She has a hit show, a killer voice and, to top it all off, "Glee" star Lea Michele is closing out 2009 with a Golden Globe nomination.
The Bronx-born, Tenafly-raised Michele is up for best performance by an actress in a television series (comedy or musical), for her spot-on portrayal of overachiever Rachel Berry on Fox's breakout hit.
"When I found out I was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category that I was nominated in, I was in complete shock," Michele told the Daily News. "As a matter of fact, I'm still in shock! It is such an honor, something I never thought I would be lucky enough to have happen to me in my life. I feel so truly blessed and thankful."
"Glee," about a misfit high school choir, has propelled Michele from Broadway, where she made a name for herself in Duncan Sheik's "Spring Awakening," to the top of every Hollywood hot list.
Since the sneak-peek premiere of "Glee" back in May, the industry has been abuzz with acclaim for the musical comedy. Oft-cited highlights include its bold story lines, witty writing and Michele's knock-down-drag-out voice.
The girl can sing.
A departure from the blue-eyed, blond-haired Hollywood stereotype, Michele has spoken of her desire to be a role model for young girls who don't quite fit the mold.
"I remember looking up to Barbra Streisand, and thinking, ‘Finally, someone who has a Jewish nose, who didn't get a nose job,'" Michele has said. "I love me and my body and my Jewish nose. If that is inspiring and can give young girls a sense of confidence, that's great."
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Glee Cast Members Nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award
Chilliwack's Patrick Gallagher, one of the stars of the hit Fox comedy GLEE, and his fellow cast members received a major honor last week when they were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award.
The cast of the show was shortlisted for the awards on Dec. 18 in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. They will be up against some tough competition, going against the casts from veteran shows 30 Rock, The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as fellow rookie Modern Family.
This is the 16th year for the awards, which honour actors in film and prime time television. Of all the major awards for film and TV, the SAG Awards are the only ones where actors are nominated and the winners chosen solely by their peers.
Gallagher plays the role of football coach Ken Tanaka on the hit show, which premiered on Fox (and Global in Canada) this fall.
"Everyone in the cast is very happy. I think especially because it is the SAG Awards, it is recognition from our peers, and it's really an honour to be recognized by people who do what we do," Gallagher told the Times in an e-mail interview. "I am very proud to be a part of the ensemble, and looking forward to attending the ceremony--hope I can meet some big stars."
The SAG Awards will be held in Los Angeles on Jan. 23.
Gallagher grew up and attended school in Chilliwack. He later studied acting at Douglas College and the National Theatre School in Montreal. He has had roles in many movies and TV shows, including Master and Commander, Sideways, both Night at the Museum movies, Da Vinci's Inquest and its sequel, Da Vinci's City Hall.
He also has a recurring role on the HBO series True Blood, which was also nominated for best ensemble cast in a drama, though Gallagher is not a regular cast member.
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The cast of the show was shortlisted for the awards on Dec. 18 in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. They will be up against some tough competition, going against the casts from veteran shows 30 Rock, The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as fellow rookie Modern Family.
This is the 16th year for the awards, which honour actors in film and prime time television. Of all the major awards for film and TV, the SAG Awards are the only ones where actors are nominated and the winners chosen solely by their peers.
Gallagher plays the role of football coach Ken Tanaka on the hit show, which premiered on Fox (and Global in Canada) this fall.
"Everyone in the cast is very happy. I think especially because it is the SAG Awards, it is recognition from our peers, and it's really an honour to be recognized by people who do what we do," Gallagher told the Times in an e-mail interview. "I am very proud to be a part of the ensemble, and looking forward to attending the ceremony--hope I can meet some big stars."
The SAG Awards will be held in Los Angeles on Jan. 23.
Gallagher grew up and attended school in Chilliwack. He later studied acting at Douglas College and the National Theatre School in Montreal. He has had roles in many movies and TV shows, including Master and Commander, Sideways, both Night at the Museum movies, Da Vinci's Inquest and its sequel, Da Vinci's City Hall.
He also has a recurring role on the HBO series True Blood, which was also nominated for best ensemble cast in a drama, though Gallagher is not a regular cast member.
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Glee: The Music, Volume 2 Soundtrack Music Review
Here's an honest review of Glee: The Music, Volume 2 soundtrack.
Picking up where Volume 1 left off, Glee: The Music, Volume 2 offers the remaining songs from the fall season of Glee. Volume 2 is chock full of Top 40, R&B, and, of course, gives another nod to Broadway.
We’ve already established that the Glee actors can sing. Standouts this go-round include Mathew Morrison and Lea Michele's (Will and Rachel) duet cover of “Endless Love,” which is just as good, if not better, than the original Lionel Richie and Diana Ross version. I also greatly prefer Morrison’s vocals in ballads such as this, to the pop and/or rap he usually performs on the show.
Another standout is Cory Monteith's (Finn) version of The Pretender’s “I’ll Stand By You,” performed with sweetness and adorable awkwardness. (No, Monteith is not the strongest singer of this bunch, but he’s probably the most earnest, which earns him extra points in my book.)
Kevin McHale (Artie) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) take the lead for a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” and Riley’s toned-down vocals allow for everyone to shine in this version, which is pleasant and surprising given that she usually drowns everyone else out. Riley also shares the spotlight with McHale, Monteith and Michele for an outstanding cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” delivering a beautiful, tender take on an already perfect song.
The whole gang, fronted by Monteith, Michele, McHale and Riley, pump up the volume on Van Halen’s “Jump,” offering a fun, clever cover that I prefer to the original (in a nice twist, they dropped the keyboard and ba ba ba ba babada ba ba da’d instead). In the cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Michele, Monteith, McHale and Riley hold their own, not surpassing the original but doing it justice just the same.
Michele, whose vocals seem made for pop music, delivers a perfectly sugar-coated cover of Jennifer Paige’s “Crush.” Ditto to Michele, Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) and Riley, who all join vocal forces to deliver a toe-tapping, head nodding cover of Kelly’s Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Ushkowitz also takes the lead for a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” offering a solid performance that is sure to surprise many, given that her character, Tina, is a shy stutterer.
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Picking up where Volume 1 left off, Glee: The Music, Volume 2 offers the remaining songs from the fall season of Glee. Volume 2 is chock full of Top 40, R&B, and, of course, gives another nod to Broadway.
We’ve already established that the Glee actors can sing. Standouts this go-round include Mathew Morrison and Lea Michele's (Will and Rachel) duet cover of “Endless Love,” which is just as good, if not better, than the original Lionel Richie and Diana Ross version. I also greatly prefer Morrison’s vocals in ballads such as this, to the pop and/or rap he usually performs on the show.
Another standout is Cory Monteith's (Finn) version of The Pretender’s “I’ll Stand By You,” performed with sweetness and adorable awkwardness. (No, Monteith is not the strongest singer of this bunch, but he’s probably the most earnest, which earns him extra points in my book.)
Kevin McHale (Artie) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) take the lead for a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” and Riley’s toned-down vocals allow for everyone to shine in this version, which is pleasant and surprising given that she usually drowns everyone else out. Riley also shares the spotlight with McHale, Monteith and Michele for an outstanding cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” delivering a beautiful, tender take on an already perfect song.
The whole gang, fronted by Monteith, Michele, McHale and Riley, pump up the volume on Van Halen’s “Jump,” offering a fun, clever cover that I prefer to the original (in a nice twist, they dropped the keyboard and ba ba ba ba babada ba ba da’d instead). In the cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Michele, Monteith, McHale and Riley hold their own, not surpassing the original but doing it justice just the same.
Michele, whose vocals seem made for pop music, delivers a perfectly sugar-coated cover of Jennifer Paige’s “Crush.” Ditto to Michele, Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) and Riley, who all join vocal forces to deliver a toe-tapping, head nodding cover of Kelly’s Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Ushkowitz also takes the lead for a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” offering a solid performance that is sure to surprise many, given that her character, Tina, is a shy stutterer.
To continue reading click here...
Glee casting News : Idina Menzel going to Glee? Not Yet!
Gleeks have been geeking out over the possibility of Broadway star Idina Menzel sweeping her way onto the hit FOX show Glee, but don’t get your broomsticks out just yet.
“I don’t know what I’m doing with Idina yet,” show creator Ryan Murphy told PEOPLE at a Hollywood Radio and Television Society panel on Wednesday. “I just met with her once. It sort of got leaked, but I haven’t plotted it out yet.”
Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in the hit Broadway musical Wicked, and Lea Michele, the actress who plays Rachel Berry on Glee and sang Wicked’s signature number “Defying Gravity,” look a lot alike, a fact not lost on Menzel nor her husband, Private Practice star Taye Diggs, who recently said, “We knew that [resemblance] existed far, far before the TV world did.” That resemblance has some hoping the Tony-winner will play the biological mother of Rachel, who is the proud daughter of two gay dads.
While fans will have to wait to see what, if anything, Murphy comes up with, Glee will ease on down the road for Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. Chenoweth will return as former McKinley High glee club star April Rhodes in the spring.
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“I don’t know what I’m doing with Idina yet,” show creator Ryan Murphy told PEOPLE at a Hollywood Radio and Television Society panel on Wednesday. “I just met with her once. It sort of got leaked, but I haven’t plotted it out yet.”
Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in the hit Broadway musical Wicked, and Lea Michele, the actress who plays Rachel Berry on Glee and sang Wicked’s signature number “Defying Gravity,” look a lot alike, a fact not lost on Menzel nor her husband, Private Practice star Taye Diggs, who recently said, “We knew that [resemblance] existed far, far before the TV world did.” That resemblance has some hoping the Tony-winner will play the biological mother of Rachel, who is the proud daughter of two gay dads.
While fans will have to wait to see what, if anything, Murphy comes up with, Glee will ease on down the road for Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. Chenoweth will return as former McKinley High glee club star April Rhodes in the spring.
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Glee TV Guide: Glee's 4 nominations at Golden Globes
Since Fox's quirky "Glee" was the happiest story of the fall on television, it was also the happiest glory of the Golden Globes that "Glee" led that pack with four nominations.
Whether it will win the "best musical or comedy series" remains problematic, since there seems to be some kind of ordinance that "30 Rock" wins everything for which it is nominated.
But in fact, "Glee" has been a more consistently entertaining show.
So credit the Globes with stepping to the head of the pack by giving "Glee" four nominations, with Matthew Morrison up for best actor, Lea Michele for best actress and Jane Lynch for best supporting actress.
Elsewhere this year, the Globes weren't quite as bold as their reputation.
Nominating "Modern Family" as best comedy was a nice touch, if perhaps a few episodes premature. Let's make sure the show can sustain its strong start. A better move would have been to nominate "Better Off Ted, which is starting its second season and is markedly fresher than, say, the nominated but slightly tattered "Entourage."
