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First Look at ‘The Wiz Live!' Characters: Check Out Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion

They're ready to ease on down the road! NBC is busy prepping its latest holiday musical event, "The Wiz Live!," and now we have our first glimpse at the all-star cast in character as Dorothy and her four Yellow Brick Road traveling companions.

Check out the gallery above to get your first look at 18-year-old newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy, the Harlem girl who arrives in the land of Oz after a disastrous tornado, David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Ne-Yo as the Tin Man, Elijah Kelley ("Hairspray") as the Scarecrow and an adorable Terrier pup as Dorothy's dog Toto.

"The Wiz Live!" is a revival of the '70s stage musical (that eventually became a movie with an all-star cast including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson) that tells the story of "The Wizard of Oz," but with an "African/American/multicultural twist," as NBC put it in the release announcing the production. The show will air live on Thursday, Dec. 3, and is scheduled to move to Broadway after its TV debut.

CLICK: Meet "The Wiz Live!'s" new Dorothy, Shanice Williams

While big names such as Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Uzo Aduba (Glinda the Good Witch) and Mary J. Blige (Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West) signed on for some of the iconic roles, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron wanted to cast an unknown as Dorothy.

The news of Williams' casting was announced on the "Today" show. "It's really hitting me right now," Williams told Carson Daly at the time.

Common, Amber Riley and Stephanie Mills (Broadway's original Dorothy) are also set to star in the production.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBC Universal family.)

CLICK: TV casting we're totally excited about!

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