Bess King is a young singer-songwriter who dreams of making a career in the music world in New York. To sustain herself in The Big Apple, Bess walks dogs, teaches music at people's homes, plays piano at a nursing home, guitar on the streets, works as a waitress at a bar... And to pursue her dream, she writes her songs while she goes from one job to another or in the rented storage unit she has turned into her own studio.

Portrayed by Brittany O’Grady, whom viewers may recognize from the first season of The White Lotus, Bess has a brother with autism spectrum disorder who wants to become independent but whom she has to constantly supervise because their father is an alcoholic and cannot take care of him.

This is the protagonist of Little Voice, a series produced by J.J. Abrams and created by Sara Bareilles, nominated for Tony and Grammy awards for the musical Waitress (many will remember the song She Used To Be Mine from OT 2018), along with Jessie Nelson, a screenwriter of films such as I Am Sam and the sequel to Enchanted.

This love letter to the diverse musicality of New York, described by its creators as "a romantic story of the search for one's own voice and the courage to use it," is a nod to Bareilles's 2007 eponymous album and is inspired by both Felicity and the experiences she had at the beginning of her music career.

A charismatic protagonist

Like a Joey in Dawson's Creek, Bess is smart, kind, sacrificial, hardworking, and of course, very talented.

She has several original songs, a beautiful voice, and plays multiple instruments. The series makes it clear every time Bess sings that if she hasn't been signed by a record label yet, it's simply because she hasn't been given the opportunity, as anyone who hears her for the first time is always dazzled. 

She could be an unbearable protagonist because on paper she is a textbook Mary Sue, but O’Grady effortlessly captivates with her charisma and natural charm, immediately making Bess an adorable character whom the viewer wishes all the best in life.

The New York soundtrack

In addition to seeing Bess in her creative and interpretive process, and in her relationships with the rest of the characters - including two romantic interests - Little Voice is also a love letter to music, to the nostalgia for artists like Aretha Franklin, to Broadway musicals, and to the unrecognized talent of street artists who make the soundtrack of the city of New York.

It is an optimistic and somewhat sentimental series not suitable for cynics, but that is perfect for escaping from reality, and it can win over fans of movies like Begin Again by John Carney.

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence