'Julie and the Phantoms' Star Madison Reyes Wants to Change the World Through Music
Sep. 10 2020, Updated 2:25 p.m. ET
A musical comedy about a teenage girl who rediscovers her passion for music after bumping into three ghost musicians inside her late mother's studio? That's the story the new Netflix series Julie and the Phantoms explores with a great deal of finesse.
Grieving heroine Julie finds a new creative outlet after joining the troubled trio — and within the span of a few episodes, her whole life turns around. So, does Madison Reyes, the actress playing Julie, really sing the songs featuring on the show?
Madison Reyes is a talented actress and singer, and the breakout star of 'Julie and the Phantoms.'
Director Kenny Ortega — the creator of High School Musical, A Change of Heart, and the like — envisaged the show as a multimedia affair that could yield to a record or a tour in the future.
To achieve the rare feat, he and the casting team were specifically looking for multi-talents who can easily impress with their singing and acting skills. According to Entertainment Tonight, members of the cast were actively involved in the creation of the soundtrack.
"I wanted us to be able to find actors that could really do it, that could go on tour and go in the recording studio and record the album," Kenny told Entertainment Tonight.
"So with all four of them, Madison and the three boys, Charlie, Owen and Jeremy, I felt that what they presented gave me the confidence that we could really go beyond just television with this group of players," he added.
"Our imaginations were going wild with what could potentially happen, and now we have to step back and wait and hope the world will open up again," Kenny explained in a separate interview with Los Angeles Times.
According to Radio Times, every episode of Julie and the Phantoms will feature at least one song recorded by the cast. Every song was written specifically for the show.
Songs like "Edge of Great," "Wake Up," or "Flying Solo" are bound to make it to heavy rotation playlists compiled by fans and beyond.
Madison was actively involved in various aspects of the creative process, soundtrack included.
Julie and the Phantoms marks 16-year-old Madison's grand debut as an actor and singer — and she is en route to international stardom.
According to Los Angeles Times, she played an active role in various parts of the creative process, collaborating with various departments on hair, makeup, and costumes alike. She even got the chance to pay homage to her mother, Sergeant Reyes, by wearing a military uniform-inspired outfit in a crucial scene of the show.
Asked about her long-term aspirations in a previous interview with Refinery29, the young actress revealed that she wants to make the world a better place using her art.
"I want to change the world through music. The Julie and the Phantoms songs all have powerful meanings behind them. Music is what brought the band together, and we’ve already seen how the world has come together through music. I want that to continue," Madison told the outlet.
Julie and the Phantoms premieres on Thursday, Sept. 10, on Netflix.
