The decision to do a musical episode was helped by the fact that the cast of Oz (1997) already contained many actors who were also accomplished singers with serious musical theater performance experience. For example, B.D. Wong had starred in such Broadway musicals as "Pacific Overtures" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown;" Rita Moreno won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in West Side Story (1961) and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for "The Ritz" (and the youngest to complete an EGOT at the time); and J. K. Simmons had played Captain Hook and Benny Southstreet in Broadway revivals of "Peter Pan" and "Guys and Dolls," respectively.
Harold Perrineau (Augustus Hill) was unable to appear or narrate in this episode because he was working on The Matrix Reloaded (2003). Musical numbers performed by the cast members were used instead of his usual narrations, fitting for an episode that features a variety show and is called "Variety".