- For the song, see Broadway Magic (song).
Broadway Magic is the sixteenth episode of the first season, and the 16th episode overall, of the Jem animated series.
Synopsis[]
Jem and The Holograms and The Misfits have the chance to become Broadway stars now that famous producer, Bob Merrit, is holding auditions for his newest musical. To give the Misfits the upper hand, Eric Raymond announces on live television that he'll give a $100,000 reward to anybody who can provide him with Jem's real name. To Jerrica's surprise, Rio is among the groups of people who are willing to go to extremes to learn the truth about Jem. After Pizzazz deliberately locks Jem up in the crown of the Statue of Liberty, Jem gets rescued by two construction workers and then scares the one construction worker who's after Jem's secret identity. Jem then gets transportation from a very fast taxicab driver they encountered on the way to Hotel Americana earlier, only she stops at a parade. Jem borrows a skateboard from a boy, is chased by a group of men in the subway and takes a hang-glider from a man to make it down to the show in time. In the end, Jem would rather let her music, not her secret identity, matter more to the people.
Plot[]
Famous producer Bob Merrit is having a breakdown in his office, complaining to his assistant that something fantastic is missing from his life. There are two window cleaners blasting music outside his window which makes him realize that through a musical, he can bring something back to his business. Meanwhile, The Holograms are playing volleyball on a sunny beach. Rio is talking to a friend about how much he cares for Jerrica but feels as though she is hiding something from him. It's then that Rio spots a newspaper headlining the news that Bob Merrit is searching for rock stars to star in his new musical, and he excitedly tells the girls. The Misfits are working out when Eric Raymond tells them the same news about the musical, wanting to beat The Holograms to it. Stormer comments on how nobody knows Jem's true identity and they sing "Who Is She, Anyway?", after which Eric has already devised a plan. He goes live on TV to offer $100,000 to anybody who could discover her real name.
Jem and The Holograms land at a heliport in New York to get ready for the musical auditions and a myriad of reporters accost the group questioning Jem's identity. They quickly take off in a taxi, where a friendly cab driver informs them of Eric's worldwide search for Jem's name and Rio is outraged. They reach the Theater Palace where The Misfits are finishing their performance of "Makin' Mischief" and tells him they're perfect but still has to see The Holograms. They rush in, and Jerrica quickly goes to change into Jem for the audition. Roxy comes up with an idea to silence their mics so they won't be hired just as Jerrica transforms into Jem, and blames a set off alarm on her. Bob luckily believes Jem is innocent and asks her to set up her instruments, and they perform "Can't Get My Love Together". Bob enjoys them just as much as The Misfits and announces that he'll declare the winners on Lin-Z TV.
On the TV show, Bob tells Lindsey Pierce and the public that Jem and The Holograms are the winners and Pizzazz is once again furious at losing. She runs over to a fire hose and sprays the entire set with water and Jem frantically turns it off. Roxy takes this opportunity to bribe Bob so that he offers The Misfits the role of Jem and the Holograms' understudies. Jem is approached by a conman and a gypsy called Mama Pama Bama who try to convince her to tell them her name. Bob is so annoyed with the interruptions that he threatens to replace The Holograms. At the hotel, Jerrica calls upon Synergy to ask for some advice - who simply reminds her that she cannot reveal her true identity, as the holographic device in the wrong hands could be tragic. She then finds Rio in her hotel room, and starts to cry as she realizes he was looking for information on Jem. She misses the rehearsal, and the group decide to search for her. Rio eventually finds her at Central Park, and begins to question why no-one will tell him the truth about Jem. He asks Jerrica if she and Jem are the same person and she quickly makes Synergy to create a hologram of Jem running away, so he forgets about it.