All props to the Globes for recognizing in the "best drama series" category that "True Blood" morphed into a much better show this year. Too bad it didn't recognize that was even more true for "Sons of Anarchy," whose omission was egregious.
The Globes also didn't recognize that "Breaking Bad" and "Friday Night Lights," which were not nominated, are both more compelling than "Big Love," which was.
If the Globes really wanted to reach for the cutting edge, it would have nominated "FlashForward" as best drama.
In the "best actor in a drama" category, there were two glaring omissions: Gabriel Byrne of "In Treatment" and Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad." Enjoyable as Simon Baker's character is in "The Mentalist," his nomination should have gone to one of them.
But the Globes know it's good to have characters from hit broadcast shows in the mix (see "Glee"), because the Globes are still a mainstream awards show -- which is one reason a relatively obscure organization like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association draws such disproportionate attention.
Another reason is that the HFPA only gives awards viewers care about. The Oscars and Emmys give a lot of technical awards, and they should. This group can stick with shows, actors and actresses.
The quality of the top-level TV drama these days helps every awards show, and it's nowhere reflected better than in the best dramatic actress category, which includes Glenn Close of "Damages," January Jones of "Mad Men," Kyra Sedgwick of "The Closer," Anna Paquin of "True Blood" and, happily, Julianna Marguilies of "The Good Wife."
It's hard to argue with any of those choices, and it also reinforces the obvious: that when roles are written for women over 30, we have actresses who can make them memorable. Hollywood, make note.
One other point about this year's Globe nominations is also worth making.
The Globes are often seen as a precursor of the Oscars and Emmys, though more the former than the latter.
But since the Globes and the Emmys don't have the same start and end dates for their nominations, there are times when the Globes are only now getting around to shows the Emmys already honored or considered.
In this case, the Globes have nominated and now have a chance to gently reject the overrated "Grey Gardens" and give the miniseries/movie award to a more deserving production – preferably "Little Dorrit," though "Taking Chance" or "Georgia O'Keefe" would do.
And speaking of "Taking Chance," Kevin Bacon deserves a best-actor award for that one. He didn't get it from the Emmys, though he was nominated, so it would be nice if he could pick it up here.
Whether it will win the "best musical or comedy series" remains problematic, since there seems to be some kind of ordinance that "30 Rock" wins everything for which it is nominated.
But in fact, "Glee" has been a more consistently entertaining show.
So credit the Globes with stepping to the head of the pack by giving "Glee" four nominations, with Matthew Morrison up for best actor, Lea Michele for best actress and Jane Lynch for best supporting actress.
Elsewhere this year, the Globes weren't quite as bold as their reputation.
Nominating "Modern Family" as best comedy was a nice touch, if perhaps a few episodes premature. Let's make sure the show can sustain its strong start. A better move would have been to nominate "Better Off Ted, which is starting its second season and is markedly fresher than, say, the nominated but slightly tattered "Entourage."
All props to the Globes for recognizing in the "best drama series" category that "True Blood" morphed into a much better show this year. Too bad it didn't recognize that was even more true for "Sons of Anarchy," whose omission was egregious.
The Globes also didn't recognize that "Breaking Bad" and "Friday Night Lights," which were not nominated, are both more compelling than "Big Love," which was.
If the Globes really wanted to reach for the cutting edge, it would have nominated "FlashForward" as best drama.
In the "best actor in a drama" category, there were two glaring omissions: Gabriel Byrne of "In Treatment" and Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad." Enjoyable as Simon Baker's character is in "The Mentalist," his nomination should have gone to one of them.
But the Globes know it's good to have characters from hit broadcast shows in the mix (see "Glee"), because the Globes are still a mainstream awards show -- which is one reason a relatively obscure organization like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association draws such disproportionate attention.
Another reason is that the HFPA only gives awards viewers care about. The Oscars and Emmys give a lot of technical awards, and they should. This group can stick with shows, actors and actresses.
The quality of the top-level TV drama these days helps every awards show, and it's nowhere reflected better than in the best dramatic actress category, which includes Glenn Close of "Damages," January Jones of "Mad Men," Kyra Sedgwick of "The Closer," Anna Paquin of "True Blood" and, happily, Julianna Marguilies of "The Good Wife."
It's hard to argue with any of those choices, and it also reinforces the obvious: that when roles are written for women over 30, we have actresses who can make them memorable. Hollywood, make note.
One other point about this year's Globe nominations is also worth making.
The Globes are often seen as a precursor of the Oscars and Emmys, though more the former than the latter.
But since the Globes and the Emmys don't have the same start and end dates for their nominations, there are times when the Globes are only now getting around to shows the Emmys already honored or considered.
In this case, the Globes have nominated and now have a chance to gently reject the overrated "Grey Gardens" and give the miniseries/movie award to a more deserving production – preferably "Little Dorrit," though "Taking Chance" or "Georgia O'Keefe" would do.
And speaking of "Taking Chance," Kevin Bacon deserves a best-actor award for that one. He didn't get it from the Emmys, though he was nominated, so it would be nice if he could pick it up here.
Glee TV Guide: Glee Vol.2 soundtrack will arrive at no. 3 on the Billboard 200
The hit Fox series 'Glee' tops Chris Brown's anticipated "Graffiti" album to land the title of being this week's top debut on the Billboard 200 !
When totals are revealed Wednesday, sources say "Glee Vol.2," a soundtrack coinciding with the hit Fox show, will arrive at no.3 on the chart, moving over 171,000 copies.
Chris Brown, who recently deleted his Twitter account after making allegations that retailers were black balling his album, is poised to debut within the top 10 this week. His third studio album, "Graffiti," will come in with just over 100,000 copies sold.
As previously reported, Brown's debut on the chart comes in well below expectations and is far short of his last debut with 2007's "Exclusive," which moved well over 200,000 copies.
Chris Brown's album, while receiving mixed reviews, includes the singles "I Can Transform Ya," "Crawl" and production from Polow Da Don, Scott Storch and more. The album was also released in two editions, standard and deluxe.
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When totals are revealed Wednesday, sources say "Glee Vol.2," a soundtrack coinciding with the hit Fox show, will arrive at no.3 on the chart, moving over 171,000 copies.
Chris Brown, who recently deleted his Twitter account after making allegations that retailers were black balling his album, is poised to debut within the top 10 this week. His third studio album, "Graffiti," will come in with just over 100,000 copies sold.
As previously reported, Brown's debut on the chart comes in well below expectations and is far short of his last debut with 2007's "Exclusive," which moved well over 200,000 copies.
Chris Brown's album, while receiving mixed reviews, includes the singles "I Can Transform Ya," "Crawl" and production from Polow Da Don, Scott Storch and more. The album was also released in two editions, standard and deluxe.
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Glee TV Guide: Joining the Glee bandwagon?
When I first wrote about "Glee," I said, "[The pilot] was entertaining enough, but certainly not a euphoria-inducing experience that makes me want to rush out, join the bandwagon and sing 'Don't Stop Believin" at the top of my lungs. However, there's definitely potential."
But, boy, am I on that bandwagon now! (Although, thankfully for everyone, I only belt out the show's tunes when no one else is around.)
Things were a little rocky for "Glee" at first, but by episode six, things clicked, and "Glee" became the show I looked forward to most each week. From there, it continued to grow stronger, and until it's mid-season finale last week, it was my only can't-miss show of the season. (That will change when "Chuck" returns in January.) I'm super bummed that it's on hiatus for four months, but at least that will give newbies a chance to discover it and get caught up.
Music, of course, is the focus of "Glee." (There are already two soundtracks out.) Able to afford music rights that real show choirs can't, "Glee's" group has taken on everything from Kanye West's "Gold Digger" to Broadway's "Defying Gravity" to Queen's "Somebody to Love," introducing viewers of all ages to songs they might not have heard before and offering a new spin on them. Watching the cast perform them is infectiously fun.
They also do mash-ups. My favorite is by their teacher, who mixes The Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and Gary Puckett's "Young Girl" to dissuade a student's crush. Not only is it hilarious, it's also utterly perfect for the situation.
But even with great music, the show wouldn't work without its talented cast. Three -- Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele and Jane Lynch -- earned Golden Globe nominations Tuesday (as did the show itself).
However, "Glee" truly is an ensemble show; nearly a dozen other actors round out the regular cast and are just as important as their nominated counterparts. I expect a Best Ensemble Cast award at January's SAG Awards.
The group brings an impressive array of musical ability to the show. Morrison, Michele and Jenna Ushkowitz are Broadway performers. Kevin McHale was in a boy band. Mark Salling has an album out. Amber Riley and Chris Colfer are musical theater veterans. Even those without extensive musical backgrounds -- particularly Cory Monteith -- have great pipes.
The show isn't just about music, though. It's also a comedy that, for better or worse, takes you back to high school where everyone is judged socially and everything depends on your status. This is even true among the faculty, where the successful cheerleading coach will be damned if she's going to let the loser show choir teacher and his gang of misfits take anything, like money or the spotlight, from her team.
"Glee" packs in the drama, too, covering issues that include sexuality, handicaps and pregnancy. I've teared up during several of its more dramatic moments, including when a cheerleader's parents kick her out because she's no longer their "perfect daughter" and when the cheerleading coach shows an unexpected soft side with her older sister.
Admittedly, "Glee" isn't for everyone. If your favorite fare is crime procedurals and traditional dramas or you don't like people bursting randomly into song (it happens at least once an episode), you probably won't like it. However, if you like shows like "Chuck," "Psych" and "Ugly Betty," which blend genres and add a dash of quirk, then "Glee" just might be for you.
It doesn't return with new episodes until April 13. In the meantime, Fox has two reruns Wednesday starting at 8 p.m., and the first 13 episodes are on DVD Dec. 29 or at various places (free and pay) online. If you're interested, check them out and get your gleek on.
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Season finales: "Say Yes to the Dress," 9:30 p.m. Friday, TLC; "Survivor," 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS; "The Sing-off," 8 p.m. Monday, NBC; "The Closer," 9 p.m. Monday, TNT.
Select Christmas specials: "Saturday Night Live Presents A Very Gilly Christmas," 8 p.m. Thursday, NBC; "Frosty the Snowman," 8 p.m. Friday, CBS; "Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas," 8 p.m. Monday, PBS2; "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," 8 p.m. Wednesday, ABC; "A Home for the Holidays," 8 p.m. Wednesday, CBS.
Of note: "Pixar Short Films," 10 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday, ABC Family; "Great Performances: La Boheme," 9 p.m. Wednesday, PBS.
Reach Amy Robinson at flips...@wvgazette.com.
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Glee's Popularity
When I saw the commercials for The Sing Off on NBC, I immediately thought that it was the reality TV version of Glee. It might be, but it's still pretty fun. Eight groups from around the country (including one from Baltimore) will face off across four nights for viewer votes trying to win a $100,000 prize.
