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Fans of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory caught a glimpse of Kate Micucci‘s other talent Thursday when the recurring guest star penned Howard’s heartfelt song for Bernadette.
During Thursday’s “The Romance Resonance” episode, Micucci — who plays Raj’s ex-girlfriend Lucy — and her Garfunkel & Oates writing partner Riki Lindhome penned “If I Didn’t Have You (Bernadette’s Song)” for the comedy.
The song, which featured nerdy references to Joss Whedon, Doctor Who, Steve Jobs and a verse in Klingon, was created as a romantic gesture from Howard to celebrate the anniversary of their first date. It featured star Simon Helberg performing the ode to his wife, Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), with backup from the rest of the cast in a whimsical chorus that poked fun at the former mama’s boy.
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For her part, Micucci has been writing and performing quirky songs with Lindhome for some time. (Fun fact: Lindhome has also guest-starred on Big Bang Theory in the past as a Sheldon-obsessed Caltech student.) Together, they have recorded four albums and also have an IFC series based on their funny and quirky comedy folk duo in the works for next year.
The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Micucci to get the backstory on the memorable performance. (Watch the full video, below.)
When did the producers first approach you with this idea?
About a month and a half ago [showrunner] Steve Molaro called us. It seemed our music/comedic sensibility lined up with the show. Also, both Riki and I are huge fans of the show and have both been on it, so we were excited to write a song that was funny but also had a lot of heart.
What kind of instructions did the producers give you for the song?
They suggested the idea of Wolowitz singing about what his life would be without Bernadette.
Were there any lyrics/references that were must-haves?
The must-have was the line, “And he’d probably still live with his mom.” And for us, rhyming “hopes” with “inseparable isotopes” was pretty thrilling.
How long did it take you to write?
In total, about a week.
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How much rehearsal time did you get with Simon and the cast?
We were on set every day. It was so exciting to watch Simon and the cast sing it. Simon is such an amazing actor and musician; he never failed to bring us to tears.
Was there anything that didn’t make the cut?
They had to change one of the lines for scientific accuracy. We were surprised they only had to change one.
Were you on set to watch the taping? How many takes were there?
On the day of the live taping there was only one take. Simon nailed it.
The song is being released on iTunes with proceeds going to MusiCares — why was it important to support that organization?
It is a great organization that gives musicians a place to turn to in times of need. It is awesome that the song can help.
Have you guys talked about doing more in the future?
Not yet, but we would love to!
Check out the video, below, and hit the comments with your thoughts on the song. Micucci will reprise her role as Lucy on Nov. 14. The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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