I went to college in Los Angeles and I was like, I can't wait to go to Los Angeles. Nobody tell me what to do. I'll be on my own and then when I got there it was like, wow, I miss my mom. I miss everything that I said that I was running away from.

Hey guys, it's Tracy in the Young Hollywood Studio and I am with Shanice Williams. How are you?

Good. How are you doing?

Good. So if you guys don't know who she is yet, trust me, you're going to be knowing her very very soon. I mean, you're the star of the upcoming You're you're Dorothy. You're going to be Dorothy on Broadway. Is that? I mean, first of all, huge congratulations.

Thank you.

And The Wiz is like an interesting take on Wiz of Oz. It's the whole African American culture. So, and I mean, you're filling pretty big shoes. Stephanie Mills, Diana Ross and then Shanice.

I know, right?

The Shanice. And then you. I mean, have you already like studied them a lot? Like I've I've just I've what

I went to Lincoln Center in New York and I watched Stephanie Mills do it because they have like all the shows that are off Broadway now you can watch it and I loved it. And then you know like they're iconic. So of course you have to study what they did and how they did it because it came out amazing. And then just be like, okay, now I'll add my own little twist to it and just do the best that I can do with it.

You already kind of have an idea of what what's going to be the Shanice twist to it? What's what's the take? I mean, I'm just going to

What's your thing? I don't it's I don't have a thing but it's just like everyone's different. So I'm going to do it differently than Stephanie. Stephanie did it differently than Diana. You know? So like as soon as I get into the rehearsal process I'll look at the I'll be like even when I read the script at home I'll be like, hmm, how am I am I going to do that but it's all about you know what the directors want. And then like then I'll then I'll be able to be like, okay, I can do this or that. But we'll see I don't I don't even know what to expect right now.

And then Stephanie's in She's going to be Antm, right? She's playing Ant Em.

I'm so excited. How cool is that? That's crazy. Yeah, I can't wait to meet her.

So you haven't met her yet?

No, I haven't met Stephanie.

And is she what kind of questions would you want to ask her?

I don't I don't know. I'm just going to say, hi Stephanie. I love you first of all. And like I'll just be open to anything she has any advice, I'll take anything.

And I mean you're going to be joining a cast of what Queen Latifah's in it, Mary J Blige.

It's crazy when I just think about the cast I'm like, oh my gosh. But they can teach me so much. So I'm really excited to work with them.

Have you met them yet?

I've met some of them at the table read. And they're so cool.

And I heard Oz, Ne-Yo and Common are also going to be.

Yeah, how cool how crazy is that? I know, right? It's like every day I'm like, just relax Shanice. Take it easy. Take it all in before everything gets crazy.

Yeah. And is there anybody that you like could dream of collaborating with or working with in the future other than who you're going to be working with which is already huge?

So um, I love Audra McDonald. She's just an amazing performer altogether. I would love to work with her.

That's awesome. And then, I mean it's going to be on NBC and they've done they've done this for the last couple of years they did Peter Pan Live. They're going to So basically the whole thing is a live musical and they they film it. Um so what do you think that whole process is going to be like though because it's like is it different in terms of I mean because you've done musicals in the past.

Yeah, I've done musicals in my high school stage. That's

Okay, so that's all So this is going to be a whole new world for you.

A whole new world.

After that, I mean everyone's going to know your name. So what are you looking forward to the most? Are you nervous? Are you

I don't I don't I don't say I'm nervous. I'm just excited. I don't know what to look forward to because I've never done this. I'll have to rewatch this interview after. I'll have to rewatch this interview. Yeah, but I don't even know what to look forward to. Every day I'm learning something new and I'm taking it step by step day by day and it's been great so far.

I mean is this like just a complete dream come true for you?

It's amazing. Like every day I have to wake up and I'm like, okay, I wasn't dreaming. This is real. It's crazy.

And then you auditioned with hundreds and hundreds of people in like is that I mean you got to go through the whole process for us because that's just like one of those things where you're like, you probably go there thinking this is impossible. How am I going to get this part? And then tell us walk us through.

Actually, when I went there it was because I just wanted to learn what a New York audition was like. Honestly, it's my first audition ever and I'm just sitting in the line like, okay, this will be a great learning experience. And then like when they kept calling me back I'm like, yeah, I'll come back. Sure. Sure. All right. And then um they flew me out to to Los Angeles for like the final call back. And then they told me and I was just like, this is like crazy. Like you're kidding me. But that's how it happened like it's so quick.

This was your first audition?

Yeah.

And then you just get like the biggest part ever. And you were you the video was online I saw and you were like crying.

Oh, you saw that? I was emotional when I saw that. I was like, oh my gosh. Cuz when when I think about the journey it's crazy. Like just me out of all those girls. It's really crazy.

What did you have to actually did you have to do the same scene or like different scenes and I mean you have to show that you can sing, dance, everything, right?

When we when I got there I had to sing Home and Be a Lion. And then like I had to learn some lines like get into that and I was basically it.

And you called your mom, right?

Yes.

What was the reaction?

She was like, oh my gosh. Thank you, Jesus. And my grandma who is actually in Los Angeles with me. She was like, oh my god, when can I come pick you up? I'm like,

Cuz your grandma because you were in eighth grade, right? I saw that you had done.

I was in middle school when I when I auditioned for The Wiz and it was like, audition pick a part and audition for it. And I was too scared to audition for Dorothy. So I I auditioned for Addapearle. Yeah.

No, it was meant to be. It was completely meant to be. But she she pushed you, right?

Yeah, she pushed me really hard. She's like

So this is something she was feeling ecstatic over.

Mhm, definitely.

Do you love singing more? Do you love acting more?

I can't no, I can't choose. I can't choose. I just call myself a performer because like I can't do one and then not do the other. I have to do both. I like both.

Is there something you like really want to do in the future? Like are you always going to be in the Broadway world?

I want to be on Broadway. That's like my dream. I have to do that before the end of my life. I have to be on Broadway.

Well, you're you're making it happen. I mean, it's happening.

We'll see. We'll see.

And if you could be any character from the movie, who are you most like in real life? you think? From The Wiz?

Mhm. I'm definitely like Dorothy. It's crazy because I went to college in Los Angeles and I was like, I can't wait to go to Los Angeles. Nobody tell me what to do. I'll be on my own. And then when I got there it was like, wow, I miss my mom. I miss everything that I said that I was running away from. And it's crazy. So I completely relate to her in that sense.

It happens though because you like I remember when you you go to college and you're like, I can't wait to leave home.

Yeah.

And you're there and you're like, I miss

Yeah. I understand her story. Like I'm right there. Like I I completely get it.

That's awesome. Well, I am so excited to watch you guys. The end of December on NBC.

Mhm.

And The Wiz Live you have to get. December 3rd. This girl's going to kill it on stage.