00:00What's up Essence.com. I'm Dana Blair here with an exclusive. Joining me today, I have the newly
00:09announced Dorothy of NBC's The Wiz Live. Joining me, Ms. Shanice Williams. How are you? I'm great.
00:15How are you? I'm fabulous. I'm so excited because I've been wondering who you are since like 1973.
00:20Like I've just been wondering. They're like, she's coming, she's coming. I'm like, who? And they're
00:23like, I can't tell you. How are you doing? Like you've had a busy, busy morning. You've been doing
00:28nothing but press all morning. What have, what has the last 24 hours been like for you since you
00:33were announced as Dorothy? Phone going ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. A thousand calls. Just everyone
00:39just showing me love and showing their support. It's been great. Because there's been so much
00:43speculation as to who would fill the role. Your castmates have been announced and of course
00:48they're all very prominent actors and singers. We have Stephanie Mills who was in the original
00:53Broadway show. Queen Latifah, David Allen Greer recently and now a newcomer, you. What was
00:58that audition process like? It feels like yesterday but it was actually, it was started two months
01:04ago. I started at the open call. Okay. I think I was number 554. Play it in the lotto. Something
01:11like that. Yes. And it, I mean, just me, I met so many people and they made me feel so comfortable.
01:17Mm-hmm. And it was my first audition ever. Ever. And it was a great learning experience. Mm-hmm. I bet
01:23it was a great learning experience. Your first audition ever. What made you say, you know what,
01:27I'm going to go out for this role? Okay. So I already knew like performing, that's, that's always
01:31been my thing. Okay. But, um, it was definitely my mom saying, if you come home for the summer,
01:36you're not going to be sitting on my couch. You're going to do something. Question where's home?
01:38I'm going to do something. Raleigh, New Jersey. Tuesday. Okay, continue. So I'm looking up
01:43things because I don't want like a real job. So I'm like. Who does at your age? No. I'm like,
01:48let me look up auditions for me. And I saw this and I was like, perfect learning experience just
01:53to prepare me for like other smaller auditions. Mm-hmm. So take me through the audition process.
01:58You come in. Of course, there, there are these, um, these well-established casting directors
02:03and choreographers. What did you have to do? I had to sing for them home. Okay. And be a lion.
02:09Mm-hmm. And then there was a whole process of callbacks. Right. And they're like, can you come
02:13back? Yes. Can you come back? Yes. Of course I can come back. Hello. Of course. I'm here. And then I,
02:18I auditioned in front of the head of NBC and then they told me. So how long ago did you find out?
02:24Maybe like a week. It's been like a week, over a week. And how have you kept this secret for a week?
02:29Oh my gosh. I don't know. Everybody's just, cause everybody knew I was going through the audition
02:34process. Right. And I'm like, keep praying guys. I haven't gotten a note yet. Just keep praying.
02:39It was so hard. But like, it was worth it. How are you preparing? Have the rehearsals started?
02:43No, not yet. Okay. So how are you preparing for this? Because Fatima Robinson, who's an amazing
02:47choreographer, she was announced, um, that she's taking on the project. What are you doing to get
02:52yourself in, in fighting shape if you will? Fatima has definitely gave me some. Oh, I like the body roll.
02:56So Fatima has definitely. But definitely gave me a workout plan that's like been great so far.
03:04Just watching what I eat and vocal lessons, of course. Right. To just keep everything together.
03:09Are you getting any advice from anyone on how to stay, I guess, mentally focused? Because your
03:13world's changed now. You have, you have a lot of people who are going to want your attention or want
03:17to be your friends, you know, that kind of thing. Have you had any, received any advice from anyone on how
03:21to handle that? Family. Family and friends are like, stay grounded. When I come home today,
03:26I'm probably going to have to sweep, vacuum, do the dishes. Everyone's like, nothing's going to
03:30change for, you know, for us. So they're like, just stay grounded. And like, if you get a big head,
03:35it's going to go downhill. So, and I've learned through my journey, like, who are real friends,
03:40how to keep a small circle. So I've learned about all that. Can you sing a little bit of your, maybe
03:45one of your favorite songs or even from your audition piece for us? Yeah. Give the audience out here
03:49at Essence.com a little taste of what you're all about? Sure. All right. And then a mighty roar
03:55will start the sky to crying, but not even lightening will be frightening, my lion.
04:11That is absolutely amazing. And I want to point out to the Essence.com audience out here,
04:16you didn't know I was going to ask you to do that. You haven't been out here warming up.
04:19Like, that's just this, you have such an amazing, beautiful, crisp, clean voice. I'm so excited
04:24for you. Thank you. Because if I tried to do that, I would have cleared this entire studio
04:28up. Nobody would have wanted to hear me. You are absolutely a beautiful spirit, beautiful young
04:33spirit, so talented. Thank you. I wish you nothing but the best. Thank you. And you have to come back
04:37and visit us and hang with us here at Essence.com. Okay. Thank you so very much.
04:41The new Dorothy, everyone. Ms. Shanice Williams.
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