Entertainment
The Simpsons to have first-ever all-musical episode in season 33 – and it features Kristen Bell
Season 33 of The Simpsons will have its first musical episode (20th Century Fox Television)
The premiere of season 33 of The Simpsons is going to be different from previous seasons, as the series will kick off with a musical episode with help from Frozen’s Kristen Bell.
During the Comic-Con panel The Simpsons Season 33 and Beyond, executive producer Matt Selman revealed what fans can expect when the episode airs on September 26.
The musical episode, dubbed The Star of the Backstage, will contain all original songs performed by Kristen in the role of Marge.
‘The premiere this year is the most musical episode we’ve ever done – almost wall-to-wall music,’ Matt said at the panel.
‘It’s like a Broadway musical of an episode, with all original songs, and we’ve got Kristen Bell playing the role of Marge’s singing voice. We all love Marge’s voice [Julie Kavner], but this is the singing voice that’s different, let’s just say.’
Matt also gave a rundown of the plot during an interview with EW.
Kristen Bell will be Marge’s singing voice (Picture: Jim Spellman/Getty Images)
‘Marge has amazing memories of being the stage manager of her high school musical, Y2K: The Millennium Bug, and decides to restage it with everyone 20 years later for one last show,’ he said.
‘But when her old high school nemesis comes to town, she realises that her high school memories aren’t what she thought they were.’
Sam explained that Kristen will be Marge’s singing voice, but only Marge is able to hear it.
‘The only place Marge sang beautifully was in her head, so she has a magical inside singing voice that only we can hear. When she sings, it comes out beautiful, like Kristen Bell,’ he said.
While this isn’t the first time musical numbers have been included in an episode, this is the first time in the show’s history that an episode will be a musical throughout.
The Simpsons is the longest-running primetime scripted series (Picture: Channel 4 Publicity)
Show creators included musical numbers in season four’s Marge vs. the Monorail and A Streetcar Named Marge, season five’s Homer’s Barbershop Quartet and season 9’s greatest-hits package All Singing, All Dancing..
There was also a musical segment in season 12’s New Kids on the Blecch, season 19’s Homer of Seville and season 22’s Elementary School Musical.
More: The Simpsons
Season 33’s premiere episode was written by Simpsons writer-producer Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, who previously worked on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as a writer and producer.
Elizabeth collaborated on the lyrics with CXG composer Jack Dolgen, who also composed the episode’s music.
The first episode of The Simpsons season 33 airs September 26.
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