On the set of the musical finales closing number, Joyocaust.
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Lets have one of the most memorable days of our artistic lives!
Theres no right or wrong, no getting in trouble.
c’mon dont be reaching out and touching anything.
In some ways, it seems like any other day on aTransparentset.
From crazy sex scenes to baring your soulits very rigorous.
That kind of connection makes the day go faster.
It won eight Emmys.
Two of them were for Tambors performance.
Everything burned to the ground, Soloway says simply.
The act of staging a musical quickly became part of the healing process.
The whole thing is so meta, Soloway muses.
Joyocaust in particular is about finding new ways to cope with pain.
The song also closes in on perhaps the shows greatest legacy.
Previous seasons flashed back to Nazi Germany and sent the Pfefferman family on a fraught trip to Israel.
Soloway wonders if the whole reason we did the show was so we could do Joyocaust.
In the movie, the song follows the shiva for Maura.
Their mournful black attire abruptly transforms into a rainbow of outfits.
Its PeakTransparentearnest, absurdist, with a wink of self-awareness.
But its also an ending that could only make sense post-Tambor.
The lyrics look forward, offering a promise for moving through the #MeToo era.
This time, if somethings wrong, Soloway says, paraphrasing the songs message, I want to know.
I wont look away.
At the time the accusations came to light, Soloway was dreaming up story lines for season five.
Several more seasons were assumed to be on the horizon.
Honestly, thank God Ive been so frugal my whole life.
Over the next three months, an investigation into Tambors alleged behavior followed.
Soloway treads carefully when discussing this period.
The complexity of what went on is so nuanced, they say.
All of us had a lot of mercy for everybody involved.
We did a lot of processing.
Lysette, who plays Mauras friend Shea, remembers those months as the black-sheep period.
(Tambor has denied the allegations.)
Lysette recalls the two of them having a full-on shouting match on the Paramount lot.
Eventually, she says, the two reconciled.
It just took time for everyone to see the truth, Lysette says.
Once [the investigation] came together, I started to feel a shift from Amazon and Jill.
I was getting reaffirmed, like, Hey, you did a brave thing.
Music had always played a big role inTransparent.
We started to realize that a regular season wouldnt be enough, says Soloway.
People sing when they cant find the words.
In June 2018, the cast gathered for a workshop at Nayfacks Musical Theatre Factory in New York.
It was the first time theyd all gathered since the scandal broke.
For me, it was nice to just be together.
Though the Pfefferman family had stayed in touch throughout the ordeal, moving forward was a fragile prospect.
Theres no getting around how devastating it was, says Landecker.
We felt like,Well, whats the show without Jeffrey?
My whole energy was wrapped up in standing with my trans sisters, she says.
Its going to sound a little psychotic, but Maura and Jeffrey are two different entities for me.
Im still coming through my mourning process.
In December 2018, they gathered in Los Angeles to shoot the finale over the course of 20 days.
We all wanted to have a different ending that wasnt trauma, Soloway says.
This was a way to process the loss.
The atmosphere on this final day of production is like a happy funeral, as Duplass puts it.
Soloway calls Joyocaust the Everybody in Springfield number, because a surprising number of guest stars returned for it.
Everywhere you look, its someone who could have their own show, says Landecker.
But they just showed up to dance in the woods for love ofTransparent.
Cast and crew alike are wearing name tags with their preferred pronouns.
That should be the status quo.
Eventually, they follow the Pfefferman clan to their individual hora circles in a swirl of lollipop hues.
Tigs jazz hands are more like seal arms, she quips.
Still, the unfamiliar territory of musicals led to some stressful moments.
A little before lunchtime, Light looks for direction from Soloway.
Shakina reaches to me desperately and I dont know what to do, she frets.
Youre recognizing a loved one you havent seen in a while, advises Soloway.
Nayfacks casting is especially poignant.
In the finale, Shelly mounts a production about her life.
Nayfack, who is trans, plays Maura.
The moment when I appear as Maura that is absolution and restitution.
Its like the chef kiss of the movie.
Billings considers the finale a gift for the same reason.
[Jeffreys] ability to access this human being from inside his soul was remarkable, she says.
The good he left behind was the fact that he finally caught up with himself in his own behavior.
And because that happened, the cis man playing a trans character went away.
It felt like the family reunion I always wanted but never got.
Heffington calls everyone over to demonstrate some warm-up exercises.
Several cast members flock to her.
As the winter sun begins to set, the crowd poses for a group photo, smiling widely.
The remaining PfeffermansLight, Hoffmann, Landecker, and Duplasspull each other close.
Transparent: Musicale Finaleis on Amazon Prime September 27.
