MARY J. BLIGE, QUEEN LATIFAH TO STAR IN ‘THE WIZ LIVE!’

This winter, NBC will air a live version of “The Wiz,” and they’ve grabbed some big names Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah will both be joining the cast of the musical.

“The Wiz Live!,” the adaptation of the 1975 Broadway hit, is produced by the same team that created NBC’s live stagings of “Peter Pan” and “The Sound of Music.”

Latifah will portray the Wiz herself, while Blige while play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West. Stephanie Mills, who played Dorothy in the original Broadway production, will take on the role of Aunt Em.

“To see [Queen Latifah] play the iconic role of the Wiz and make it her own is going to be one of the joys of producing this event,” “Wiz” executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron told PEOPLE.

NBC is currently searching for a fresh face to play Dorothy, and will hold an open casting call to fill the role.

Latifah’s musical credits include Chicago and Hairspray, while Blige starred in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages.

“The Wiz Live!” will air on Dec. 3.

MARY J. BLIGE, CEELO GREEN & TONI BRAXTON WELCOME CHRISTMAS AT THE GROVE IN LA

Holy night, silent night at The Grove in L.A. Some of R&B’s biggest stars kicked off the holiday season at the shopping center’s 11th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday. The festive evening featured performances from Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, CeeLo Green, Jewel, Il Volo, and more.

the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul spread some cheer while singing songs off her holiday album A Mary Christmas. At one point, she flubbed the lyrics to “My Favorite Things” and stopped midway before returning to the stage to redo the performance.

Toni Braxton and Babyface teamed up for their sultry duet on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

CeeLo Green, dressed for summer in a white tee and shorts, rocked around the 100-foot Christmas tree with seasonal tunes including “This Christmas.”

The evening capped off with a fireworks spectacular. 

MARY J. BLIGE

BABYFACE AND TONI BRAXTON

CEELO GREEN

New Music: Various Artists - ‘America’s Song’

Download: Bono, Mary J. Blige, will.i.am, Seal, & Faith Hill - “America’s Song”

Bono, Mary J. Blige, will.i.am, Seal, and Faith Hill celebrate Barack Obama’s presidency with “America’s Song,” a collaboration composed by will.i.am and David Foster.