‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’: Are the Actors Really Singing?

Fans of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist love the song and dance numbers. We can see that the actors are dancing, but are they really singing?

Jane Levy’s movies and TV shows

Zoey is played by actress Jane Levy. Her character is suddenly able to hear other people’s thoughts through song and dance after a mishap with an MRI machine. Zoey is learning how to use these “heart songs” to understand people better and help them through tough times.

During this unusual time in her life, Zoey is also dealing with the death of her father. This season, Zoey is navigating life after loss.

Levy made her acting debut in the television series Shameless. She played the character Mandy Milkovich for five episodes in 2011. The following year, she made her film debut in the movie Nobody Walks, in which she played the character Caroline.

Levy’s next recurring role was in the television series Suburgatory. She played Tessa Altman from 2011 to 2014. Her other acting roles include What/If, Castle Rock, Twin Peaks, and There’s… Johnny! 

Are the actors on ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ really singing?

Yes, the actors on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist are really singing. Levy told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, hosts of Live! With Kelly and Ryan, she didn’t know how to sing before she joined the cast. Levy says learning how to sing for the show was “hard and humbling.”

Levy told The Hollywood Reporter that singing is not something she’s comfortable with. However, she did appear in a musical a few years ago.   

“Singing is not something I’m comfortable doing and it’s not something I’ve done professionally often,” Levy tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I did one musical in 2014, and it was just by chance that the director had cast someone who could carry a tune. He had no idea I could sing, he just wanted me to play the part. And then he was like, ‘We can figure out the singing later.’”

Lauren Graham, who plays Zoey’s boss on the show, says singing and learning choreography is challenging. One drawback is that the detailed scenes make the workday longer.

“But the aspect of a show being in its first season is challenging,” Graham tells Entertainment Weekly. “And then when you add recordings, rehearsals, choreography, singing, dancing, much more rehearsal than you would normally have, it’s just long. To get everything right just takes a lot of time.”

‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ cast

In addition to Levy, the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist cast includes many talented actors with a musical background. One notable cast member is Skylar Astin, who plays Zoey’s close friend, Max. Astin’s previous work includes roles in Pitch Perfect and My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Alex Newell, who plays Zoey’s neighbor, Mo, is best known for his role in the series Glee. Other cast members include Mary Steenburgen, John Clarence Stewart, and Michael Thomas Grant.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist airs Tuesdays on NBC at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

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