Get Ready to Sing Your Face Off

Written by Jon Williams

Speaking of TV singing competitions, here comes one with a twist.

Premiering on Saturday, May 31, ABC’s Sing Your Face Off will not feature an unknown cast of varying talents vying for fame and recording contracts. Instead, it will feature a number of celebrities who will attempt to bring an iconic singer or pop star (such as Lady Gaga or Luciano Pavarotti) to life through individual performances. This is not limited to the choice of song, but will be judged also on criteria such as mannerisms and incorporation of signature dance movies, for instance. If the show stays true to its inspiration, the international hit Your Face Sounds Familiar, the performer each contestant must impersonate will be randomly selected each week.

The five people selected to complete on this show reflect a wide range of celebrity backgrounds. One contestant will be NBA star Landry Fields, who plays for the Toronto Raptors. His fellow performers come from more conventionally related fields in the entertainment industry. One is actress Lisa Rinna, best known for her roles on Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place. She’ll be joined by fellow actor and comedian Jon Lovitz, a Saturday Night Live alumnus who has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows in addition to voiceover work and Broadway shows. Combining the acting and music worlds is China Anne McClain, best known for starring in the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm and performing on the soundtrack. Rounding out the cast is rocker Sebastian Bach, who fronted the band Skid Row in their late-eighties/early-nineties heyday and his since embarked on a solo career.

Of course, as with any singing show, its success will depend as much on the judges as it does on the cast. Sing Your Face Off’s regular panel of judges will consist of two members. On the musical/singing side there’s Debbie Gibson, the ‘80s pop sensation who first hit #1 with her 1988 single “Foolish Beat.” Judging other aspects of the performances will be Darrell Hammond, another SNL alum known for his hilarious impressions of various well-known figures. The show is also scheduled to have a number of celebrity guest judges. And serving as host will be Scottish actor John Barrowman. In addition to a number of roles on Broadway, Barrowman’s face is familiar from his role as Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and its spinoff, Torchwood.

With its varied array of talent and its far-out premise, this show promises to be a good time, and will likely garner quite a bit of attention when it airs. Make sure your patrons have access to the work of all the celebrities who will appear on the show so they can explore their previous work.