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It's the first day of the workshop, y'all—and it's the first episode for Wesley Taylor and Ann Harada!
Eileen can't believe she's begging for a measly $200,000, but Jerry seems to have hidden all but $8,000. What does a gal have to do for the cash to mount a simple little workshop of a Broadway musical?!
Back at rehearsal, there's still no book so the workshop will focus on the ensemble, which also includes Leslie Odom Jr.! He and Ivy Lynn did Chicago together 10 years before. Do you think we can piece Ivy Lynn's résumé together? On second thought, Ivy Lynn doesn't have time for a trip down memory lane when Karen is telling people that she already knows "The 20th Century Fox Mambo" from her callback. Not cool, Karen! Also not cool is how Karen seems to think she and Ivy Lynn are rehearsing Side Show. How else to explain why she's doing her ensemble work practically conjoined at Ivy Lynn's hip? Well, she's not there for long because Joshua Bergasse (the real-life choreographer) moves her to the back next to Bobby... and then they both get cut from the number.
Karen points out to Dev that she's an actress and she's supposed to play to the balcony... I'm not sure that's entirely true when you're in the ensemble, but as everyone else in the cast can tell you—she's never done this before.
I just noticed that Eileen has (in addition to a real Degas) a poster for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Daniel Radcliffe. Since Nick Jonas was a replacement star for that production and Nick Jonas plays Lyle West in this episode... are we in a universe without a Nick Jonas?
Back in rehearsal, Karen gets kicked out of "History Is Made at Night" too, and tells Jessica (Savannah Wise) that everyone is awful because they treat her like a hick and she could have slept her way into the role, too, but she didn't. Jessica is moved by her teary speech—I sense a makeover montage coming on!
Leslie Odom Jr. is reading Sports Illustrated while tsk tsking Ivy Lynn for going full diva on Karen while she slips into a killer Zac Posen dress for Lyle West's birthday party. Over at Dev and Karen's, Dev meets her new ensemble friends as they tear apart her closet in an intervention. They also step in and tell Karen some hard truths about ensemble work, pointing out that she's not Miss Golden Sprout Champion anymore. So naturally they throw an impromptu dance class set to "Rumour Has It."
While Ivy Lynn flirts with Nick Jonas (git it, girl), Tom is on a date with a lawyer at a steak house—which, according to Julia, is the worst thing he could possibly put himself through. Of course, she hadn't seen that the date was Neal Bledsoe. She does see that Ellis is somehow at Derek's party, and she's so shocked she briefly forgets she's wearing a purple feather vest. (I cannot.)
Eileen, clutching her real Degas, starts spinning a web around Lyle West in search of that pesky $200,000. Lyle turns out to be a smarter businessman than Eileen was ready for, but she's game to give him points on the show. Right after they throw an impromptu backer's audition with Ivy Lynn and Michael Swift where she sings the hell out of "Never Met a Wold Who Didn't Love to Howl." Proving that no one on TV should ever go to a party, Ivy Lynn and Derek get into a tiff because she saw him putting his hand on a dancer. They make up in time to have sex in one of the bedrooms. Oh, Ivy Lynn.
In much less swanky digs, Karen and her new ensemble pals are ready to put her new moves on display at a bar. Karen performs for free in bars a lot, I've noticed. After dancing as an ensemble, Karen breaks out into a solo version of "Rumour Has It" in her head. Once Miss Golden Sprout Champion, always Miss Golden Sprout Champion. Ivy Lynn, better watch out.
THE STARS
Ann Harada, Wesley Taylor, Leslie Odom Jr., Joshua Bergasse
THE SONGS
"I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl," "History Is Made at Night," "Haven't Met You Yet," "Rumour Has It"
THE SCARVES
2 (Ivy Lynn, Karen)
