TV Stars Sing, Sing a Song
December 12, 2006 by Kath Skerry
Everyone’s got a talent. Unfortunately for some of us, that talent is hidden…I mean really hidden. But for some of our favorite TV stars their talent has been there all along. Maybe it’s not front and center on their shows, but maybe it should be.
Take a look and listen as some of your favorites from the small screen share their amazing voices. Did you know they had it in them?
Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy), Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Kristen Chenoweth (The West Wing), Taye Diggs (Daybreak), Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order), Tracie Thoms (Cold Case), Wayne Wilcox (Gilmore Girls), and even a little sampling from Wentworth Miller (Prison Break)
Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callis Torres, Grey’s Anatomy)
Sara may play a doctor on TV, but this gorgeous gal is Broadway through and through. Take a look at Sara’s Tony winning performance of “Find Your Grail” from the musical comedy, Spamalot.
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Check out the rest of the performances after the jump
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars)
I can’t say that I have ever seen the cult, drug-infused Reefer Madness, but since it does feature my girl crush, Kristen Bell, I might just have to check it out. In a complete 180 from Veronica, Kristen stars (and sings) along Christian Campbell in this number called “Romeo and Juliet”. More of Kristen’s performances from the stage and screen version of Reefer Madness can be found over at youtube.
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Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother)
I’m not sure if Barney Stinson would be caught dead at a Broadway music, but Neil Patrick Harris has been owning the stage for years. With performances in productions of Rent and Assassins, NPH has made quite a name for himself in the theater world. Check out Neil’s performance of “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd – a duet with legendary Broadway star Patti Lupone (a former TV star in her own right…remember Life Goes On?). And of course, Neil can be seen singing with his HIMYM co-star, Jason Segel (Marshall) in my favorite recent youtube clip. Click here to watch Neil & Jason sing “The Confrontation” from Les Miserables.
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Kristin Chenoweth (Annabeth Schott, The West Wing)
She’s an itty bitty little thing but her voice is anything but. Unlike most of these actors, when I think of Kristin I first think Broadway, and then TV. I’m not even going to try to list her theater accomplishments because we’d be here all day. I’ve decided to share one of my favorite of Kristin’s performances, “Defying Gravity” from the musical Wicked. Here she duets with the unbelievable Idina Menzel.
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Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield, Prison Break)
OK, ok, maybe Wentworth Miller was never on Broadway. And maybe he never sang professionally. But I’m a sucker for a guy with a great voice, and that Wentworth does have. Check out this brief sampling of Wentworth’s voice from his days in the Princeton a cappella group the Tigertones.
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The Rent Heads
The hugely popular Rent (GMMR’s favorite musical) premiered on Broadway in 1996. When it was made into a movie in 2005, it featured most of the original Broadway cast alongside a few newbies – some of which we can see every week on our favorite shows. Here’s a few….
Jesse L. Martin (Det. Ed Green, Law & Order)
How many of you knew that bid, old Ed Green had THIS voice?! Jesse L. Martin originated the role of Collins, Tom Collins, in Rent, and made the role even better in the movie version. Check out Martin and his friends singing “Sante Fe”
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Taye Diggs (Brett Hopper, Day Break)
Before living the same day over and over again on his ABC drama, Taye Diggs was Benny, the landlord to the slums in Rent. Taye met his real life wife Idina Menzel (featured in the Kristin Chenoweth clip above, and the Tracie Thoms clip below) while they were both working as part of the original Broadway cast. Here’s Taye singing “You’ll See Boys” from the movie version.
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Tracie Thoms (Kat Miller, Cold Case)
Along with Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms was only one of two leads in Rent who did NOT star in the Broadway version of the show. Thoms had auditioned many times but never got the role. Good thing she waited for the big screen adaptation. Tracie was one of the best things about this movie. Here she is singing “Take Me or Leave Me” with her on-screen love interest, Idina Menzel.
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Wayne Wilcox (Marty, Gilmore Girls)
I was surprised to see a familiar face during one of Rent’s most beautiful numbers, “No Day but Today”. Wayne Wilcox, who plays Rory’s friend Marty (aka “Boyfriend”) on Gilmore Girls has a small but great cameo.
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So do you have any rare performances of TV stars belting out the tunes? If so, pass them on, I’d love to check it out.
The Showtime version of the “Reefer Madness” musical is definitely worth watching–it runs a little long, but is completely hysterical, and Kristen Bell is great in it.
Wow, Sara Ramirez has an amazing voice!
I saw Cabaret with Michael C. Hall (Dexter) as the Emcee back in 99, and Eric Millegan (Bones) in Jesus Christ Superstar in 2000.
Hope to see Victor Garber in the spring!
I love this post but just so you know, the song from Rent with Wayne Wilcox is not entitled “No Day But Today” but instead “Life Support”.
wow. after hearing wentworth’s voice…
that makes him 10 times more attractive!
beautiful.. and so smooth. :d
I saw Neil Patrick Harris as Mark in the Benny cast of Rent, he was amazing. I felt really bad when people kept coming up to him telling their kids to take pictures with “Doogie,” and him responding “Neil. My name is Neil!!” over and over again. I felt really bad for the guy.
I also saw Sam Harris play Jesus in JCS circa 1990. This was way after he won the Male Vocalist prize on Star Search. It’s so strange to think that he now plays the incredibly fey Perry Pearl on “The Class.”
i just want to say a big, “THANK YOU” for including two videos of idina menzel on this page. she is definitely “unbelievable” & deserves the attention :o)
If you like Jesse Martin, you HAVE to see rent. He’s so adorable! lol I would never say that about his Law and Order character. If you like his voice, you have to see a clip of “I’ll cover you” SO good. And for Tracie, see her in a clip of “Seasons of Love” every time, I am AMAZED. AMAZED at her voice. I cannot believe she didn’t get cast before the movie.
[…] Ayer los compañeros de Give Me My Remote hicieron un post sobre estrellas de la televisión que saben cantar y yo he escogido los que más me han interesado. Soy asín. Desde siempre he oído cantar en mi casa, no en plan Pantoja, claro, pues en mi casa son de lírica de toda la vida. Yo soy de la facción rebelde de la familia, pero no hay nada comparable a escuchar una gran voz en directo. Y aunque yo no sea muy fan de los musicales en general, son una gran oportunidad para descubrir que hay actores que recorren día a día tus pantallas que resulta que tienen grandes voces. […]
i hadnt seen the wentworth clip! thanks!
Megan Mullally (Karen from Will and Grace) and Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) are 2 more. Check them out on Youtube.
You forgot about Jerry Orbach, one of the most phenomenal stage actors. When he was alive, he did more American theatre than any other living actor. Miss him.
And also… Chandra Wilson (Grey’s) in Caroline or Change, Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds, Chicago Hope, Dead Like Me) in Evita, The Wild Party, and many many others, Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers) in Chicago, Damn Yankees, Fosse, and many many others, Christina Applegate (Married, With Children) in Sweet Charity, Debbie Allen (Fame) in Sweet Charity (originally), Tom Wopat (Dukes of Hazzard) in Annie Get Your Gun, Tyne Daly (Cagney & Lacey) in Gypsy, Angela Lansbury (Murder, She Wrote) in Sweeney Todd, the King and I, Mame, and many many others, Mark Kusish (All My Children, One Life to Live) in Beauty and the Beast, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and others, Tonya Pinkins (All My Children) in The Wild Party, Ron Rifkin (Brothers and Sisters, Alias) in Cabaret.
And I know there are others!!!
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