NBC's broadcast of "The Wiz," which is set to air this fall, will serve as a platform for Cirque du Soleil to catapult itself onto Broadway.
Producers announced this week that the new production of the 1974 musical based on "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" will be broadcast live on the peacock network on Dec. 3, followed by a run on Broadway during the 2016-17 season. Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who worked on the network's previous live musical broadcasts, are returning to create the show in conjunction with Cirque, they said.
Last year, the Montreal-based Cirque set up a new theatrical division with the intent of producing Broadway-style shows to be seen in New York, London and on the road. Cirque du Soleil Theatrical is headed by Las Vegas theater impresario Scott Zeiger.