There are some job requirements for playing a superhero, like the ability to look cool while battling a villain who won't be added in until post-production. It also helps not to have a latex allergy. A nice singing voice isn't usually a necessity, but having a star with pipes puts something extra on the menu. The CW is calling on its inordinately musical talented Arrowverse for a musical crossover between The Flash and Supergirl. In the song-and-dance extravaganza, a trickster called the Music Meister (guest star Darren Criss) traps Barry (Grant Gustin) and Kara (Melissa Benoist) in a '40s movie musical. The two heroes have to belt their way out of trouble, and that should not be much of a problem. Because that's Grant Gustin really singing in The Flash musical, and Benoist recorded her own vocals as well.
To never have produced a musical episode of one of these shows would have been a waste of talent, really. A ridiculous amount of cast members from The Flash, Supergirl, Legends Of Tomorrow, and Arrow have roots in music and musical theater. Jesse L. Martin was in the original cast of Rent. John Barrowman has a long West End resume. Jeremy Jordan recently reprised his Tony-nominated role in a special performance of Newsies that was released in movie theaters. I could go on.
But the show is called The Flash and as such, Grant Gustin is the leading man around here. Check out these videos of Gustin singing to prepare for this toe-tapping crossover:
"I Want You Back"
Before he was cast as the Scarlet Speedster, Gustin played the dastardly Sebastian on Glee. This Gustin-led Warblers rendition of the Jackson 5 hit was cut from the "Michael" episode but released online later. He may be a very nice guy, but Sebastian has the moves.
"Glad You Came"
The Warblers are Glee's very own boy band, so this cover of The Wanted's "Glad You Came" is a solid competition choice. For 2012.
"Summer Nights"
The last time Gustin sang on The Flash, he was aided by some cocktails and a tipsy Caitlin Snow. Their "Summer Nights" karaoke performance is a favorite of SnowBarry fans and nice preview of the all-musical episode that's to come. In Caitlin's words, "You're fast and you can sing? What can't you do?"
"If I Didn't Believe In You"
And now for the deep cuts. According to the description, this is a performance from a 2013 alumni concert. Gustin sings (and acts the heck out of) a song from Jason Robert Brown's two-character relationship drama, The Last Five Years. Coincidentally, his crossover castmate Jeremy Jordan played this part in the 2014 movie version of that show.
"Runaway With Me"
Gustin proudly wears his theater geek cred by performing a song from a cult favorite musical called The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown at a open mic. Fortunately, some smart patron captured it on video so you can watch a baby Barry belt and emote while wearing a skinny tie.
"Serious"
Step into my wayback machine and come with me to 2009, when Grant Gustin was a freshman with a Bieber haircut playing Legally Blonde's future corporate jerkface Warner in a student showcase.
Breaking into song mid-sentence is no more ridiculous than a guy getting super-speed from a particle accelerator. Maybe The Flash will make its musical episode an annual event, and Grant Gustin will get to work that theater training on a regular basis.