The show opens with an a capella rendition of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," including reminders before and after from host Nick Lachey that the performance is done completely without instruments. In case you were watching and weren't aware of what a capella means.
Tonight, each of the groups will sing a "signature song."
The first group we meet is Nota, six guys from Puerto Rico. Their signature song is Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours." It becomes their signature song about two-thirds of the way through when they speed it up, sing a verse in Spanish and add a sambaish beat. Judge Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls says she felt like she was at home in Hawaii, and then went on a trip to Puerto Rico. Ben Folds says the arrangement was key because it's a laid-back song, but then they ramped it up. He also liked the tasteful use of mouth-drumming. Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men says, "Wow!" He says the Spanish remix "was off the hook" and that they brought the song to life.
Voices of Lee from Lee University in Tennessee. The group of 10 is all about inspirational music, especially Christian music. Their song for the night is "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. Shawn says they have a tight harmony structure, so they have to always be exactly on key, which can be tough when you are moving, too. Overall, though, he loved the performance and the energy. Ben says it was nice and uplifting. The only thing he didn't love was that it took awhile to get to the point where they could hear the lead voice. But he still liked it. Nicole ... well, Nicole is totally the Paula here. I'll just leave it at that.
Nick reminds us -- again -- that there won't be instruments! No guitars! No drums! I think the writers should have come up with some other topics for his banter because this is getting super old.
Face is an "all-vocal" rock band from Colorado. Their song is "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. Ben says they kept the rock alive. He doesn't think, though, that the chorus hit like it should, maybe because there wasn't enough "support up top." But he loved the energy. Nicole thinks it's, like, soooooo coooool that you can rock out "with just voices." Hey, did you know there weren't instruments in a capella? Shawn says he's never banged his head to an a capella song before, but he did today. He points to guy who did the percussive sounds and asks what he has in his stomach to make that sound.
The girls of Noteworthy are from Brigham Young University. They sing a variety of repertoire, but they avoid innuendo and swearing. They call their style "uplifting power pop," and their song is "Think." Yes, Aretha. My husband, who has a lot more musical background than me, isn't even paying that close of attention to the performance, but he says, out of nowhere, "That girl doesn't have the voice to pull of this song. This is a big song." I say that she thinks she does. Him: "Yes, she's singing very confidently, but that doesn't mean she's pulling it off." Shawn Stockman asks they crowd what they think (heh) about nine white girls from Provo singing Aretha. He tells them they just need to keep an eye out on it getting too high and "tinny." Ben says female groups have to be careful with the arrangements and adding some dynamics. They had a lot of "the top dynamic," but it just kept going up and up. "Other than that, maybe a little more cussing would have been good," he closes. Heh. (How about a little "Rocking the Suburbs"?) Nicole loves their style and staging and everything, but she's proud they could hold all the elements together.
Weirdly, the judges cut a group from the first four. (I thought the viewers were picking?) Nota, Noteworthy and Voices of Lee are safe, and Face is cut. Yes, Face, the group the audience actually related to (if pictures of audience and what I am reading on Twitter is any indication). Now we have to bid a sad adieu to Face after meeting them like seven minutes ago. This is weird, right?
Tufts University's Beelzebubs have been around since 1962. Their song tonight is "Magical Mystery Tour." These kids clearly practice a lot; they had so much fun. Ben says it was fun and they all have a ton of charisma. He says it was a smart choice, though it was pitchiest when it was the most entertaining, "like, 'ahhhh .... LOOK OVER THERE!'" Hee! Shawn says it felt like a Broadway play (he means that in a good way, not like Simon Cowell would mean it). Nicole says they have shown that a capella is anything but boring and not cool. She says they were a human band.
The Baltimore group is four soccer moms who sing barbershop quartet style songs. They're called Maxx Factor. They're inspired by the group Something Extra, which featured the father of one of the women, Valerie. Their song is "Dancin' Queen." They are good, but I think they suffer coming after the modern-feeling Beelzebubs, who were such crowd-pleasers. I can't fault their performance a bit, though. Shawn: "WOOOOOOOW! Wow! The sass, the style, the flair, the harmony. ... I love it." He says sometimes Leslie's lead voice got overwhelmed a little bit, but overall, they are off the hook. Nicole says she loves their style, and the barbershop style makes you say, "That's dope." She says they are sassy classy. Ben says everyone loved it and he did, too. He says the barbershop style gets rid of the tinny problem.
The Socals are USC alumni who have reunited to try to win one more competition. One sad moment is when they share their moment of drama that they've faced in their lives (I've pretty much glossed over these in my recap), and theirs is that one girl has GERD. Yes, acid reflux. Sometimes it hurts when she sings. Well, I have GERD, too, and sometimes it hurts when I blog. But I pretty much keep it to myself and take some Zantac. (Of course, who would she know that the other folks' stories would involve wives in comas and recently-passed away fathers, but still.) Anyway, they sing Queen's "Somebody to Love." And they are fab. Ben says they are killing it. Shawn totally dug it. They had some key issues, but they brought it back together fast. Nicole was impressed by how well they worked the stage and fixed their key problems.
Solo is a group from North Omaha, Nebraska, and they say they have a dream to escape from there. They sing "Watcha Say?" Shawn says they should feel proud that they are up here on a national stage being seen by millions of people. He loved the spirit, style and flavor, but he says they need to keep an eye on keeping their harmonies tight. Nicole says they feel like a special group to her, but she thinks some of the harmonies went "a little South," but they are already winners just for being here. Ben says they part they are getting right is not teachable, especially the beatboxers. He says they made a risky choice because that song is so "tuned" in production that viewers aren't used to hearing actual human voices performing it.
It's time for another cut. The Beelzebubs are safe (duh), as are the Socals and Baltimore's Maxx Factor. So Solo joins Face as the other group cut tonight.
Solo sings "I Will Survive" as their "swan song," and one of the girls is so upset that it takes them a while to start.
Tomorrow, each of the six groups has to sing a hit from the past two years, as well as a guilty pleasure song. We get a preview.
Did you watch? What did you think about it?
SOURCE
The show opens with an a capella rendition of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," including reminders before and after from host Nick Lachey that the performance is done completely without instruments. In case you were watching and weren't aware of what a capella means.
Tonight, each of the groups will sing a "signature song."
The first group we meet is Nota, six guys from Puerto Rico. Their signature song is Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours." It becomes their signature song about two-thirds of the way through when they speed it up, sing a verse in Spanish and add a sambaish beat. Judge Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls says she felt like she was at home in Hawaii, and then went on a trip to Puerto Rico. Ben Folds says the arrangement was key because it's a laid-back song, but then they ramped it up. He also liked the tasteful use of mouth-drumming. Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men says, "Wow!" He says the Spanish remix "was off the hook" and that they brought the song to life.
Voices of Lee from Lee University in Tennessee. The group of 10 is all about inspirational music, especially Christian music. Their song for the night is "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. Shawn says they have a tight harmony structure, so they have to always be exactly on key, which can be tough when you are moving, too. Overall, though, he loved the performance and the energy. Ben says it was nice and uplifting. The only thing he didn't love was that it took awhile to get to the point where they could hear the lead voice. But he still liked it. Nicole ... well, Nicole is totally the Paula here. I'll just leave it at that.
Nick reminds us -- again -- that there won't be instruments! No guitars! No drums! I think the writers should have come up with some other topics for his banter because this is getting super old.
Face is an "all-vocal" rock band from Colorado. Their song is "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. Ben says they kept the rock alive. He doesn't think, though, that the chorus hit like it should, maybe because there wasn't enough "support up top." But he loved the energy. Nicole thinks it's, like, soooooo coooool that you can rock out "with just voices." Hey, did you know there weren't instruments in a capella? Shawn says he's never banged his head to an a capella song before, but he did today. He points to guy who did the percussive sounds and asks what he has in his stomach to make that sound.
The girls of Noteworthy are from Brigham Young University. They sing a variety of repertoire, but they avoid innuendo and swearing. They call their style "uplifting power pop," and their song is "Think." Yes, Aretha. My husband, who has a lot more musical background than me, isn't even paying that close of attention to the performance, but he says, out of nowhere, "That girl doesn't have the voice to pull of this song. This is a big song." I say that she thinks she does. Him: "Yes, she's singing very confidently, but that doesn't mean she's pulling it off." Shawn Stockman asks they crowd what they think (heh) about nine white girls from Provo singing Aretha. He tells them they just need to keep an eye out on it getting too high and "tinny." Ben says female groups have to be careful with the arrangements and adding some dynamics. They had a lot of "the top dynamic," but it just kept going up and up. "Other than that, maybe a little more cussing would have been good," he closes. Heh. (How about a little "Rocking the Suburbs"?) Nicole loves their style and staging and everything, but she's proud they could hold all the elements together.
Weirdly, the judges cut a group from the first four. (I thought the viewers were picking?) Nota, Noteworthy and Voices of Lee are safe, and Face is cut. Yes, Face, the group the audience actually related to (if pictures of audience and what I am reading on Twitter is any indication). Now we have to bid a sad adieu to Face after meeting them like seven minutes ago. This is weird, right?
Tufts University's Beelzebubs have been around since 1962. Their song tonight is "Magical Mystery Tour." These kids clearly practice a lot; they had so much fun. Ben says it was fun and they all have a ton of charisma. He says it was a smart choice, though it was pitchiest when it was the most entertaining, "like, 'ahhhh .... LOOK OVER THERE!'" Hee! Shawn says it felt like a Broadway play (he means that in a good way, not like Simon Cowell would mean it). Nicole says they have shown that a capella is anything but boring and not cool. She says they were a human band.
The Baltimore group is four soccer moms who sing barbershop quartet style songs. They're called Maxx Factor. They're inspired by the group Something Extra, which featured the father of one of the women, Valerie. Their song is "Dancin' Queen." They are good, but I think they suffer coming after the modern-feeling Beelzebubs, who were such crowd-pleasers. I can't fault their performance a bit, though. Shawn: "WOOOOOOOW! Wow! The sass, the style, the flair, the harmony. ... I love it." He says sometimes Leslie's lead voice got overwhelmed a little bit, but overall, they are off the hook. Nicole says she loves their style, and the barbershop style makes you say, "That's dope." She says they are sassy classy. Ben says everyone loved it and he did, too. He says the barbershop style gets rid of the tinny problem.
The Socals are USC alumni who have reunited to try to win one more competition. One sad moment is when they share their moment of drama that they've faced in their lives (I've pretty much glossed over these in my recap), and theirs is that one girl has GERD. Yes, acid reflux. Sometimes it hurts when she sings. Well, I have GERD, too, and sometimes it hurts when I blog. But I pretty much keep it to myself and take some Zantac. (Of course, who would she know that the other folks' stories would involve wives in comas and recently-passed away fathers, but still.) Anyway, they sing Queen's "Somebody to Love." And they are fab. Ben says they are killing it. Shawn totally dug it. They had some key issues, but they brought it back together fast. Nicole was impressed by how well they worked the stage and fixed their key problems.
