Mary Steenburgen on Casket Dancing in ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ (VIDEO)
If you’ve been watching the freshman season of NBC’s delightful Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, you know the show not only perfectly meshes musical numbers — via the mind of Zoey (Jane Levy), who hears people’s inner emotions via song and dance — into the storylines, but it also does a great job of balancing the light with the not-so-light.
That not-so-light stuff comes from the very serious and real PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) of Zoey’s ailing father, Mitch (Peter Gallagher), who, according to his doctors, is nearing the end of his life. In the April 26 episode, for example, Mitch’s stoic wife, Maggie (Mary Steenburgen) visits a mortuary to make arrangements for when Mitch’s time comes. And of course, she ends up in a musical number — in a room full of caskets, no less — set to The Animals classic, “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place.” (The number is terrific, by the way, and choreographed by the show’s Mandy Moore!)
Earlier this week, TV Insider chatted with the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning Steenburgen (for 1980 film Melvin and Howard) to find out more about her take on the musical numbers. She also opened up about her excitement over working with Bernadette Peters, who guests in Sunday’s episode along with the show’s executive producer, Paul Feig. Watch the interview above.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Sundays, 9/8c, NBC
