Singing Surgeons on Grey's Anatomy
The greatly anticipated "Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event" will air on Aussie TV screens this week.
In a series first, creator Shonda Rhimes and the Grey's Anatomy cast present something seven years in the making - performing the music that has touched the hearts of Grey's Anatomy fans throughout the years.
When the rumours were confirmed that medical drama Grey's Anatomy was going to follow in the musical footsteps of shows such as Scrubs and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, there were distinctly mixed reactions.
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Executive producer Shonda Rhimes says the episode will be done tastefully, and insists fans will be surprised by some of the stars' talent.
"Nobody is going to be dancing and singing down the halls; that's not our show. Our show is known for its music. I very much wanted to do something that was musical without being a musical..." she told TVGuide.com.
"You will be very surprised to discover that some people sing quite well. That's sort of a little gift to the fans, to discover that people who are not necessarily known for singing have pretty great voices. Also, some people won't be singing because it doesn't go with the story.
"We keep saying that season six and seven are seasons to try anything and everything that we've always wanted to do. I've wanted to do a musical episode since the first day we started shooting season one. Now, we're in that place that we have the space to try it."
The episode centres around Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) as she fights for her life after an almost fatal car crash. Her out-of-body self and the other cast members burst into song as they struggle to keep her alive.
Ramirez, a Tony Award winner for her role as the Lady of the Lake in Monty Python's Spamalot, has said that she was "excited at the chance to contribute to the show in a new way... it was a really huge gift."
Kevin McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt), Jessica Capshaw (Dr. Arizona Robins), Chandra Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey), and Chyler Leigh (Dr. Lexie Grey) also sing in the episode.
"I sing a little bit," McKidd told People magazine. "I'm not like Sara Ramirez – she's pretty amazing! I mean, off the chart. She's a Tony Award winner for a reason, and the rest of us bask in her shadow. Chyler is a great singer, Chandra Wilson's a great singer, and I can get away with it, let's put it that way. I'll let people judge what they think."
Capshaw admitted that she was somewhat nervous about how the episode would be received by audiences, telling the Hollywood Reporter, "There were many times where I felt like, 'Oh my gosh, we're doing the best episode ever.' And there were other times where I thought, 'Did we drink the Kool-Aid and we're all terrible?'"
"Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol), "How to Save a Life" (The Fray) and "The Story" (Brandi Carlile) are among the songs performed by the cast in one of the most unique hours of Grey's Anatomy yet.
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Don't miss Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event, this Thursday 8.30pm on Seven.
