James Corden, host of, as luck would have naming-wise, The Late Late Show with James Corden, love musicals.
And Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda are currently starring in a musical at the moment by the name of Mary Poppins Returns (which is a supreme delight, and yes you must see it now).
So naturally it makes perfect that one of the stops on the world-spanning advertising campaign for the film should be on the show where Corden, who’s not adverse to some singing and acting himself, danced and sang up a storm with Blunt and Miranda as they amusingly, and impressively, dash through songs from 22 musicals in 12 gloriously-frenetic minutes.
As Nerdist observes, if you’re a fan of musicals, and these actors/singers/all round wonderful people, there’s a lot to enjoy in this video.
“The whole video is a real treasure trove for musical fans. The performance includes a lot of contemporary favorites, like “City of Stars” from La La Land and “Falling Slowly” from Once, coupled with a number of old staples, from Cabaret’s “Willkommen” to Guys & Dolls‘ “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes‘ “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
“Our favorite has to be either Lin-Manuel stepping into Gene Kelly’s shoes for the iconic title track from Singin’ in the Rain, or him popping up again as the Toto to Emily Blunt’s Dorothy in “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz.
“Things also get a bit meta when the trio perform “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” from Mary Poppins Returns, and again when Blunt and Corden reprise “It Takes Two” from Into the Woods, which Miranda tries to infiltrate. (He even manages to sneak in a Hamilton reference.)”