Real-life singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles has been cast to star as a washed-up pop star in Tina Fey’s Peacock comedy “Girls5eva.”
The series centers on a one-hit-wonder girl group from the ’90s who reunite to give their pop star dreams one more shot. Per Peacock’s description of the series, “They may be grown women balancing spouses, kids, jobs, debt, aging parents, and shoulder pain, but can’t they also be Girls5eva?”
The “Love Song” singer will play the lead role of Dawn, described as a former member of the short-lived 90s girl group Girls5eva, who is now a bit restless in life managing her family’s small Italian restaurant in Queens. When the opportunity arises, Dawn reluctantly gets the band back together for a Girls5eva reunion.
“It is a pinch me moment to get to cross paths creatively with women like Meredith Scardino and Tina Fey, who I have been a fan of forever,” Bareilles said. “I am a longtime admirer of so many of the characters they have brought to life in other projects, and I am already in love with the women at the center of Girls5eva. I am so excited to help bring to life what I know will be a smart, creative, hilarious show with a lot of heart.”
The series, which was ordered by Peacock in January, and will be written by Meredith Scardino will write and executive produce alongside Fey and Eric Gurian of Little Stranger, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” producer Robert Carlock, and Jeff Richmond and David Miner of 3 Arts Entertainment. “Girls5eva” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Bareilles first rose to fame in 2007 with her hit song “Love Song.” Since then, she has won one Grammy Award and received seven Grammy nominations, two Tony nominations, and three Emmy nominations. She made her Broadway debut in 2017 as the star of the musical “Waitress” for which she wrote music and lyrics. In 2019, she released her fifth album, “Amidst the Chaos,” produced by T Bone Burnett.
This is not Bareilles’ first foray into film and television, however. She recently served as executive producer for Apple TV+’s “Little Voice,” a 10-episode series that features her original music and shares a title with her 2007 debut album. In the past, she has appeared on episodes of “Community” and “30 Rock,” and also starred as Mary Magdalene in the 2018 TV movie “Jesus Superstar Live in Concert.” She has also made countless television appearances on talk shows and award ceremonies throughout her music career and is listed on the soundtracks for movies including “Battle of the Sexes,” “Maid of Honor,” “She’s Out of My League,” and most recently shows like “Castle Rock” and “Central Park.”
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