Solo is a group from North Omaha, Nebraska, and they say they have a dream to escape from there. They sing "Watcha Say?" Shawn says they should feel proud that they are up here on a national stage being seen by millions of people. He loved the spirit, style and flavor, but he says they need to keep an eye on keeping their harmonies tight. Nicole says they feel like a special group to her, but she thinks some of the harmonies went "a little South," but they are already winners just for being here. Ben says they part they are getting right is not teachable, especially the beatboxers. He says they made a risky choice because that song is so "tuned" in production that viewers aren't used to hearing actual human voices performing it.
It's time for another cut. The Beelzebubs are safe (duh), as are the Socals and Baltimore's Maxx Factor. So Solo joins Face as the other group cut tonight.
Solo sings "I Will Survive" as their "swan song," and one of the girls is so upset that it takes them a while to start.
Tomorrow, each of the six groups has to sing a hit from the past two years, as well as a guilty pleasure song. We get a preview.
Did you watch? What did you think about it?
SOURCE
Glee Spoiler from TV Squad
Terri will not go away easily and will try her best to keep the hope alive with Will. Seasons past, which means that football will not be the hot sport when the show returns in April. Basketball will be front and center and Finn is the captain of the team. Look for more songs in the coming up episode sthat in the first 13 episodes. Rumors claim that Adam Lambert will guess star on the show.
SOURCE : TVSquad
SOURCE : TVSquad
Glee TV Guide: Jayma Mays
Pshaw! You were wrong.
We made sure to check out Jayma Mays' performance of "Let It Snow" at a special event for Dunkin' Donuts in New York City. After she did the robot while singing a holiday tune—she really is the cutest thing ever—we made sure to ask a few pressing questions.
She had a few choice words for Emma's future, as well as the potential for more chances to sing (or rap or yodel...).
First of all, you aren't the only ones dying to know what happens next in the tale of McKinley High.
"I feel like last night was as much of a cliffhanger for the characters in the show as it was for everyone watching," she confessed. "I haven't a clue what happens next, but I do hope they give her a job somewhere. She'll starve to death. It's a recession! What was she thinking leaving school?"
Of course, we had to ask what she thought of the future of Emma and Mr. Schuster.
"The triangle is definitely still there," she said. "Emma's afraid of everything, so I doubt she would jump into anything headfirst. I think she's too analytical for that. As much as she wants to be a romantic and in the clouds and stuff, I think she'd want to be smart about it."
Jayma shared our sadness that we only heard her sing one time in this first half of the season, and she's definitely hoping for a round two (or three or four) in the upcoming episodes.
"I keep saying I want to sing a country song—get back to my roots a little," she said, but admitted she'll gladly take what she's given. "You never know with them. They're so brilliant and they make it work, so you never know. They might have me rap or yodel. Maybe at the same time!"
As for that upcoming Madonna episode, Jayma feels it would only be appropriate that Emma sing "Like a Virgin." This doesn't surprise us too much—she sang "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show for her Glee audition!
See that comments section? It's there for you to sound off and speculate on the future of that dreamy interoffice romance that was sealed with a kiss last night. Get to it!
SOURCE
Glee: The Music Volume 2
Even though the Glee club takes a four-month break after its midseason finale Wednesday night on Fox, its "gleeks" fan base still has something to chime about with the just-released Glee: The Music, Volume 2 soundtrack.
Like its hit predecessor, Volume 2 boasts a wildly diverse collection of tunes, including Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You and John Lennon's Imagine, all of which get high-spirited makeovers from producer Adam Anders. Volume 1 made its debut at No. 4 on Billboard's 200 chart the first week of November, selling 113,000 copies, and show co-creator Ryan Murphy, who picks all the songs himself, is confident that Volume 2 will see the same success.
"There's something for everyone," he says. "We pluck songs from different genres and different worlds. My father, my mother, my niece would find this album amusing."
Says Rob Stringer, chairman of Columbia/Epic records, the label behind the soundtracks: "Ryan has fantastic pop culture taste that permeates the show in every way. The song interpretations relate to the concept of the show – they're not just karaoke covers."
A psychoanalysis based on Murphy's iPod playlists would be a challenge for any therapist.
"I have schizophrenic taste in music," he says. "Lately, I've been obsessed with Fleetwood Mac, and I can't stop listening to Miley Cyrus' Party in the U.S.A. I love the song TiK ToK by Ke$ha, the new Jay-Z album, the new Alicia Keys. I even like Susan Boyle."
How does Murphy, who rose to fame with his series Nip/Tuck, pick the songs for the show? "It's a weird process I go through in my head," he says. "I chose Proud Mary (Volume 2's lead track) because of a moment I shared with my father. In fact, the whole episode (about Arty and his disability) is based on my relationship with my father."
The fact that there are only three script writers (Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan and Murphy) helps to keep the diverse song choices tightly woven to the plot, Murphy says. "We come up with a theme of the episode first, and then I choose the song. It's my personal music taste, really."
Murphy's picks aren't just appealing to him. Collectively, the tracks have racked up just over 3 million downloads. "What's interesting about Volume 1 is that it's selling well (280,000 copies) despite how 13 of the17 tracks were previously available as single downloads," says Billboard analyst Keith Caufield. "Songs from Glee 2 are selling well, too, so there's no reason why the album won't be just as successful as the first."
When the show returns April 13, gleeks can revel in some big-name love: An all-Madonna episode is ready to go, and Barry Manilow will be a guest star. Also, Jane Lynch, who plays Will Schuster's hilarious nemesis, Sue Sylvester, will put a few of her tirades to song.
"She's been begging me for numbers for months," Murphy says. "She's an old Broadway star; she's a great singer. We call her Old Hoofer."
SOURCE
Like its hit predecessor, Volume 2 boasts a wildly diverse collection of tunes, including Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You and John Lennon's Imagine, all of which get high-spirited makeovers from producer Adam Anders. Volume 1 made its debut at No. 4 on Billboard's 200 chart the first week of November, selling 113,000 copies, and show co-creator Ryan Murphy, who picks all the songs himself, is confident that Volume 2 will see the same success.
"There's something for everyone," he says. "We pluck songs from different genres and different worlds. My father, my mother, my niece would find this album amusing."
Says Rob Stringer, chairman of Columbia/Epic records, the label behind the soundtracks: "Ryan has fantastic pop culture taste that permeates the show in every way. The song interpretations relate to the concept of the show – they're not just karaoke covers."
A psychoanalysis based on Murphy's iPod playlists would be a challenge for any therapist.
"I have schizophrenic taste in music," he says. "Lately, I've been obsessed with Fleetwood Mac, and I can't stop listening to Miley Cyrus' Party in the U.S.A. I love the song TiK ToK by Ke$ha, the new Jay-Z album, the new Alicia Keys. I even like Susan Boyle."
How does Murphy, who rose to fame with his series Nip/Tuck, pick the songs for the show? "It's a weird process I go through in my head," he says. "I chose Proud Mary (Volume 2's lead track) because of a moment I shared with my father. In fact, the whole episode (about Arty and his disability) is based on my relationship with my father."
The fact that there are only three script writers (Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan and Murphy) helps to keep the diverse song choices tightly woven to the plot, Murphy says. "We come up with a theme of the episode first, and then I choose the song. It's my personal music taste, really."
Murphy's picks aren't just appealing to him. Collectively, the tracks have racked up just over 3 million downloads. "What's interesting about Volume 1 is that it's selling well (280,000 copies) despite how 13 of the17 tracks were previously available as single downloads," says Billboard analyst Keith Caufield. "Songs from Glee 2 are selling well, too, so there's no reason why the album won't be just as successful as the first."
When the show returns April 13, gleeks can revel in some big-name love: An all-Madonna episode is ready to go, and Barry Manilow will be a guest star. Also, Jane Lynch, who plays Will Schuster's hilarious nemesis, Sue Sylvester, will put a few of her tirades to song.
"She's been begging me for numbers for months," Murphy says. "She's an old Broadway star; she's a great singer. We call her Old Hoofer."
SOURCE
Glee Fall Finale : Sectionals
Glee's biggest story at this point, at least supposedly, should be sectionals--how a badly-derided glee club gets to the top. Then again, it would be a boring story even if we get to see Sue for most of every episode, if not all of it. Where would we be if not for the pregnancies, both actual and hysterical? Were would we be if not for failed pick-up lines and actual make-out scenes? Tummy paddings? Gloves? Proposals? Used cars?
Still, it's nice that tonight, on Glee's fall finale, we finally see New Directions fight their very first big fight: sectionals. We already know who the competition is (which means, yes, Eve will be back as a guest tonight) and we already know what the battle plan is to win it all... but, of course, there's bound to be complications in the end.
Say, Sue is still out to break the glee club. I guess that one free page at the Thunderclap made her a "fattie" or an "ugly" herself. I kid.
But the major hurdle this time around is Quinn's secret. So Puck finally told Mercedes that he's the actual father of the baby. And, for some reason, Mercedes tells everyone--well, almost everyone, because Rachel has yet to know, and by consequence, Finn has yet to know. The recovery from the first blow is one thing: another knockout is much harder. Can they cope?
Maybe they should ask Will, who just came out of the best moment in his life last week--well, we're talking about ourselves, so sorry, Will, because we know it's sad to find out your wife is a-cheatin' with her pregnancy. Or, maybe the glee kids should help Will cope himself too, because he might make one decision that will change his life forever. Context clue: Emma and Ken are getting married. I smell a cliffhanger.
Tonight's Glee is the last one before the four-month break, so let's make the most of it, shall we? It's on from 9pm on Fox. You know where the photos are. And I suggest, prepare napkins for our shallow, shallow tears.
SOURCE
Still, it's nice that tonight, on Glee's fall finale, we finally see New Directions fight their very first big fight: sectionals. We already know who the competition is (which means, yes, Eve will be back as a guest tonight) and we already know what the battle plan is to win it all... but, of course, there's bound to be complications in the end.
Say, Sue is still out to break the glee club. I guess that one free page at the Thunderclap made her a "fattie" or an "ugly" herself. I kid.
But the major hurdle this time around is Quinn's secret. So Puck finally told Mercedes that he's the actual father of the baby. And, for some reason, Mercedes tells everyone--well, almost everyone, because Rachel has yet to know, and by consequence, Finn has yet to know. The recovery from the first blow is one thing: another knockout is much harder. Can they cope?
Maybe they should ask Will, who just came out of the best moment in his life last week--well, we're talking about ourselves, so sorry, Will, because we know it's sad to find out your wife is a-cheatin' with her pregnancy. Or, maybe the glee kids should help Will cope himself too, because he might make one decision that will change his life forever. Context clue: Emma and Ken are getting married. I smell a cliffhanger.