Pizzazz convinces Stormer to type letter to Jem pretending to be from Rio, requesting her to meet him at the Statue of Liberty at five o'clock. When she gets there, however, he doesn't show up and is instead locked in by Pizzazz, who sails away on the last boat to Manhattan. Jem throws one of her earrings to grab the attention of some nearby workers with a boat, who recognize her immediately and agree to take her to Manhattan for the price of her real name. Once she gets there, however, she uses Synergy to copy the worker's face on herself and he's so shocked that he falls into the water. Jem rushes to get to the show and she borrows a skateboard and a hang glider to get there with little time to spare. The Misfits are stunned to see her in costume and ready to go on stage - and they perform Broadway Magic to an excited crowd. After their show, Rio apologizes to Jerrica for the nonsense with Jem's identity and tells her that she is all that matters. Jem then interviews with Lindsey Pierce, explaining to her fans that only her music matters in the end.
Songs featured[]
- "Who Is She, Anyway?" - The Misfits
- "Can't Get My Love Together" - Jem and The Holograms
- "Broadway Magic" - Jem and The Holograms
Quotes[]
- Jem: I know I use a stage name like other people, but the real question is, "What really matters?" My real name or the songs I sing?
- Lindsey Pierce: Jem, everybody still wants to know about your big secret.
- Jem: There's never been a big secret. I guess I just like keeping my private life private.
- Synergy: Jerrica, in the wrong hands, my holograms could be used for evil and innocent people could be hurt. You must never tell anyone about me. And you must not reveal that you and Jem are one in the same.
- Eric: What is she hiding? Is she wanted by the FBI? I'm offering $100,000 to anyone who can expose Jem's secret past. I want to find out who is Jem?
- Stormer: Jem's good. You know, I wonder where she came from? I never heard of her before she joined the Holograms.
- Roxy: Maybe little Miss Perfect's a crook.
- Stormer: She's in costume. But that's impossible.
- Pizzazz: How did you do that?
- Jem: I guess I got that Broadway Magic.
Gallery[]
Goofs[]
- During the "Who Is She, Anyway?" music video, Pizzazz's leotard momentarily becomes orange, and at one point Stormer and Roxy's tights disappear. A magazine also spells The Holograms as "The Horograms".
- When Eric is on TV, his head sticks out of the screen.
- In the performance of "Can't Get My Love Together", Jem's eyes are blue instead of lavender.
- On the Lin-Z Show, Lindsey's gloves disappear for a moment.
- When Synergy first appears, she is seen without the shapes on her upper arms; they are all purple.
- After Jem has thrown away one of her earrings from the Statue of Liberty, she is still seen wearing both.
- The second time we see the taxicab with the female driver, it has the misspelled word "TAXY" on the roof.
Trivia[]
- When Eric Raymond televises his offer, one of the televisions in the store window shows D'Compose from the show Inhumanoids which, along with Jem, were produced by Sunbow Productions.
- Notice as Eric Raymond is giving his reward speech that there is an album of CATS - The Musical on the wall beside the reporters.
- The writer of this episode, Marv Wolfman, who is also the comic book writer behind The New Teen Titans, actually included a mention of Jem referring to this episode in an issue of the comic. One of the stories include a theater in the background that reads "Broadway Magic starring Jerrica Benton". Presumably, this is a joke on the fact that Jem is really Jerrica Benton.
- This is one of two episodes that centered around finding Jem's true identity. The other one is The Fan in season two. Both episodes used The Misfits' song "Who Is She, Anyway?".
- Jem proves to be a great athlete, as she was able to use a skateboard and a hang-glider without fault.
- It seems that there was a scene cut out of this episode, as it was revealed that not only did Rio have a falling out with Jerrica, but with Jem too.
- There's a brief instance in this episode where Rio questioned whether if Jerrica was truly Jem. Jerrica then used a hologram to fool him.
- The person Rio was talking with earlier in this episode could have been his friend.
- The Misfits are actually shown to enjoy working out in this episode despite their past trouble with it (as seen in the episode Last Resorts).
- Synergy states that the purpose for her existence to remain a secret is to prevent her holograms to fall into the wrong hands.