Sara Bareilles adds more TV to her landscape
Q: I thought Sara Bareilles did a wonderful job as Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.” Will she be doing any more television projects? – Heather Bryant, Buffalo, N.Y.
A: There’s little doubt that the generally positive reception to that NBC special, and to Bareilles’ personal triumph with her performance, has put her in good stead for other programs suited to her talents. For the time being, she’s landed a job that also gives a nod to her work in the Broadway musical “Waitress,” for which she also composed the score: Along with Josh Groban, she’ll host the 72nd Annual Tony Awards when CBS broadcasts them from New York’s Radio City Music Hall on June 10.
Q: Why was “Scandal” compelled to kill off David Rosen in the very last episode? – Sarah Page, via e-mail
A: It was a call made by Shonda Rhimes, the now-former ABC show’s creator and executive producer, who wrote that finale. We’ll actually go ahead and call the elimination of co-star Joshua Malina’s character a “creative decision,” since it really was, serving several purposes. The death allowed Rhimes to throw in another of the surprise twists the series was known for, especially since Rosen already had cheated the Grim Reaper, and it also showed just how evil the character responsible – Vice President Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry) was. After the episode aired, several of its creative talents made the point that Rosen was one of the show’s good guys, and “Scandal” ultimately was about people who did bad things. Since there will be no more stories about him in any event (Rhimes insists she won’t revisit the project in any sequels or spinoffs), Rosen pretty much made it to the end of “Scandal.”