That’s My Jam is a new musical variety game show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon that premiered in January 2022 on NBC. On the show, celebrities team up in pairs to compete in various music, dance, and trivia-based games. The games often involve the contestants singing, rapping, dancing, or playing instruments, sometimes with little preparation. This has led some viewers to wonder if the contestants rehearse their performances ahead of time or if everything is completely improvised on the spot. There are arguments on both sides of this debate.
The case for rehearsing
Some of the performances on That’s My Jam seem very polished, especially the singing, implying that there must be some rehearsal involved. Additionally, the games move fast with little downtime, so having some preparation would help the celebrities know what to expect and perform better under pressure. Reasons the contestants may rehearse include:
- The high production value of the show – the performances are backed by a live band, have choreography, costumes, etc. This level of production requires planning and practice.
- Jimmy Fallon and the producers want the best performances possible for entertainment value.
- The contestants are busy professionals who benefit from spending some time preparing rather than going in blind.
- Certain games like “Slay It, Don’t Spray It” involve lyrics prepared in advance.
- The crew needs to plan camera blocking and work out any technical issues, which requires seeing the performances ahead of time.
The case against significant rehearsing
However, there are also reasons to believe the contestants are not given much time to rehearse and a lot of the show is improvised. Arguments against heavy rehearsing include:
- The games require quick thinking and spontaneity, which rehearsing could hurt.
- It would be very difficult to extensively rehearse for so many different games.
- The celebrities’ schedules make intensive rehearsals unlikely.
- Jimmy Fallon likes creating unscripted, in-the-moment humor.
- The contestants often seem genuinely surprised and caught off guard during the games.
- The show wants authentic, flawed performances rather than slick over-rehearsed ones.
Analysis of Specific Performances
To further analyze whether the contestants are rehearsed, it is helpful to look at some specific game performances from the show.
“Slay It, Don’t Spray It”
This singing game involves the contestants trying to accurately sing lyrics on randomly-assigned famous songs. Some evidence they rehearse includes:
- Contestants know the songs extremely well, including words, notes, timing, etc.
- Their performances stay in sync with the band and backing vocals.
- They have some basic choreography worked out.
However, signs it may not be heavily rehearsed are:
- The contestants don’t know which songs they’ll get in advance.
- There are occasional minor lyrical flubs or mistimed moments.
- Their reactions of shock and laughter seem genuine when they get a surprising song.
Overall, the contestants likely get the lyrics ahead of time to memorize but do not get extensive time to rehearse the full performance.
“Wheel of Musical Impressions”
In this game, the celebrities do musical impressions after spinning a wheel of different genres. Evidence of rehearsal includes:
- Celebrities have several impressions and songs already prepared.
- Their impressions are very polished with voices and mannerisms clearly worked on.
- They seamlessly switch between impressions, requiring practice.
On the other hand:
- The specific song/genre combinations are unknown.
- The rapid switching seems challenging, even for seasoned impressionists.
- Occasional imperfections and breaking character suggest limited rehearsal.
It seems the celebrities have prepared general impressions but likely only get a short time to rehearse the songs and transitions for this specific game.
“Air Guitar”
This game has the contestants pretending to rock out on air guitar to famous riffs. Signs of rehearsal include:
- Celebrities know the songs and riffs very well.
- Their “air guitar” moves are choreographed and timed to the music.
- Jimmy Fallon joins in with guitar smashing gestures, implying planning.
However, reasons it may not be extensively rehearsed are:
- Contestants don’t know songs in advance.
- Performances maintain a fun, loose improv energy.
- Little mistakes and imperfect syncing with music occur.
The contestants likely get time to listen to the songs and plan out some basic moves but probably only do a couple of full run-throughs.
“Wheel of Impossible Karaoke”
In this karaoke game, contestants must sing challenging songs in different styles and settings. Signs of rehearsal include:
- They know lyrics perfectly despite difficult conditions.
- They quickly adjust their singing and performance to match the scenario.
- Their reactions seem exaggerated, indicating planning.
On the flip side:
- The specific song/scenario combinations are unknown beforehand.
- Performances maintain an off-the-cuff, improvised energy.
- Occasional cracks and imperfections slip through.
The contestants likely get the lyrics in advance and discuss broad approaches but have limited time to rehearse the specifics.
Conclusion
After this analysis, it seems reasonable to conclude that the contestants on That’s My Jam engage in some rehearsal but it is limited. They are probably given lyrics, impression lists, songs lists, etc. to practice individually ahead of time. There is likely some brief rehearsal of the games’ formats and technical elements. However, extensive rehearsals of the full performances seem doubtful given the improv nature of the show and busy schedules involved.
In summary, contestants:
- Get relevant material (lyrics, songs, etc.) in advance to practice
- Do an initial walk-through of the games
- Have a brief final rehearsal for camera blocking, transitions, etc.
- Do minimal full run-throughs of the entire performances
So the performances involve some rehearsal but also rely heavily on natural talent and in-the-moment improvisation. Overall, the show strikes a clever balance between preparation and spontaneity to achieve performances that feel both well-polished and effortlessly entertaining.
Comparisons to Other Shows
To further understand the level of rehearsal on That’s My Jam, it is useful to compare it to other performance-based competition shows:
Lip Sync Battle
| Show | Rehearsal Time |
|---|---|
| Lip Sync Battle | 1-2 weeks of extensive rehearsals |
As a show focused on lip syncing to songs, elaborate choreography and costumes are developed.
The Masked Singer
| Show | Rehearsal Time |
|---|---|
| The Masked Singer | 2-3 weeks of extensive rehearsals |
Contestants have extra rehearsal burden learning to perform anonymously in elaborate costumes.
Dancing with the Stars
| Show | Rehearsal Time |
|---|---|
| Dancing with the Stars | Up to 8 hours a day, 6 days a week for weeks |
Contestants rigorously train in ballroom dance with professional partners.
American Idol
| Show | Rehearsal Time |
|---|---|
| American Idol | Little rehearsal for auditions, more for final rounds |
Contestants initially perform without much prep but get coaching in later rounds.
That’s My Jam
| Show | Rehearsal Time |
|---|---|
| That’s My Jam | 1-3 days only |
That’s My Jam has less intensive rehearsals compared to most competition shows, with more improv expected.
Reasons for Limited Rehearsal
In the end, That’s My Jam limits extensive rehearsals due to its format and goals:
- The variety show requires performers to learn new skills on the fly.
- It prioritizes humor and spontaneity over polish.
- Contestants participate sporadically between other projects.
- Element of surprise is maintained with unknown games and assignments.
- The celebrities involved have natural performance skills.
Too much rehearsal could make the show feel stale, overly polished, and less entertaining. The limited rehearsal strikes the ideal balance for this comedy-driven musical competition series.
