The Wiz Live eased on down the road Thursday, the best-attended Broadway try-out in history. Next year, director Kenny Leon is planning a Main Stem transfer of the production, although it’s unclear who will be in it: The NBC broadcast was so full of stars it could have been called We Are The Wiz.

If they can’t keep the entire dream cast, let’s hope Broadway will at least be able to retain what was best about the show, especially Paul Tazewell’s colorful and clever costumes, Tin Man Ne-Yo’s swoon-worthy r&b singing, The Cowardly Lion David Alan Grier’s clowning, and the Wicked Witch Mary J. Blige’s….everything; her too-brief powerhouse performance made me regret she had to melt.

Full review at DC Theatre Scene

Sound of Music live 2013: 18.5 million watched live.

Peter Pan live 2014: 9.1 million

#TheWizLive 2015: ~11.5 million (preliminary ratings)

Tracklist and lyrics for The Wiz

Videos:

Click on any photograph to see it enlarged. The photographs go chronologically through the three-hour show.

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Amber Riley as Addapearle — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, David Alan Grier as Lion — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, David Alan Grier as Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, David Alan Grier as Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, David Alan Grier as Lion, Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, Shanice WIlliams as Dorothy, Common as The Bouncer — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, David Alan Grier as Lion — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Queen Latifah as The Wiz — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Queen Latifah as The Wiz — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Ne-Yo as Tin-Man — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) David Alan Grier as Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, David Alan Grier as Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Mary J. Blige as Evillene, Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Mary J Blige as Evillene — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Mary J. Blige as Evillene — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: Mary J. Blige as Evillene — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Queen Latifah as The Wiz, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, David Alan Grier as Lion, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Uzo Aduba as Glinda, Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, David Alan Grier as Lion — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Uzo Aduba as Glinda — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Shanice Williams as Dorothy, Uzo Aduba as Glinda — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

Check out the entire show on NBC