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2 • January 5 - 11, 2020 • Brainerd Dispatch By Sachi Kameishi TV Media I f you'd told me a few years ago that musicals would be this culturally relevant in 2020, I would have been skeptical. For a while, tastes had changed — movies like "My Fair Lady" (1964) and "West Side Story" (1961) won Oscars in the '60s, but it's been many years since a musical has been taken quite that seriously. Today, though, musicals are popular enough to get both Academy Award nominations and prime-time net- work slots. The musical has come a long way. Critically acclaimed movies like "La, La, Land" (2017), shows like "Glee" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and a stream of live-action Disney remakes have brought the genre back into the limelight, and its rebirth spans film, television, theater and podcasting. NBC is set to offer its own addition to the trend with its brand-new musical dramedy "Zoey's Extraordinary Playl- ist," premiering Tuesday, Jan. 7. Starring Jane Levy ("Suburgato- ry") as the titular character, the show centers on the life of Zoey Clarke, a computer programmer whose ex- tremely brainy, rigid nature often gets in the way of her ability to make an impression on the people around her. "All Zoey wanted was a connec- tion ...," narrates the first trailer for the show, "... what she got, was so much more." In an event not unlike your stan- dard superhero origin story, an MRI scan gone wrong leaves Zoey with the ability to access people's inner- most thoughts and feelings. It's like she becomes a mind reader over- night, her desire to fully understand what people want from her seeming- ly fulfilled. And it doesn't end there — remember, we're playing with musical rules here, there's a campy twist to all of this. "People are sing- ing to me," Zoey explains. "Almost as if they were singing what they were thinking out loud." One second, Zoey's having a regu- lar conversation with her best friend, Max, played by Skylar Astin ("Pitch Perfect," 2012). Next thing she knows, he's singing and dancing to the Jonas Brothers' groovy hit "Suck- er," making his secret feelings for her abundantly clear. In another scene from the musical dramedy, Zoey's at a café with her neighbor Mo (Alex Newell, "Glee"), trying to come to terms with her new ability, when she witnesses an elaborate, fully choreo- graphed performance of DJ Khaled's "All I Do is Win," but Mo only sees "a bunch of mostly white people drink- ing overpriced coffee." It's a fun premise for a show, one that indulges the typical musical's over-the-top, performative nature as much as it subverts what the genre tends to be. And the rest of the cast is nothing to sneeze at, either — John Clarence Stewart ("Luke Cage"), Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls"), Mary Steenburgen ("The Last Man on Earth") and Peter Gallagher ("The O.C."). Creator and showrunner Austin Winsberg, whose diverse credits working on melodramas such as "Gossip Girl" and the "The Sound of Music Live!" sum up the unique tone of his new creation perfectly, has come up with a concept that I've nev- er seen before: a musical that, through its lead, breaks its own fourth wall. It's pretty remarkable when you think about it, given that one of the biggest gripes surrounding the genre is the amount of suspen- sion of disbelief required from the au- dience. How do you make people buy into the emotional life of characters who transition from dialogue to song as though it were nothing? Taking it at face value, people singing and danc- ing out of nowhere is very off-putting and absurd, right? Well, "Zoey's Ex- traordinary Playlist" kind of agrees, but it seems to have found its own solution to the problem. Instead of expecting the viewer to accept the musical numbers without question, why not have the lead character find the singing out of place, too? It's brilliant, and it gives the new series an edge that other shows of the musical genre don't have. It makes it more accessible to audienc- es, gives them a greater ability to at- tach to Zoey's character, and makes the comedy land beautifully (what's funnier than a de facto one-woman audience for huge musical num- bers?). But, most importantly, it gives the singing even more of a punch and allows the characters to speak their most vulnerable truths. It's hearing what people are feeling, which is what musicals are all about. A penny for your songs 'Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist' premieres on NBC Cover Story this week Skylar Astin and John Clarence Stewart in "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" A Little Late With Lilly Singh I've noticed here in L.A., when anyone gets sick, they have 17 different ways to fix it, and none of them are medicine. Instead, they turn to crystals and sage and spiritual guidance, which are somehow sold at Urban Outfitters. Astrology is another big thing that people believe in. They'll use it for guidance, for support, even for an excuse! You can't be on trial for murder and say, "I plead not guilty, Your Honor, because Mercury was, like, totally in retrograde, and it wasn't my fault!" Conan Democrats are now deciding which of President Trump's crimes to include in the articles of impeachment. So far they have bribery, obstruction of justice and fathering Don Jr. He could get the chair for that one. Nancy Pelosi said she doesn't hate the president because she's a Catholic, and Catholics don't hate people. I just want to say, as a lifelong Catholic, I think that was the funniest thing I have ever heard in my life. We hate everyone! Due to a doping scandal, Russia is banned from the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 World Cup. Russia replied, "No problem, at least we can still participate in America's 2020 presidential election." The miniseries "Chernobyl" got four Golden Globe nominations. After hearing this, the victims of Chernobyl said, "Totally worth it!" The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Jennifer [Lopez] is so busy this week. Not only is she hosting "Saturday Night Live," but she was just asked to perform the halftime show at Trump's impeachment. It's looking like Trump could be impeached before Christmas, but if he behaves, Nancy will let Trump open one of his charges on Impeachment Eve. Late Laughs Downloadthe"VistBrainerd"App intheAppleorGooglePlayStores. Events,lodgingandthingstodo inthepalmofyourhand. VISITBRAINERD PlanningYour VisittoBrainerd JustGotEasier. TheOfficialDMOforBaxterandBrainerd,MN EntertainmentGuide_July_2x4.indd 1 6/26/2019 12:42:53PM 218-829-5278 321 South 7th Street Suite 105 • Brainerd, MN 56401 Sunday, June 28, 2020 10 am to 4 pm Located in Gregory Park Brainerd MN 56401 JOIN US! Come See Some Amazing Art Talents At Work! (Artists, Food Vendors, Family Activities, Guitarists & Singer/Song Writers) Truth Lutheran Church 501 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN (Corner of 5th & Kingwood) truthlutheranchurch.com An LCMC Congregation …Lutheran Congregation in Mission for Christ Sunday worship 9 AM Fellowship and Sunday school following worship

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