Not speaking of returning guest stars but still speaking of musicals, one episode features a love triangle that you most certainly weren’t expecting. “It fulfills many of my longheld Simpsons dreams, which include hearing Nelson sing,” says Long. “Nelson is a deceptively soulful character. About 12 years ago, he was lamenting the fact that his father wasn’t around and he sang, ‘Papa, Can You Hear Me?’ from Yentl, and I remember thinking, ‘This is a crazy thing,’ and also thinking, ‘I’m incredibly moved.’ There’s a lot of pain inside that sleeveless vest that we tried to draw upon.”
Ed Sheeran plays a musician named Brendan whom Lisa falls for — and, yes, Brendan will do some singing. “He’s a great musician and he’s a little condescending to Lisa, but also thinks she could be great,” says Jean. “So it’s a choice that she makes between Nelson and him. At one point he goes, ‘Why is this even a choice?'”
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