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    NBC, Cirque du Soleil bringing “The Wiz” to TV, Broadway

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments765 Views
    This Dec. 4, 2012 file photo shows NBC Entertainment Chairman, Robert Greenblatt, posing for a portrait in his office in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

    By Lynn Elber, Television Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    "The Wiz" is coming to TV and back to Broadway with productions from NBC and Cirque du Soleil.

    NBC said Monday it will air a Dec. 3 live production of the hit 1970s stage reinvention of "The Wizard of Oz." Its partner on the TV version will be Cirque du Soleil's new stage theatrical division, which will then present "The Wiz" on Broadway for the 2016-17 season.

    Live musicals are becoming a NBC holiday month tradition: The network scored nearly 19 million viewers for "The Sound of Music" starring Carrie Underwood in December 2013, although less than half that number tuned in for last year's "Peter Pan Live!"

    In January, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said the network remained committed to such projects and was weighing either "The Wiz" or "The Music Man" next.

    "Cirque's incredible imagination will help bring the fantasy world of Oz vividly to life and give this great show a modern spin on the age-old story we all love," Greenblatt said in a statement Monday.

    Tony-Award-winning director Kenny Leon ("A Raisin in the Sun") will stage the TV production and Broadway revival of "The Wiz" in collaboration with fellow Tony winner Harvey Fierstein ("Torch Song Trilogy," ''Hairspray"), who's to contribute new material.

    Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, executive producers for NBC's previous musicals, will have the same jobs for "The Wiz," the network said.

    "The Wiz" was 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 and won seven Tonys, including best musical.

    Casting for the TV and stage versions wasn't announced.

    The original Broadway production featured Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, Dee Dee Bridgewater as good witch Glinda and Andre De Shields as the Wiz. Mills returned as Dorothy in a 1984 revival.

    A 1978 movie version of "The Wiz" starred Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor in those respective roles. Michael Jackson co-starred as the Scarecrow, with Nipsey Russell as the Tinman and Ted Ross as the Lion.

    Tags:NBCThe Wiz



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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