THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE ABC IN MAY, WHEN GRAMMY AWARD WINNER ASHANTI STARS, ALONG WITH KERMIT THE FROG, MISS PIGGY AND THE WHOLE GANG, IN "THE MUPPETS' WIZARD OF OZ," MAY 20 ON ABC

Special Appearances by Queen Latifah, Quentin Tarantino, David Alan Grier and Jeffrey Tambor

There's no place like ABC in May, when international R&B superstar Ashanti makes her leading lady debut as "Dorothy" in the original telefilm, "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," FRIDAY, MAY 20 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Joining her in this madcap adventure movie are actress/rapper/producer superstar Queen Latifah ("Chicago," "Barbershop 2") as Dorothy's beloved guardian, "Auntie Em," and action film master, director Quentin Tarrantino ("Kill Bill," vols. 1 and 2) in a cameo as himself. David Alan Grier ("Life with Bonnie") portrays Uncle Henry and Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development") is the Wizard. "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" airs with video description as part of the hit family franchise, "The Wonderful World of Disney."

Of course the biggest star in the telefilm - she's absolutely certain - is Miss Piggy, who will take on the roles of all four witches: Wicked Witch of the East, Wicked Witch of the West, the Good Witch of the North and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. Kermit the Frog is the Scarecrow, in search of a brain; The Great Gonzo is the Tin Thing, in search of his heart; and Fozzie Bear is the Lion, looking for some courage. Pepe the King Prawn takes on the role of Toto, Dorothy's constant - and constantly chattering - sidekick.

Based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the Muppets version gives the story a couple of twists and tweaks without ever losing the central meaning of the classic story. Contemporary teenage Dorothy is a girl with dreams of showbiz that seem far from coming true in the Kansas trailer park where she lives. When she's transported to the magical land of Oz, she joins with the Scarecrow, the Tin Thing and the Lion to fight the Wicked Witch of the West and journey to the Wizard, who -- she hopes -- will make her a star!

Ashanti's latest release, "Concrete Rose," has already gone platinum, and she recently co-starred in the Samuel L. Jackson film, "Coach Carter." In 2002 her debut album, "Ashanti," topped the Billboard Album Chart and also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. Her follow-up release, "Chapter II," debuted in the no. 1 slot on the Billboard Album Chart and spawned two Top-10 singles. She is certainly no stranger to television, having performed on virtually every music awards show from the American Music Awards to the Grammys, the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Awards, the Soul Train Awards and the Kids' Choice Awards.

The film's executive producers are Lisa Henson and Brian Henson; Martin G. Baker and Warren Carr are producers, and Bill Barretta, Kristine Belson and Eric Poticha are co-producers. The telefilm is being directed by Kirk R. Thatcher ("It's a Very Muppets Christmas Movie.)" "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" is being produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with Fox Television Studios, Touchstone Television and Muppets Holding Company, the Disney subsidiary responsible for managing the overall Muppets franchise.

This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline and will air with video description.