Tonight's Glee is the last one before the four-month break, so let's make the most of it, shall we? It's on from 9pm on Fox. You know where the photos are. And I suggest, prepare napkins for our shallow, shallow tears.
SOURCE
Glee Finale Spoilers
Here are some scoops of your favorite TV Series Glee from EOnline.com.
Kevin in Omaha, Neb.: Only one more episode of Glee left. Tell me it's good!
If you're hoping for a Glee minifinale full of lots of loose ends being wrapped up, then you've got it! Aside from Finn finding out, an inside source who asked to be called Clubber Lang tells me of this Wednesday's ep: "It rocks. Very satisfying, all scores are settled, all secrets revealed. There are two show-stopping solos that will make the devil run home and call his mama." And a source who asked to be called Cory Monteith (because that's his name) tells us: "The plotlines you may have felt need resolution will be resolved. There is a lot of resolution in sectionals." And guess what? The Glee cast is finally back at work today on the new episodes. Hells to the yay! If only we could get them before April, right?
Mary in Washington, D.C.: OK, so who won the Glee love debate?
The official winner of the Glee love debate is Puck and Rachel. The picture of Finn and Rachel in our TV Couples We Love gallery has been officially replaced with a pic of Rachel and Puck. Congrats, Team Puckerberry!
Rebecca in Miami: Love Jessalyn Gilsig and glad to hear she'll be back on the show in April. Is she ever going to sing?
Jessalyn herself tells us: "I hope so. I would love to. I mean, I'm no Lea Michele, but I do sing in the shower! I sing lullabies to my daughter, so maybe I can sing to the baby..." That better not mean that Terri actually gets Quinn and Puck's bambino. There has to be a more fit parent out there to adopt, right?
Carter in Astoria, N.Y.: What are your thoughts on the big V hiatus? Are you sticking around until January?
I'll be tuning in. We caught up with Morris Chestnut last week and his overwhelming confidence in what's to come has me hopeful: "The wait is going to be well worth it. We have some really great ideas," Morris says. "Things about the V's are going to come out, but people need to be patient. We're going to push the envelope."
Wally in Orlando: Do you know anything about what Glee will be up to in April?
Glee is going all One Tree Hill! Don't worry, Chad Michael Murray won't guest star, but Finn will be playing basketball instead of football when the show returns April 13, because...football season is over, dummies! "It's basketball now. Finn Hudson is the captain o the basketball team." Also, we would bet some seriously good money that Adam Lambert will indeed guest star on the show, because a source who tells us everything about everything clammed up with a "no comment" when asked about the rumor that it is really happening. Quick, Chris Colfer, grab a keyboard!
Click here for More TV Series Scoop on EOnline.
Kevin in Omaha, Neb.: Only one more episode of Glee left. Tell me it's good!
If you're hoping for a Glee minifinale full of lots of loose ends being wrapped up, then you've got it! Aside from Finn finding out, an inside source who asked to be called Clubber Lang tells me of this Wednesday's ep: "It rocks. Very satisfying, all scores are settled, all secrets revealed. There are two show-stopping solos that will make the devil run home and call his mama." And a source who asked to be called Cory Monteith (because that's his name) tells us: "The plotlines you may have felt need resolution will be resolved. There is a lot of resolution in sectionals." And guess what? The Glee cast is finally back at work today on the new episodes. Hells to the yay! If only we could get them before April, right?
Mary in Washington, D.C.: OK, so who won the Glee love debate?
The official winner of the Glee love debate is Puck and Rachel. The picture of Finn and Rachel in our TV Couples We Love gallery has been officially replaced with a pic of Rachel and Puck. Congrats, Team Puckerberry!
Rebecca in Miami: Love Jessalyn Gilsig and glad to hear she'll be back on the show in April. Is she ever going to sing?
Jessalyn herself tells us: "I hope so. I would love to. I mean, I'm no Lea Michele, but I do sing in the shower! I sing lullabies to my daughter, so maybe I can sing to the baby..." That better not mean that Terri actually gets Quinn and Puck's bambino. There has to be a more fit parent out there to adopt, right?
Carter in Astoria, N.Y.: What are your thoughts on the big V hiatus? Are you sticking around until January?
I'll be tuning in. We caught up with Morris Chestnut last week and his overwhelming confidence in what's to come has me hopeful: "The wait is going to be well worth it. We have some really great ideas," Morris says. "Things about the V's are going to come out, but people need to be patient. We're going to push the envelope."
Wally in Orlando: Do you know anything about what Glee will be up to in April?
Glee is going all One Tree Hill! Don't worry, Chad Michael Murray won't guest star, but Finn will be playing basketball instead of football when the show returns April 13, because...football season is over, dummies! "It's basketball now. Finn Hudson is the captain o the basketball team." Also, we would bet some seriously good money that Adam Lambert will indeed guest star on the show, because a source who tells us everything about everything clammed up with a "no comment" when asked about the rumor that it is really happening. Quick, Chris Colfer, grab a keyboard!
Click here for More TV Series Scoop on EOnline.
Glee TV Guide: Mattress --- Schuester’s discovery of Terri’s baby bump pillow
The inevitable has finally occurred on this week’s episode of Glee! The scenario that so many have dreamed of week after week has come to fruition. No, I’m not talking about Sue Sylvester being fired or Emma being placed in quarantine or Schuester’s hair rejecting all the product and fro-ing out. And although my own personal reveries consist of Quinn Fabray and myself…going on a date of course…that is not what has happened either, unfortunately. This week we finally lay witness to Schuester’s discovery of Terri’s baby bump pillow and coming very close to pulling a Tom Cable (Too soon?) while demanding that she lift her shirt – only to find her sans baby.
Despite the blow-out between Schu and Terri probably being the most dramatic moment of the episode (season maybe?) the show focuses around the upcoming yearbook photos rather than the domestic crisis in the Schuester residence. Every year the Glee club photo is vandalized by the school leading to multiple psychological issues by involved members. Sue decides to take advantage of this and talks Principal Figgins into eliminating any Glee club picture at all. Understanding the history of such yearbook vandalism, the kids were more than willing to sit this one out like Barry Sanders was ready to let the Lions go through winless seasons without him.
Rachel, of course, in her pursuit of celebrity status, does her best to convince the rest of the team to feel proud of being photographed after Mr. Schu convinces Figgins to allow him to purchase a quarter page ad for the price of $300 (Enough for two captains). Everyone on the team is much too smart than to put their reputation on the line as Rachel puts her best canvassing foot forward, except for who else but the kid with a blank stare that could defeat a blind person in a staring contest, Finn. With the help of Lily Allen’s Smile (Which perhaps surprisingly I respect, a lot), Rachel is able to reel Finn in to her individually motivated plan to be photographed as many times as possible.
When Finn ultimately realizes that a Hitler mustache and buck teeth aren’t his best look, he decides to stand up Rachel at the photo shoot. It’s at this moment that Rachel is able to find an opening with the photographer to do a mattress commercial and is bent on performing without the approval from Mr. Schu– because, hey, if this isn’t the first step towards celebrity status then Robert Pattinson isn’t the greatest actor of our time…oh wait, what?
The crew does an entertaining performance of Jump while flipping and flying on mattresses (I can’t imagine mini-Quinn was too happy with that kind of activity). In thanks for the job well done, the mattress king sends along a whole bunch of new mattresses to the Glee room. Fast forward post Schu-Terri rumble and Schu is stuck sleeping in his office only to find a conveniently placed stack of mattresses. How……….Convenient!
The next day Schu is informed of the commercial done by his club and also informed that it has disqualified them from sectionals because of its professional involvement after accepting the opened mattress as a gift (Sue being victorious over Schu twice in one episode is seriously a problem by the way). After serious pleading to no avail Schu realizes he has to take a bullet for the team and let them compete on their own and to only disqualify himself. In doing this, a new sense of pride is (re)stored in the Glee club. Quinn, who had decided to get back on the Cheerios by any means necessary enlightens Sue to the fact that the squad always receives free stuff and will snitch if Sue does not give Glee one of their own pages for the yearbook. The team finished with Michael Jackson’s Smile and takes the picture with the understanding that it will inevitably be defaced. More to come on a coach less Glee club…
Wednesdays at 9pm on Fox
Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro
Full of Glee Cast in Grammy
LOS ANGELES — All the newly anointed Grammy nominees expressed glee as they shuttled through the pressroom Wednesday night after The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. But nobody was as giddy as French DJ David Guetta, up for five awards.
"I'm haaappy!" he yelled. "Until today, I was nobody here in America!"
When "Jimmy Jam" Harris arrived at the podium, Guetta threw his arms around the fabled producer and shouted, "We're gonna create the future, man!"
Harris' response: "What he said!"
Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles marveled at the eight nods for 20-year-old country ingénue Taylor Swift, whose crossover hits have drawn a younger crowd to the genre.
"It means David Cassidy is now in country music," she said. Impressed by Swift's swift rise, Nettles added, "When I was 20, I was playing clubs and learning how to drink Jim Beam and Coke."
R&B singer Maxwell, up for six awards, called the recognition for his comeback album, BLACKsummers' Night, surreal.
"I've been gone for eight years," he said. "I've been throwing out my trash, buying my milk and living in basic obscurity…I'm grateful beyond words."
Time away helped him unplug from the competitive showbiz world and reconnect with real life."
"I made an album based on my own experiences, not my desire to be No. 1," he said. "But I won't be going away anymore."
He's dismayed by the singles-driven nature of today's music industry and plans to continue defying the trend by crafting music that's "a body of work as opposed to three minutes of you shaking your butt."
Rapper LL Cool J, the show's host and co-producer, said he'd like to see the Grammy telecast include a Michael Jackson tribute with Usher, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and other obvious disciples performing an extended, elaborately choreographed Billie Jean. "That's what I think would be hot," he said.
Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, contending for six Grammys, said he's proud the group has kept current by plugging into underground clubs and DJs. And maintaining success has meant adapting to a radically shifting music industry.
"It's a new pavement we're walking on," he said. "We could have taken the okie-doke route and been forgotten about. You can't just pretend it's 1998, put your song out with a video and expect MTV to play it. You have to go out into the world and make it stick. You have to really collaborate with your fans."
Explaining the popularity of I Gotta Feeling, up for best record, singer Fergie said, "With the recession, it felt like people needed a pick-me-up and an escape."
Rap sensation Drake has yet to release his debut album, but he's up for two Grammys for hip-hop hit Best I Ever Had.
"Today is a special moment in my life that I'll never forget," he said, adding that as a boy he had trouble falling asleep because "I used to dream about hearing my name called out (at the Grammys)."
