Broadway-bound revival of ‘The Wiz’ finds its next Dorothy, thanks in part to TikTok

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — A 24-year-old triple threat who toured in “Hairspray,” competed on “American Idol” and came to the attention of casting agents with her TikTok videos has landed the plumb role of Dorothy in the Broadway-bound production of “The Wiz.” Nichelle Lewis will star in the national touring show this fall and then make her Broadway debut next year as the show’s heel-clicking heroine, following in the footsteps of such icons as Stephanie Mills and Diana Ross. “The Wiz” tours the U.S. starting this fall and lands on Broadway in 2024. Lewis joins a cast that includes Wayne Brady, Deborah Cox, Kyle Ramar Freeman, Phillip Johnson Richardson and Avery Wilson.