This week Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled with an outpouring of love for Cecil the lion and excitement for casting of NBC's upcoming The Wiz Live. All this lion and The Wiz love, had us thinking about our favorite Broadway lion. So click play and scroll through 13 rare photos from the Martha Swope archives of Ted Ross, Ken Page and other legendary mean ole lions.
Ted Ross in The Wiz, 1974
Publicity stills for the original Broadway production of The Wiz, 1974
Stephanie Mills & Ted Ross in The Wiz, 1974
(L-R) Tiger Haynes, Andre De Shields, Hinton Battle, Stephanie Mills & Ted Ross in The Wiz, 1974
Ted Ross, Stephanie Mills, Tiger Haynes & Stu Gilliam (who was replaced prior to Broadway opening) and the ensemble of The Wiz, 1974
Mabel King, Ted Ross & Stephanie Mills and the ensemble of The Wiz, 1974
Ken Page as the Lion in the Broadway replacement cast of The Wiz, 1977
Ted Ross & Andre De Shields in The Wiz, 1974
Stephanie Mills with Broadway replacement cast of The Wiz, 1978
Bobby Hill (C) w. "Poppies" in a scene from the Bus & Truck tour of The Wiz, 1978
Stephanie Mills with Broadway replacement cast of The Wiz, 1978
Michael Leslie in a publicity shot for the Broadway replacement cast of The Wiz, 1978
Stephanie Mills & Ted Ross in a publicity still for The Wiz, 1974
The Wiz airs on NBC on December 3.