Nathan Followill, drummer for Kings of Leon, was pleased that the rock band's Only By The Night album is generating Grammy nominations for the second year. Sex on Fire won best rock duo-group last year, and Use Somebody is up for both best record and song.
"It's pretty cool to have a record people can tolerate for that long," he said.
Linkin Park, presenters at the show, declined to reveal details about an upcoming album, although Joe Hahn allowed, "The best way to describe it is: it's Grammy-worthy."
How did so many nominees materialize at an event before the nominations were unveiled? Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich swears organizers are unaware of any candidates before showtime. But, he said, "we think we're pretty good guessers."
Winners in 109 categories will be revealed on the live CBS telecast Jan. 31.
SOURCE
"I'm haaappy!" he yelled. "Until today, I was nobody here in America!"
When "Jimmy Jam" Harris arrived at the podium, Guetta threw his arms around the fabled producer and shouted, "We're gonna create the future, man!"
Harris' response: "What he said!"
Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles marveled at the eight nods for 20-year-old country ingénue Taylor Swift, whose crossover hits have drawn a younger crowd to the genre.
"It means David Cassidy is now in country music," she said. Impressed by Swift's swift rise, Nettles added, "When I was 20, I was playing clubs and learning how to drink Jim Beam and Coke."
R&B singer Maxwell, up for six awards, called the recognition for his comeback album, BLACKsummers' Night, surreal.
"I've been gone for eight years," he said. "I've been throwing out my trash, buying my milk and living in basic obscurity…I'm grateful beyond words."
Time away helped him unplug from the competitive showbiz world and reconnect with real life."
"I made an album based on my own experiences, not my desire to be No. 1," he said. "But I won't be going away anymore."
He's dismayed by the singles-driven nature of today's music industry and plans to continue defying the trend by crafting music that's "a body of work as opposed to three minutes of you shaking your butt."
Rapper LL Cool J, the show's host and co-producer, said he'd like to see the Grammy telecast include a Michael Jackson tribute with Usher, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and other obvious disciples performing an extended, elaborately choreographed Billie Jean. "That's what I think would be hot," he said.
Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, contending for six Grammys, said he's proud the group has kept current by plugging into underground clubs and DJs. And maintaining success has meant adapting to a radically shifting music industry.
"It's a new pavement we're walking on," he said. "We could have taken the okie-doke route and been forgotten about. You can't just pretend it's 1998, put your song out with a video and expect MTV to play it. You have to go out into the world and make it stick. You have to really collaborate with your fans."
Explaining the popularity of I Gotta Feeling, up for best record, singer Fergie said, "With the recession, it felt like people needed a pick-me-up and an escape."
Rap sensation Drake has yet to release his debut album, but he's up for two Grammys for hip-hop hit Best I Ever Had.
"Today is a special moment in my life that I'll never forget," he said, adding that as a boy he had trouble falling asleep because "I used to dream about hearing my name called out (at the Grammys)."
Nathan Followill, drummer for Kings of Leon, was pleased that the rock band's Only By The Night album is generating Grammy nominations for the second year. Sex on Fire won best rock duo-group last year, and Use Somebody is up for both best record and song.
"It's pretty cool to have a record people can tolerate for that long," he said.
Linkin Park, presenters at the show, declined to reveal details about an upcoming album, although Joe Hahn allowed, "The best way to describe it is: it's Grammy-worthy."
How did so many nominees materialize at an event before the nominations were unveiled? Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich swears organizers are unaware of any candidates before showtime. But, he said, "we think we're pretty good guessers."
Winners in 109 categories will be revealed on the live CBS telecast Jan. 31.
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The truth behind Glee cast dating rumors
For those who secretly (and not-so-secretly) delight in the newest FOX series, Glee, they may be disappointed that the onscreen relationships have not been transferred to reality.
Dispelling rumors that Cory Monteith, who plays Finn in the musical television show, and Lea Michele (Rachel) are dating in real life, he spoke out with “we’re great friends.” According to people.com, Monteith states that “we’ve become really closer over the show, but we’re just friends. We’re not dating.”
Monteith’s character is an idiotic high school quarterback and Michele’s character Rachel is a neurotic over-achiever who favors puffed sleeves and granny lace as fashion substitutes. They are both involved in a love quadrangle that include cheerleader Quinn Fabray (played by Dianna Agron) and Finn’s best friend Puck (Mark Salling). To complicate matters, Quinn is pregnant with Puck’s baby, but has convinced Finn that he is the father.
Thankfully none of this drama has made it outside of the production. “That seems really difficult,” says Monteith. “That seems like it would be tricky.”
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Dispelling rumors that Cory Monteith, who plays Finn in the musical television show, and Lea Michele (Rachel) are dating in real life, he spoke out with “we’re great friends.” According to people.com, Monteith states that “we’ve become really closer over the show, but we’re just friends. We’re not dating.”
Monteith’s character is an idiotic high school quarterback and Michele’s character Rachel is a neurotic over-achiever who favors puffed sleeves and granny lace as fashion substitutes. They are both involved in a love quadrangle that include cheerleader Quinn Fabray (played by Dianna Agron) and Finn’s best friend Puck (Mark Salling). To complicate matters, Quinn is pregnant with Puck’s baby, but has convinced Finn that he is the father.
Thankfully none of this drama has made it outside of the production. “That seems really difficult,” says Monteith. “That seems like it would be tricky.”
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Glee TV Guide: Jessalyn Gilsig in the hor seat
While “Glee” fans have already seen the softer sides of the show’s chief mischief-makers -- Quinn is mean but scared; Puck’s a slut but cares for Quinn; and Coach Sue’s got a soft spot for her sis (and had her heart broken! awww) -- few have been able to see past Will’s manipulative and shrill wife Terri. Especially not while well-pressed Emma is around with her hygienic spray and halo.
But tonight’s episode could be a turning point for Terri, says actress Jessalyn Gilsig, who calls it “a moment of reckoning” for the Schuesters. “Everything comes to a head,” Gilsig told Show Tracker. “Will and Terri have that big, horrible, middle-of-the-night big assessment of their relationship. It was intense when we shot it.” Will viewers now take a little pity on Terri? Perhaps. “That’s what’s so great about [series creator] Ryan Murphy. He gives you someone like Quinn, who starts off as a bitchy cheerleader, and then you see everything that’s underneath. I think a kind of similar thing could happen tonight for Terri.” Maybe.
For now, Gilsig agrees to get into the hot seat:
How has it been to see the fan reaction to Terri?
Interesting? It’s sort of tough. To be totally candid, after “Wheels” aired, I went online and my homepage is latimes.com. I thought, ‘Oh, this episode is safe because I’m not in it.’ Yeah. I read the recap and said, ‘OK, I’m going back to bed and I’m not getting up for the rest of my life’ (laughs). It’s OK, I’ll live. It was just a bit of a burn in the morning. [An excerpt from said recap: "Wednesday night was sheer perfection. And I hope I'm not the only one who didn't notice Mrs. Schuester wasn't present.... Take the hint."]
Did you expect this kind of backlash? At the summer Fox TCA party, Matthew Morrison, who plays Will, did say he was worried for you.
Creatively am I worried? No. I’ve been so lucky to have worked with [series creator] Ryan Murphy before and we’ve communicated about this. From the moment that I took the part, he was very candid about it being a really difficult part. How else can Will come off as sympathetic if he’s going to flirt so blatantly with this woman at school unless he has this really dysfunctional marriage at home? So in some ways I knew I was a sacrificial lamb. So we said, OK, let’s make it entertaining as possible…
Ryan also cast you as crazy Gina on “Nip/Tuck”…
But that’s why I like working with Ryan. You try to find what’s motivating this character to make these poor choices. Or really, really misguided choices. We had a SAG Talk Back session the other day and I heard the same anti-Terri stuff from the room and I was just like, ‘OK, can we talk about Balloon Boy’s parents?’ They’re real. And I would imagine that there are women who’ve lied about being pregnant -- but probably would have said they lost it at the point where Terri is -- but there are crazy people out there! What’s happening is not totally outside the realm of probability.
Have the writers talked to you about showing us different sides to Terri? She did just give him a car. And they’ve done it so successfully with Puck and Quinn and Sue…
By the end of this year [last episode Dec. 9; show returns April 13] I think Terri gets explained. Tonight’s episode is kind of a reckoning, as I like to say. What I hope is conveyed is that you see the child inside Terri. You see the fear.
At the same time, she’s a crazy, wacky person (laughs). I don’t want to just reverse on her, either. I think the show is fun because we have these characters who do light the match in the room. I like playing those parts. I liked doing that with Gina and people hated her. I loved her! I know Gina -- don’t you have those friends that just keep driving the car into the wall over and over? I actually think those people are so much more typical in reality than someone who keeps coming up with the right things to say in the right moment. To me, Gina was completely relatable. And I’m not the kind of actor who will complain or get involved in the writing. I always think it is my job to make sense of what I’m given, especially when I have so much confidence in the writing talent.
102Glee-101_Sc03_9562 Mr. Schu’s not exactly innocent either in my mind.
In ‘Vitamin D,’ there was this thing on set where everyone was like, ‘Oh, Emma and Terri are gonna have a showdown!’ But when we started doing the episode, it dawned on everyone like, ‘Hey, this is Terri’s husband!’
I had to give it to Terri in that scene where she lays down the law for Emma.
There was a great line that Terri says that went something like, ‘You think you’re special because you’re nice to the man a few hours a day.’ I mean, that’s really good writing. It is easy to flirt at work. You don’t have to deal with the realities of what it is to co-habitate and live together day to day.
I get what people are saying. But I think I understand her and some people have been generous tracking her in that way. At the same time, the show’s not about me -- so I have to take everything with a grain of salt. It’s been interesting. I mean some people are really mad. I kind of wish sometimes that the Internet didn’t exist.
I think Terri is funny, and that’s why I don’t have as big a problem with her as most others. Or I’m willing to be more patient. As a viewer, what do you think of her?
It’s hard to watch yourself, but I think she’s funny too. I think it’s been fun to work with Matt and I think they have found moments where they connect and the viewer can see why these people are together.
There are two facets to everybody. So for Ryan, his instructions to Matthew and I were to find the heart of this relationship. It’s tarnished and malnourished but it all started somewhere. If you ask anyone about the beginning of a relationship, they always get sentimental. Terri’s problem is that she keeps trying to go back to that moment in high school where it was like magic. I think she wants to live back in that place. Will’s obviously matured past that point and she just has no tools to communicate those insecurities. But she does love him.
That scene when Terri’s having her fake sonogram with Will in the room moved me -- even though she’s having a fake sonogram!
Yes, Ryan directed that scene! We talked a lot about it. Obviously it’s funny, but he was also really adamant that Terri and Will have this moment where they’re both speaking from the heart. You see that Terri knows that this is the next step their relationship needs if they’re going to make it.
