'Perfect Harmony' star Bradley Whitford cites 'masochist desire to scare myself' as major attraction of doing NBC musical-comedy
Stringing music with humor, Lesley Wake Webster wrote and created new NBC series 'Perfect Harmony' that tells the story of former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran who unexpectedly stumbles onto a choir practice at a small-town church. Starring actors like Bradley Whitford and Anna Camp, the series features half-hour episodes and centers around finding inspiration in the unlikeliest of places.
In a chat with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) at the Paley Fest, the actors on the show came together to talk about their characters and the main attractions of the show. Whitford, who essays the lead character of Cochran in the series and is also an executive producer, shed light on why he decided to come on board and what attracted him the most about the musical comedy.
"I had a masochist desire to scare myself and that's how I came on board," he joked, adding, "This is such a joyous situation. Actually it's a safe place to try new things because we're playing people who are not professional musicians. They are small, maybe the second best choir in the town." Talking about what attracted him the most, he said, "It is based on the idea that radically different people have to get along when they sing together. That's what attracted me to it. And Jason [Winer - the director] really knows how to do funny shows."
The trailer of the show begins with Whitford in a car, begging to God to "send him a sign" if there is any reason for him to keep on living and that's how he meets a group of amateur musicians who ask for his help. Anna Camp plays the role of plays a local waitress and part-time chorister Ginny in the comedy series.
Confessing how much she adores the character, Camp said, "I really love playing Ginny and she is near and dear to my heart after just six episodes of filming. So I am giving everything I can in this role and it is actually one of my favorites."
Geno Segers stars as Shep in the show. Talking about the first reaction to the script, he said, "My first reaction was I'm gonna be the chef of this town because there is no way I am going to be the go farmer but they hired me for the latter." Will Greenberg, who plays another member of the choir, Wayne, spoke about how it was a "totally different" experience for him. "I have done some musical theatre but never a choir and it is totally different. Especially all of the choir choreography that I knew nothing about. I love it so much. My sister lives in New Orleans so I go to the jazz festival and listen to all the new songs that are played there."
Tymberlee Hill, who stars as Adams, confessed how easy it was for her to fit into the role. "My entire family is from the church and my grandmother went to school for music, then she was a teacher of music, minister of music. My mom was also a connoisseur of music at a church. So between the two of them I would go around singing out loud."
The series also stars young Spencer Allport as Cash. Talking about how he enjoys singing even though he is not a part of the choir, Allport said, "It's weird to think but I don't know why they chose me. Apparently, for them I stood out. I get to sing every now and then but I am not a part of the choir. I don't like to say I'm a good singer but other people do so I'll go with what they say." Describing his character as "dyslexic, smart and funny," he adds, "I think I will be friends and hang out with him. I relate to him. I am the smart one at home."
Show creator Wake Webster wanted to portray the sense of community found in a small town, which is why she set it in her home state Kentucky. Get set to watch the series as it airs on NBC every Thursday at 8.30/7.30c starting from September 26.
Watch the interview here: