It’s hard to start to talk about a musical episode if I don’t predefine my perception of this polarizing genre that gathers around the most destructive haters and the most passionate lovers. I have had a bias against them for many years. I despised them with passion, no matter how well-produced and greatly executed they were. As I stated above, watching them in a non-English version is just torturous because the dubbing manager must unfailingly choose if they keep the songs in their original language sacrificing de comprehension of the story, or if they dub them sacrificing their quality. It’s a lose-lose situation that you can accept once in a while but becomes intolerable when it takes a full episode…
...Fortunately, The Star of Backstage came at an adequate moment for me because I am now a tad bit more familiarized with English. In fact, this was the first episode I watched without subtitles so I was open-minded and quite expectant. It was the first time I lived the complete experience of a musical, feeling the music and understanding the plot both at the same time and for the first time (I say it because I have rewatched in English episodes like The President Wore Pearls, but I already knew what happened there). And the question is… What do I think of musicals after this experience?
Well, it would be stupid to generalize the feelings I could get on the genre only for what this episode transmits. But at least this time I ended up with confusing emotions. Let’s start with the positives, which thankfully predominated here. The first thing to stand out is that I genuinely loved the choreographies. I feel many musical moments in this series are visually frustrating because they are filled with slapstick humor and silly jokes (check out last year’s Yokel Hero as an example of all that is wrong with them). This time, the writers left behind humor at the time of creating the storyboard of the episode, and they put their efforts into making this episode as believable and stunning as possible, trusting the potential the songs and the story had by itself with no necessity of filling this with jokes. Also, Rob Oliver and his team were outstanding in designing the movements and animating the performances. The second thing that makes me feel more comfortable was the fact that, most of the time, the characters had a reason to sing. It has annoyed me historically when characters start to sing for no reason an improvised song (comes to mind that confusing parody of Another Day of Sun at the beginning of Haw-Haw Land). Here, they provide reasons why there is a big load of music… rehearsals, Musical Theaters, imaginations, a song that Sasha could've to write about herself... Another thing I liked is that the songs emerged organically and were important to the narrative. There are quite a few times in other episodes where musicals are there just for decorative purposes and are absolutely expendable. Here, the tracks are attached to a story that needed them to be developed, something that helped me to keep paying attention when the songs arrived. And a fourth and last thing to mention: I am glad that the writers decided to push to the limit the artistic aspect of the episode, becoming the one with the most original songs and with the most singing moments by a wide margin. I probably wouldn’t be as surprised if it was a talked episode with a few musical moments, but it was the exact opposite of it, and that makes it special for this show’s repertory.
One thing that left me doubtful is that Bart and Lisa didn’t have their moments. And I said I am doubtful because, on the one hand, I wish Nancy and Yeardley would sing some verses. But, on the other hand, the fact that there are characters who are not singers helped to sustain the realism I claim for musicals. So, yeah, after further reflection I am happy they didn’t sing. So, I have one single problem with this episode: it was hard for me to pay attention to it. As I said above, it was easier for me because the songs were related to the story and I at least had that incentive to be focused. But still, somehow I was enthusiastic and excited when it started and I found myself distracted someplace around the second act. And I don’t know if it was a problem of mine caused by an unconscious resentment and enmity I still have with this kind of episode or if it actually lacked substance and was not lucid enough to catch me. That’s the only thing that could be a con, but my final verdict in this analysis of musicals reduced to a single Simpsons episode is that I can enjoy them. I enjoyed it! And color me impressed by that, I thought that was impossible. Putting a bit more focus on the episode, but still analyzing its musical facet, a very positive aspect was the top-notch acting of the stars of the episode. The guest stars have both beautiful voices. Kristen Bell was gorgeous as Marge. The writers found a straightforward solution to the fact that Julie Kavner can not sing even though I’d find it better if Marge's euphonious Disney's voice was played as a joke for a unique song and not for the entire episode. I mean, wouldn't it be better if she would sing only the introductory song? Otherwise, it was distracting for moments. But it’s not entirely a complaint because listening to Bell was a pleasure, just as much as Sara Chase, who has a delightful voice as well. And what to say about The Simpsons’ cast? We already know how talented Azaria, Shearer, Roswell, and Castellaneta are. My only big inconvenience about it was Dr. Hibbert's voice but what else can I say about that ridiculous decision of recasting characters I haven’t said already?