People are totally entitled to their opinions, of course. I’m not going to launch a campaign to change minds about her. I would just like to keep my job (laughs). I’m not gonna lie either, though: If you join Team Terri, I might come over and wash your car.
Any ideas where Terri’s heading in the new year?
The writers have so many ideas that I’ve learned not to get married to anything I hear. But we have talked and I have a little bit of an idea what will happen to her and I’m excited about it. There could be a chance for Terri to gain her independence, to not be so co-dependent, to maybe figure out who she is without that panic she’s been operating off of. That’s what they’ve hinted at, but beyond that you never know.
Finally, will we ever hear Terri sing?
I think the thinking is, "Let’s let Lea Michele loose and hold back the great pipes." No, no, that is not what’s happening (laughs). It’s got to be appropriate, so maybe? I do feel like Terri’s got to sing if she’s got a chance. She’s so outside the realm of everything that everyone loves about the show.
-- Denise Martin
SOURCE: Love to hate or just hate? 'Glee' star Jessalyn Gilsig says tonight's episode brings Terri's moment of reckoning
Glee TV Guide: Comments on Mattress
Because of some family commitments, I wasn’t able to watch last week’s “Hairography” until yesterday. I thought it was one of the most complete episodes of the season, combining the depth Glee has shown glimpses of, hilarious moments and great music. This week’s “Mattress” was another sign of a show growing.
I like how the writers didn’t take too much on in tonight’s episode. Rather than moving frantically between subplots and attempting to make sure characters had equal face time (a problem I think Glee runs into from time to time) they instead kept it simple. In this case, the simplicity was entertaining, emotional and maybe the best episode yet.
It’s yearbook picture time at McKinley High and that means only one thing: The Glee kids are prepping to get their group photo defaced. Except this year there simply isn’t money in the budget. Tonight’s handling of the yearbook photo page accentuated the major difference between Rachel and Quinn. Rachel acts while Quinn demands. Rachel, whose sole goal in life is constant activity (evidenced by her record-setting yearbook appearances), seeks to fix the Thunderclap problem as a means to a somewhat selfish end. She wants to save Glee Club AND jumpstart her career. When she scores them all a roll in the mattress commercial (will highlight on this later) it appears Glee Club has finally arrived on the social scene. But the whole thing backfires as the mattress commercial violates the students’ amateur status and threatens to disqualify them from sectionals.
Meanwhile Quinn, quietly demands. With very little fanfare and just the right amount of Sue Sylvester-ish cynicism, Quinn negotiates (extorts) a yearbook photo for the whole club. Quinn’s dedication to the club is noble in its subtle sincerity. Needing no recognition or support other than what the club has already provided her with her unplanned pregnancy, Quinn is the true hero of the club. I have been somewhat critical of Dianna Agron as an actress, but tonight she was great by doing very little.
While Glee Club struggles with their yearbook pictures, the true story of this episode was Will’s discovery of Terri’s fake pregnancy. The scene of Will and Terri in the kitchen was a testament of what Glee can be. A gut-wrenching few minutes that tumbled through a variety of emotions. It started with bewilderment (finding the fake baby pad), moved to anger (smacking the towel out of her hand), lead to grief (crying for the baby he never really had) and eventually sent Will out the door. Thank God. I hate Terri. I hate her character, never understood why Will was with her, waited for him to find out her lie and just pray he doesn’t find his way back to her. The show is better off without her presence. Period.
I don’t know if this revelation will ultimately put Emma and Will together for good. I don’t even know if it’s the best thing for the show. Their relationship has begun to take on a Jim and Pam type-thing that seems inevitable but could still prove surprising and Glee. Glee deals so much with relationships, but has very few to hang its hat on. All of them are dysfunctional. Putting together two warm and caring characters as foils to the rest of the high school angst and superficiality could prove positive for Glee as a whole.
I thought “Mattress” was one of the season’s best. The musical numbers were equal parts simple and entertaining. The characters came off more human than simply as caricatures and the story took a turn in a very specific direction. In past episodes the serious aspects of the show came off hollow and forced. Not tonight. I like how far Glee has come, and feel these last episodes have set a precedent going forward. It’s a good time to be a Gleek.
A couple of highlights - The “Jump” sequence in the mattress warehouse was one the best, big production, numbers of the season. It just seemed like everyone was having a great time (and I hate Van Halen).
- Always nice to take Sue Sylvester down a notch or two. Sue is at her funniest when she’s most vulnerable.
- When Kurt doesn’t want to be part of GayLesBall, you know Rachel’s new club doesn’t stand a chance.
- Will sleeping on the Glee Club-earned mattresses was one of those little bits of obvious symbolism that I love in television shows
like Glee.
- Is anyone else hoping they post Ken’s 74 flaws online somewhere?
- Did you know that mattresses weren’t just for sleeping and fornicating anymore?
SOURCE: Glee Reaction - Mattress
I like how the writers didn’t take too much on in tonight’s episode. Rather than moving frantically between subplots and attempting to make sure characters had equal face time (a problem I think Glee runs into from time to time) they instead kept it simple. In this case, the simplicity was entertaining, emotional and maybe the best episode yet.
It’s yearbook picture time at McKinley High and that means only one thing: The Glee kids are prepping to get their group photo defaced. Except this year there simply isn’t money in the budget. Tonight’s handling of the yearbook photo page accentuated the major difference between Rachel and Quinn. Rachel acts while Quinn demands. Rachel, whose sole goal in life is constant activity (evidenced by her record-setting yearbook appearances), seeks to fix the Thunderclap problem as a means to a somewhat selfish end. She wants to save Glee Club AND jumpstart her career. When she scores them all a roll in the mattress commercial (will highlight on this later) it appears Glee Club has finally arrived on the social scene. But the whole thing backfires as the mattress commercial violates the students’ amateur status and threatens to disqualify them from sectionals.
Meanwhile Quinn, quietly demands. With very little fanfare and just the right amount of Sue Sylvester-ish cynicism, Quinn negotiates (extorts) a yearbook photo for the whole club. Quinn’s dedication to the club is noble in its subtle sincerity. Needing no recognition or support other than what the club has already provided her with her unplanned pregnancy, Quinn is the true hero of the club. I have been somewhat critical of Dianna Agron as an actress, but tonight she was great by doing very little.
While Glee Club struggles with their yearbook pictures, the true story of this episode was Will’s discovery of Terri’s fake pregnancy. The scene of Will and Terri in the kitchen was a testament of what Glee can be. A gut-wrenching few minutes that tumbled through a variety of emotions. It started with bewilderment (finding the fake baby pad), moved to anger (smacking the towel out of her hand), lead to grief (crying for the baby he never really had) and eventually sent Will out the door. Thank God. I hate Terri. I hate her character, never understood why Will was with her, waited for him to find out her lie and just pray he doesn’t find his way back to her. The show is better off without her presence. Period.
I don’t know if this revelation will ultimately put Emma and Will together for good. I don’t even know if it’s the best thing for the show. Their relationship has begun to take on a Jim and Pam type-thing that seems inevitable but could still prove surprising and Glee. Glee deals so much with relationships, but has very few to hang its hat on. All of them are dysfunctional. Putting together two warm and caring characters as foils to the rest of the high school angst and superficiality could prove positive for Glee as a whole.
I thought “Mattress” was one of the season’s best. The musical numbers were equal parts simple and entertaining. The characters came off more human than simply as caricatures and the story took a turn in a very specific direction. In past episodes the serious aspects of the show came off hollow and forced. Not tonight. I like how far Glee has come, and feel these last episodes have set a precedent going forward. It’s a good time to be a Gleek.
A couple of highlights - The “Jump” sequence in the mattress warehouse was one the best, big production, numbers of the season. It just seemed like everyone was having a great time (and I hate Van Halen).
- Always nice to take Sue Sylvester down a notch or two. Sue is at her funniest when she’s most vulnerable.
- When Kurt doesn’t want to be part of GayLesBall, you know Rachel’s new club doesn’t stand a chance.
- Will sleeping on the Glee Club-earned mattresses was one of those little bits of obvious symbolism that I love in television shows
like Glee.
- Is anyone else hoping they post Ken’s 74 flaws online somewhere?
- Did you know that mattresses weren’t just for sleeping and fornicating anymore?
SOURCE: Glee Reaction - Mattress
Glee TV Guide: Mattress
Also, Vanity Fair sort of prattles on about the rise of musicals? And maybe our need for happy shows since everything else in the world is so awful? And then, just for kicks, a little bit about our schools' dying performance arts programs? I'm not entirely clear what the point is, but they like the show. Fine enough.
ANYWAY, ZOMG YOU GUYS, ONLY ONE MORE EPISODE UNTIL THE FOUR MONTH HIATUS! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!
Well, for starters, let's delve into this week's episode.
Pretty good, right? I wasn't crazy about any of the songs (gone was my usual rush to get everything loaded up on the iPhone), but there were some real plot developments and even a twist I didn't see coming. Not bad! I was particularly pleased with the inevitable Terri/Will throwdown and was glad to see Will react with the appropriate level of rage. (Though it did get a little too tense for a second and I admit I felt sort of bad for Terri.)
In a nutshell: It's photo day at McKinley and that means time for the glee club to take their annual photo so it can be defaced by all the cool kids. Sue steps in and tells Figgins to not allow it, and just like that, the glee pic is canceled. Will steps in a buys the club a small ad space in the yearbook instead, but there's only room for two members of the club. Of course, Rachel steps up to be the face of the New Directions and convinces Finn to join her. He bails after getting his actual face defaced by some duded in the lockerroom. Undeterred, Rachel puts her new "team captain" status to use and gets the kids a spot in Gallery Furniture a local mattress retailer's commercial. Meanwhile, while looking for a pocket square like the dandy that he is, Will finds Terri's fake pregnancy belly and the whole charade comes crashing down. He storms out and goes to sleep at the school where, lo and behold, Mattress Mack the head of the mattress place has left a stack of mattresses as a thank you for their outstanding performance. Will tears one open and lays his sweet, curly-haired head down to rest. When Sue catches wind of all this she reports it to Figgins; by opening that mattress, the glee club has accepted compensation for a professional gig and are ineligible for amateur competition. Since he was the one who opened the mattress, Will steps down from New Directions, keeping them in sectionals, but sending them there without their leader. Quinn, who's been trying to get back on Cheerios, blackmails Sue Sylvester into giving the glee kids one of the Cheerios six yearbook pages and then turns down her chance to return to the squad, instead opting to stick with the team that accepts for who she is.
Best Sue Sylvester Line: "All I want is just one day a year where I'm not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties. Seriously, Ohio, these retinas need a day off. So here's the dream, the Friday after Christmas, which I have off, if you're hideous stay at home. Spend the entire day watching home videos of a time when you weren't too repulsive for me to ever want to look at." (Runners-up: "And while they were in there, I told them, 'Go ahead and yank out those tear ducts;' wasn't using 'em" and "What if I were to just innocently murder you, Will?!")
