A New Musical Netflix Series Starring Robbie Fairchild and Jenna Dewan Drops Tomorrow
A new show drops on Netflix tomorrow, and it’s a dancer’s dream come true. (No, it’s not “Flirty Dancing.”)
“Soundtrack,” an episodic musical show from the creator of “Smash” and “Gossip Girl,” has lots of dancing—but not one note of singing. That’s right—when the characters on “Soundtrack” have a musical number, they lip-sync to the original artist’s vocals.
Yes, it sounds incredibly cheesy. But there is some serious dance talent attached, including Robbie Fairchild, choreographer James Alsop, and Jenna Dewan, one of the show’s stars. Plus, showrunner Joshua Safran has a compelling reason for choosing lip-syncing: “The characters are using songs they know to express themselves, like we all sing along and think about songs in our heads,” Safran told Playbill. “When you do that, you’re hearing that artist, not your own voice.”
The show includes songs by Kelly Clarkson, Ray Charles, The Talking Heads and more, and each one was hand-picked to represent the character, what their taste in music might be, and what they’re going through at that moment. In the age of the jukebox musical, it’s refreshing to hear that Safran shaped the episodes based on the songs he was including, rather than just sticking songs into slots where they may not be completely relevant or necessary.
Parrish Lewis/Netflix
“Soundtrack” sounds like a unique opportunity for dancers who don’t sing. But it also sounds like it…actually might be good? The jury is out until tomorrow, when the full series drops on Netflix.
