (Cowardly Lion), NE-YO (Tin Man), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Uzo Aduba (Glinda), Amber Riley (Addaperle), Common (Bouncer), Stephanie Mills (Aunt Em) and Cirque du Soleil. 

“The Wiz LIVE!” is adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The production opened on Broadway in 1975 at the Majestic Theatre and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (“The Sound of Music Live!,” “Peter Pan Live!” and Oscar-winning “Chicago”) will executive produce. Director Kenny Leon (Tony winner, “A Raisin in the Sun”) collaborates with live television director, Matthew Diamond, and Harvey Fierstein (three-time Tony winner, “Torch Song Trilogy,” “Hairspray” and “La Cage aux Folles”), who provides new written material. 

 

Esteemed choreographer Fatima Robinson (“Dreamgirls,” “Ali”) is also on board, along with music producer Harvey Mason Jr. (“Dreamgirls, “Pitch Perfect 2”) and Stephen Oremus (“The Book of Mormon,” “Kinky Boots”) as music director, orchestrator and co-producer of the music.

 

“The Wiz LIVE!” is produced by Universal Television in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.

 

Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMusicMasterworks.com

 

Broadway Records has produced cast albums for many major Broadway shows (including the Grammy® nominated Matilda The Musical as well as The Visit, Side Show (2014), Doctor Zhivago, Bonnie & Clyde, Big Fish and more) and NBC’s television event, Peter Pan Live!. Broadway Records also created the critically acclaimed "Live at 54 BELOW" album series featuring top Broadway stars including Patti LuPone, Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Micky Dolenz, Sierra Boggess, Laura Benanti, Marin Mazzie, Annaleigh Ashford and many others. www.broadwayrecords.com. 

 

TRACKLISTING:

1. Prologue (Orchestra)
2. The Feeling We Once Had (Stephanie Mills, Ensemble)
3. Tornado (Orchestra, Ensemble)
4. He’s the Wizard (Amber Riley, Shanice Williams, Ensemble)
5. Soon As I Get Home (Shanice Williams)
6. You Can’t Win (Elijah Kelley, Male Ensemble)
7. Ease On Down the Road (Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, NE-YO)
8. Slide Some Oil to Me (NE-YO)
9. I’m a Mean Ole Lion (David Alan Grier)
10. Be a Lion (Shanice Williams, David Alan Grier, Ensemble)
11. So You Wanted to See the Wizard (Queen Latifah)
12. What Would I Do If I Could Feel (NE-YO, Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, Ensemble)
13. We Got It (Shanice Williams, NE-YO, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, Ensemble)
14. Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News (Mary J. Blige, Ensemble)
15. A Brand New Day (Shanice Williams, NE-YO, Elijah Kelley, David Alan Grier, Ensemble)
16. Y’All Got It (Queen Latifah)
17. Believe in Yourself (Uzo Aduba)
18. Home (Shanice Williams)