But definitely, the best this episode has to offer was its songs. What a great repertory it had. I am going to take time to make a breakdown of the songs we got here from the "worst" to best. Skip this paragraph if you don't care. Seventh place for Never Try. Not much to say, it was just a little filling. Sixth goes for 5-4-3-2-0-0-0. I thought the Y2K play was underdeveloped. I wish they would elaborate it a bit more because I thought it had potential for a funny satire (despite The Simpsons already did it in season eleven). Sasha Is a Massive Success goes fifth. It was a decent introduction for Sasha but the song by itself wasn't appealing because it seemed to be the typical Broadway song. I'd say there's a tie for fourth and third place. Fraudway Baby was a great one to reach the conflict and with no doubt a truly great payback for Marge against Sasha, counting also with nice animation featuring Marge as a witch, while A Delicate Approach was sweet, featuring Homer as a supportive husband, and presenting a different style than the rest of songs here, smoother and funnier for sure. The Star of Backstage, the first one we heard and the one that gave the title to the episode, gets the second place. It was quite elegant and vibrant. The lyrics were great to present the role of Marge and the crew, delivering the line "places everybody" that Marge would repeat with her real voice in one of the biggest laughs I got here. But the best one here, by far, is Remember the Times. I adored this one. The song is catchy thanks to those magic guitar chords and the continuous interruptions Marge does. It perfectly sells the chemistry between the stars of the crew. The lyrics are meaningful for them and watching them together hugging each other, sharing anecdotes, and bringing back memories was believable. It’s a bit nostalgic and I loved watching the characters in their teenage version (especially Homer). And it’s important for the plot because here Marge discovers she is not part of the group and it’s revealed how they brought her parents to bankruptcy. I don’t have a ranking of songs but this one would be high on my list.
So, yeah. It was a very entertaining musical because the writers, animators, compositors, and artists did a dedicated and devoted task to put it together. But what if it wasn't a musical? What are the merits and sins of this piece of work as a Simpsons episode? Well, the story was kinda original. Interesting Marge-centric stories are always welcomed and this one was refreshing. Marge as a stage manager is perfect for the character: it fits with her obsession for order and organization, it avoids her singing, and it involves her smartly in the story. I actually liked the little reboot of her and it's always nice to get a scene with Jacqueline again. I thought it was a problem that Sasha is supposed to be a victim after all the mean things she has done to Marge: She was responsible for a big problem for the Bouviers, she tries to separate her from the group, it's implied that she sends mean-spirited messages about her in the cast's chat, and feels better than Marge after the success of the play. I must say that the ending of Marge's act finding two guys who admire her to bond with was touching, and the crew planning a party at Marge's house again delivers a great ending with a giggle and sentiment. Homer had a great role as well, accompanying Marge for moments but hanging out with the guys who ignored her. The moment when he says he will be the enemy of the kids because they made him replace Lenny was hilarious. Lastly, one of the trademarks of Matt Selman's episodes is the examination of chemistries of characters that have never interacted between them. Who would ever say there was such a friendship between Homer, Kirk, Helen, Smithers, Hibbert, and Barney, right? It was believable and tender for moments. When Helen hugs Smithers from behind I felt like we have seen a lot of them together. Oh, and Barney getting a night with Sasha was unexpected, eh. Moe's reaction was funny.
It’s time to admit it, guys, it was a good episode. Musicals have been present in this show since its earliest years and it’s healthy the writers still want to innovate, this time delivering a full musical experience. You might like this kind of episode, you might not. But it was objectively a success, because the writers achieved exactly what they were trying. I had some issues, but most of what I have written here were well-deserved compliments. One unexpected surprise to kick off a promising season.
4/5