Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 9 - "Subspace Rhapsody"

Summary

  • Choreographer Roberto Campanella expresses his excitement and gratitude for being a part of the first-ever Star Trek musical episode.
  • Campanella explains his initial disbelief and the pressure he felt when he was asked to choreograph the entire musical episode.
  • His favorite numbers include Christine's solo without any dancing and Jess' "I'm Ready," and he reveals that Paul Wesley broke the most on set.

Roberto Campanella goes down in history as the choreographer of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode, a first-ever for the Star Trek franchise. Campanella is a highly acclaimed choreographer and director who has worked with Guillermo Del Toro on The Shape of Water among his numerous credits.

In Strange New Worlds' musical episode, a subspace rift infuses the crew of the USS Enterprise with the ability to sing and dance according to the rules of a musical. The Starfleet heroes end up baring their innermost feelings through song, and they must work together to restore not just the Enterprise, but the galaxy back to normal.

Related: Why Strange New Worlds Is Doing A Star Trek Musical Now

Screen Rant had the pleasure to chat with Roberto Campanella about how he found out about Star Trek's first-ever musical, his favorite numbers in the episode, and who was the funniest person on set. Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the show covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions.

Roberto Campanella Talks Choreographing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Musical

Strange New Worlds Musical Bridge

Screen Rant: Congratulations, Roberto. The musical is wonderful.

Roberto Campanella: You know, I've been saying, this is the best, most fun project I've ever been in. It's the perfect storm. I call it the perfect storm, of course, John, in a positive way, in the sense that everything just clicked.

You’re the first person to choreograph a Star Trek musical episode. What was it like to get the call that Star Trek is doing a musical episode, and they want you as choreographer?

Roberto Campanella: When I was first contacted, when I got the first email, I thought it was a joke. And I was like, "Someone is really screwing with me."] So I thought, "Oh, here we go. This is a prank, okay, whatever." But anyway, I called [the producers], and I thought I misunderstood. What I generally do is a dance scene. Maybe there are some actors dancing in a scene, and they want me to choreograph. Roberto comes in, choreographs, and leaves. Then, after so many back and forths, I'm going, "Sorry, what do you mean? It's the whole episode of Star Trek? And they're singing and dancing? And it's not one scene, it's the whole episode? The whole thing is a musical!" So then, yes, it is a lot of pressure, because it's never been done before. I feel incredibly privileged and lucky that it was me.

It was the right place at the right time. Also, because I'm old enough that I grew up watching The Original Series. So all of a sudden, I find myself not only being on the bridge of the Enterprise, I'm actually creating a dance for the main cast. Like, right there, there is the captain's chair. Of course, I had to sit on the captain's chair and take pictures. And it's just a 10-year-old boy's dream. That's how I felt the whole time. I felt like I was 10 years old. Let me tell you, John, I've been doing this for a long time. I'm a dinosaur. And what made it even more exciting, what made it even more special to me, was everybody from production to cast, everybody was not only so supportive, but they were committed to making this a special episode for everybody.

Star Trek Chape Musical

Did you have a favorite number to choreograph? There were 10 or 11 songs. Was there one that you really loved doing?

Roberto Campanella: I mean, obviously, they're all in my heart, but there is one that is special to me. Don't ask me why. One that actually has no dance whatsoever. And it's Christina's solo. Christina is a dancer, and I couldn't wait to work with her because she was so excited to dance. She was so eager to do some dancing. And I was so excited about it. And then we got the music, and something was not clicking with me. And I thought, "I don't see it." Like, if I read the script, if I listened to the lyrics, and the whole thing, the whole emotional part of it, I kept saying to them, and Christina as well, I said, "I'm sorry, I don't see [dancing] here. I think it will pollute and dilute this moment of yours."

I said, "I'm here to do anything you guys want me to do. But I can't see it. I can't see it." And I'm glad that Christina decided to go in the direction of not dancing. I was on set just in case she wanted something, movement-wise, and I was happy to be on set. And every single take, John, I had watery eyes and goosebumps. Every single take.

The other one that is my favorite one is Jess' "I'm Ready." I had everything [for that number]. I had all the dancers, who were fantastic and so supportive, and really just always laughing. Great time we had. But also the way Dermot blocked it, and with my choreography, and how she's going to move, what we can do. And I said, "Why don't we lift her up at some point?" Have this moment where she's like, "I'm ready to move on here." And Jess was like, "Yeah, I think I like it." And the geography [of the Port Galley set] was not easy. I'm telling you, John. Going around, going up and down, and finish up was just... But still, the whole thing is definitely in my heart.

Kirk Bridge Musical

I would imagine there was a lot of laughter on set with everybody singing and dancing. Who broke the most on set, would you say? Who couldn't keep it together?

Roberto Campanella: Um, I think it was Paul. I would say Paul. Oh, it was so funny. And, actually, to his credit, because he was busy with other things, he didn't have that many rehearsals. And he made it work. So I had to constantly keep an eye on him, and he was funny. I mean, the poor thing. What looks like nothing [performance-wise] is actually very challenging for them. Not only are they telling a story, they're acting, they're singing, they're dancing and, at the same time, they have to nail going from point A to point B without stopping. They had to really nail the point B. So there were a million things going on for them.

But yeah, I think I would say, Paul in the waltz, he was so funny in that. But other than that, it's all like this explosion of energy, of resolution and determination, and happiness to be able to say, "I'm ready!" And you've got the support of the cast, they're singing with you and being with you. So it just allowed everyone also to break free to let everything happen.

About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Christina Chong, Paul Wesley, Anson Mount, and Rebecca Romijn in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Check out our other Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 interviews here:

New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 air Thursdays on Paramount+.