The Star of the Backstage/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Credits

Quotes

	Season 33 Episode References
← 706 "The Last Barfighter"	707 "The Star of the Backstage"	"Bart's in Jail!" 708 →

Cultural references

• The episode is inspired by the Disney+ series Encore!, hosted by Kristen Bell.
• The songs in the episode are homages to the musicals Chicago, Wicked, The Music Man and Rent.
• Franklin Chase did musicals based on The Music Man and Anything Goes.
• The musical Y2K: The Millennium Bug is a reference to the Year 2000 problem that involved potential computer errors related to formatting for dates after the year 2000.
• Marge says that in her imagination, she has the voice of a Disney Princess. Her singing voice is done by Kristen Bell, who voices Anna in Frozen. Coincidentally, Anna was portrayed by Marge in the couch gag of "I Won't Be Home for Christmas".
  

  Bart and Lisa pull at a Bongo doll from Life in Hell
• Bart and Lisa pull at a Bongo doll from Life in Hell.
• Helen Lovejoy says that Sasha Reed got into Juilliard School.
• In the song "Sasha is a Massive Success", Sasha Reed mentions Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Sutton Foster, Glenn Close and Stephen Sondheim.
  • The lyrics "Scrape meat off the bone, With Patti LuPone. (Don't mention Glenn Close)" is a reference to LuPone being abruptly fired and replaced by Close in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard due to her difficult time in the show.
• Sasha says that Hal Prince told her that blocking was always important.
• Marge prepared brownies with walnuts and M&M's.
• The cast mentions The New York Times.
• In the song "Fraudway Baby":
  • Smithers mentions that Sasha was never in the musicals Pippin, Show Boat or Cabaret.
  • Homer says that Sasha worked at Herald Square Sephora, a retailer of personal care and beauty products.
  • Marge sings that Sasha didn't get a callback for Hairspray.
• Sasha is a sales associate at Sephora.
• Barney resembles Freddie Mercury during the song "Never Try".
• Bart says that at the end of Rent, you get to see Mimi come back to life.

Trivia

• During Sasha's song, pictures of celebrities are seen. These are: Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen Sondheim, Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Rooney, Bette Midler, Elvis Presley, John Travolta, Barney Fife, Mel Brooks, Sutton Foster, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, Jr., Conan O'Brien, Clark Gable, Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, and Tom Hanks.

Continuity

• Marge says she has not been in a play since high school. "A Streetcar Named Marge"

← Season 32 Season 33 References Season 34 →

The Star of the Backstage • Bart's in Jail! • Treehouse of Horror XXXII • The Wayz We Were • Lisa's Belly • A Serious Flanders (Part 1) • A Serious Flanders (Part 2) • Portrait of a Lackey on Fire • Mothers and Other Strangers • A Made Maggie • The Longest Marge • Pixelated and Afraid • Boyz N the Highlands • You Won't Believe What This Episode Is About – Act Three Will Shock You! • Bart the Cool Kid • Pretty Whittle Liar • The Sound of Bleeding Gums • My Octopus and a Teacher • Girls Just Shauna Have Fun • Marge the Meanie • Meat Is Murder • Poorhouse Rock