Say what you will about TikTok sharing user info to China. Or that it has a bad habit of spreading misinformation. Or that it’s gotten…really weird with the NPC-Toks. But the fact remains it’s social media. Which means you never know who might be watching. Including casting directors for the upcoming Broadway revival of “The Wiz,” who found their Dorothy through the social media platform. 24-year-old Nichelle Lewis will make her Broadway debut this fall.
Lewis is a young woman of many talents. Having toured with “Hairspray” and competed on “American Idol“, she’s a heavy-hitter who has just gotten her big break. A recent college graduate, Lewis used her TikTok to entertain her modest following with songs. Apparently casting directors on the hunt for Dorothy saw her performance of “Home” from “The Wiz” and were immediately hooked. Her performance is truly chill-inducing despite her mic unable to keep up with her volume. She beat out 2,000 other hopefuls.
Lewis is completely humbled by the entire experience. “It’s been a pretty crazy journey,” she said about the situation. “I’m honored to be making my debut as Dorothy. I know I’m following in some really big footsteps. I’m so excited that this is a part of my story, because I feel like there’s so many people out there who started out with such a small following and I feel like they’re hard on themselves about it. But I’m like, ‘You never know who’s watching those videos.’ I never knew that ‘The Wiz’ was looking at my videos.”
Just goes to show, you never know who might notice you and change your life. So if you’ve got talents or skills, share ’em! You can find out more about the revival production here.
Wayne Brady will star as The Wiz on Broadway in the spring of 2024, San Francisco (January 16th-February 11th, 2024) at the Golden Gate Theatre, and Los Angeles (February 13th-March 3rd, 2024) at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Check out Lewis’ winning TikTok below:
