With Broadway closed indefinitely, Andrew Rannells used his Monday appearance on “The Tonight Show” to spotlight his musical prowess.
The “Black Monday” star joined host Jimmy Fallon for “2020: The Musical,” a song-and-dance recap of a hellish year that included President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, the U.S. presidential election and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.
The medley also parodied a litany of Broadway musicals, including “West Side Story,” “A Chorus Line” and “Wicked.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” showstopper “My Shot” got repurposed as an ode to the long-awaited coronavirus vaccine, while Rannells referenced his own Tony-nominated turn in “The Book of Mormon” with a rendition of “I Believe” that offered a message of hope for 2021.
Even as COVID-19 kept live theater dark for much of the year, Rannells has tipped his hat to his Broadway roots while keeping active on the small screen. In September, he starred in Netflix’s “The Boys in the Band,” reprising the role he played in the 2018 Broadway production of the seminal queer play. On Friday, he’ll appear in Ryan Murphy’s “The Prom,” a Netflix adaptation of the queer-inclusive stage musical that also stars James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep.