The winner of NBC’s "The Voice," Javier Colon, has been tapped to play a legendary musician in the network’s controversial new drama "The Playboy Club," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
That musician is Ray Charles, the story notes. Colon will portray the soul singer in an episode and will perform "Let the Good Times Roll," the story notes. He will be one of a number of performers imitating other famous entertainers on the new fall drama, according to the article.
Among the others, Raphael Saadiq will portray Sam Cooke, singing "We’re Having a Party," and Colbie Callait will appear as Lesley Gore, performing "It’s My Party," the article notes.
The drama, which is set in 1963 Chicago, has drawn criticism for its glamorization of the club, which some consider sexist.
The show is trying to find singers to portray James Brown and Roy Orbison later in the season. The network plans to record the songs and post them for sale on iTunes, the piece notes.
"One of the things we learned from ‘Glee’ is that if you don’t make the music available immediately the consumer gets frustrated — or looks for it for free," said Geoff Bywater, senior vice president of music for Twentieth Television, the Fox unit that produces the show for NBC, according to the article.
Doesn’t NBC realize they did this kind of thing a few years back w/another show set during the 60s: American Dreams? That show boasted lots of current music stars playing those from the 60s (like Usher playing Marvin Gaye).