Reason to Love Puck/Best Pop-Culture Reference: "I got to go to the gym and load up the Guns of Puckerone for the football picture."
That's So Rachel: "Aside from nudity and the exploitation of animals, I will pretty much do anything to break into the business."
Naughtiest Line You May Have Missed: "We here at Mattress Land believe that mattresses aren't just for sleeping and fornicating anymore."
Best Musical Number: (Video to come)
I admit it, short of that awful Owl City song, you'd be hard-pressed to find an artist's work I just hate more than Van Halen. Seriously. I will run screaming from Panama and Jump generally makes me want to claw my eyes out. However, this version was so lively and fun, I just loved it. When Mercedes comes barreling down the aisle and goes all chocolate thunder on this piece, I squealed with delight.
The Gold Star: Rachel. Her Lily Allen cover was perfectly flirtatious and sweet, plus her unwavering determination is admirable, if not a little crazy.
Blingee of the Week: Even loving Quinn as I do, who doesn't want to see these two crazy kids make a go of it?
SOURCE: Get into bed with Glee
Glee Sneak Peeks
Watch out, gleeks! As the club heads towards next week's big "Sectionals" showdown, Kurt (Chris Colfer) and company are starting to worry that success puts them at risk for extra jock beatdowns and general adolescent misery. Can they put together a scheme that saves them further humiliation? Press play above to see the plan, plus click in to see diva-in-training Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) teach Finn (Cory Monteith) how to, well, smile...
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Lea Michele's 'Glee'-ful Interview
As ambitious glee clubber and social pariah Rachel Berry, Lea Michele has been called RuPaul, taken more than a few fruit slushies to the face in the hallways of McKinley High and tried romancing her teacher by singing "Endless Love." The leap into the land of awkward adolescence has been a big one for Michele, the 23-year-old stage actress whose Broadway résumé is all serious drama -- she's been in the sexually charged "Spring Awakening" and the tear-jerker " Les Misérables." To get into Rachel's high-strung head, she dutifully studied Reese Witherspoon in "Election" -- "I channel Tracy Flick, yes," Michele said -- but it sounds like all she really needed to do was dig deep into her own aspiring performer days.
Who are your comedic influences?
I used to watch Gilda Radner, and I'd always be trying to imitate her when she'd do Roseanne Roseannadanna. I was a really spastic child. It helped that I come from a very colorful Italian family and a very colorful Jewish family, and they let me be as crazy as I wanted to be. I would sit in front of my mom and play Barbra Streisand or Fran Drescher on a talk show -- and I'd play both the host and the guest. My mom always told me, "If you had different parents, your mother would be Natalie Wood and your father would be Jim Carrey." It's funny, though, I've never considered myself a comedic performer, ever. For so many years, I was in "Spring Awakening," where my character was beaten every night and then dies of an abortion.
In the vitamin D episode of "Glee," it looked like you got to let loose.
Oh, my God. I practiced talking manically for days. I kept thinking, How manic is the right amount of manic? What would Rachel be like on uppers? What would she sound like? It was insane. And then doing the "Halo" / "Walking on Sunshine" mash-up in that state? So much fun.
Do you find that there are any similarities between you and Rachel?
I draw a lot of inspiration from myself when I was very young. I was very much like Rachel when I was, like, 8 or 9. I always wanted to perform. Every Christmas video is me standing in front of my family singing "Santa Baby" and putting on a mini-concert for my whole family. But I do pull a lot from "Election." Also Leighton Meester's Blair Waldorf on "Gossip Girl."
Blair? How so?
She is shady, but you still love her. She's still vulnerable. That's what I try to do with Rachel. Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out. I was not cool. What's so great about "Glee" is that it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be. And in four years, high school will be over and all of that crap won't matter anyway.
The musical "Spring Awakening," about the sexual awakening of teenagers in 19th century Germany, was very much an underdog in its early days. The same can be said of "Glee," yet both have become hits.
You never feel like, "Oh, my God, we're a hit!" Being at the Tony Awards, performing on " David Letterman," no matter what we did, it never felt like we'd made it. It wasn't until the day of my last performance, when people camped outside for tickets and I got a standing ovation from the entire audience, that I thought, OK, maybe. . . . And it is similar to "Glee" in that way. We do it because we believe in the show so much, but I still don't think any of us feel how big it's gotten.
You've got a big, all- Madonna episode coming up next year?
I'm doing six Madonna songs, some of which will be mash-ups. We're doing a lot of her most popular songs but ranging all the way from early Madonna to most recent Madonna. Amber [Riley] and Chris [Colfer, who play Mercedes and Kurt] are doing something really cool together, but I can't give anything away.
The entire cast has the option to release solo albums. Can we expect yours soon? I hear Adam Lambert's got a standing invitation to record with you.
Right now we still need to finish shooting "Glee," but I would love to do a solo album. And, yes, I'm dying to sing with Adam.
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Who are your comedic influences?
I used to watch Gilda Radner, and I'd always be trying to imitate her when she'd do Roseanne Roseannadanna. I was a really spastic child. It helped that I come from a very colorful Italian family and a very colorful Jewish family, and they let me be as crazy as I wanted to be. I would sit in front of my mom and play Barbra Streisand or Fran Drescher on a talk show -- and I'd play both the host and the guest. My mom always told me, "If you had different parents, your mother would be Natalie Wood and your father would be Jim Carrey." It's funny, though, I've never considered myself a comedic performer, ever. For so many years, I was in "Spring Awakening," where my character was beaten every night and then dies of an abortion.
In the vitamin D episode of "Glee," it looked like you got to let loose.
Oh, my God. I practiced talking manically for days. I kept thinking, How manic is the right amount of manic? What would Rachel be like on uppers? What would she sound like? It was insane. And then doing the "Halo" / "Walking on Sunshine" mash-up in that state? So much fun.
Do you find that there are any similarities between you and Rachel?
I draw a lot of inspiration from myself when I was very young. I was very much like Rachel when I was, like, 8 or 9. I always wanted to perform. Every Christmas video is me standing in front of my family singing "Santa Baby" and putting on a mini-concert for my whole family. But I do pull a lot from "Election." Also Leighton Meester's Blair Waldorf on "Gossip Girl."
Blair? How so?
She is shady, but you still love her. She's still vulnerable. That's what I try to do with Rachel. Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out. I was not cool. What's so great about "Glee" is that it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be. And in four years, high school will be over and all of that crap won't matter anyway.
The musical "Spring Awakening," about the sexual awakening of teenagers in 19th century Germany, was very much an underdog in its early days. The same can be said of "Glee," yet both have become hits.
You never feel like, "Oh, my God, we're a hit!" Being at the Tony Awards, performing on " David Letterman," no matter what we did, it never felt like we'd made it. It wasn't until the day of my last performance, when people camped outside for tickets and I got a standing ovation from the entire audience, that I thought, OK, maybe. . . . And it is similar to "Glee" in that way. We do it because we believe in the show so much, but I still don't think any of us feel how big it's gotten.
You've got a big, all- Madonna episode coming up next year?
I'm doing six Madonna songs, some of which will be mash-ups. We're doing a lot of her most popular songs but ranging all the way from early Madonna to most recent Madonna. Amber [Riley] and Chris [Colfer, who play Mercedes and Kurt] are doing something really cool together, but I can't give anything away.
The entire cast has the option to release solo albums. Can we expect yours soon? I hear Adam Lambert's got a standing invitation to record with you.
Right now we still need to finish shooting "Glee," but I would love to do a solo album. And, yes, I'm dying to sing with Adam.
SOURCE
Glee TV Guide: CNN chatted with Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch
When you sit down for your Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and you're asked what some of the things you're thankful for this year are, you can go ahead and be honest and just say, "Glee!" After all, the series has made people thankful for Wednesday nights again. And for bringing back moments of spontaneously bursting into song. No one is more aware of fan's joy over the show than the series' stars. CNN.com chatted with Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester) and scene-stealer Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) about how "a cross between "The Breakfast Club" and "Grease" has struck such a chord with television viewers.
Matthew, who cut his teeth on the Broadway stage in shows like "Hairspray" talked about the unexpected success of "Glee", stating, "We're all set on a goldmine, and we're all excited and honored. It's hard to talk about it because it's such a special show and we're so happy to be a part of it." He also attributes shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol" for paving the way for the show's success. The actor also touched on the touchy subject of the cast being cut from tomorrow's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, saying, "I read about it on the Internet. I think they spun the story really well for 'Glee.' They didn't help NBC's cause, but I think it's interesting. But we're chugging away, and it's better for us we don't."
So, is Jane Lynch as rough around the edges as her fictitious counterpart Coach Sylvester? While she admits it is fun to bark those hilariously blunt one-liners, she leaves it all at work at the end of the day, " I'm a nice person after I leave 'Glee' because I get to exercise the heinous behavior while I'm in a track suit yelling at defenseless children." Aside from the musical aspect of the show (Jane calls the show "the home of American musical theater") she thinks it's really the underdog storyline about the band of merry misfits that his tuners singing their praise, "I think it's important for us to see the loser aspect of ourselves, reflected on television ... We like to root for the underdog. And these are a bunch of kids who in spite of getting slushies thrown in their faces every day and being maligned ... the high school culture. ... They show up to every day dutifully to glee club and sing their hearts out and support each other. I think that's something all of us want to root for, and we love music."
Neither Jane nor Matthew dropped any clues about upcoming episodes (Matt responded with a straightforward, "Something really big happens. I think that's the really exciting thing about the show. I'm not going to tell you anything") but judging from this interview, the kids of McKinley High aren't the only ones with something to sing about.
This article is from 'Glee' Stars Talk About The Importance Of Being Losers & Hint At 'Something Big' To Come
Matthew, who cut his teeth on the Broadway stage in shows like "Hairspray" talked about the unexpected success of "Glee", stating, "We're all set on a goldmine, and we're all excited and honored. It's hard to talk about it because it's such a special show and we're so happy to be a part of it." He also attributes shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol" for paving the way for the show's success. The actor also touched on the touchy subject of the cast being cut from tomorrow's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, saying, "I read about it on the Internet. I think they spun the story really well for 'Glee.' They didn't help NBC's cause, but I think it's interesting. But we're chugging away, and it's better for us we don't."
So, is Jane Lynch as rough around the edges as her fictitious counterpart Coach Sylvester? While she admits it is fun to bark those hilariously blunt one-liners, she leaves it all at work at the end of the day, " I'm a nice person after I leave 'Glee' because I get to exercise the heinous behavior while I'm in a track suit yelling at defenseless children." Aside from the musical aspect of the show (Jane calls the show "the home of American musical theater") she thinks it's really the underdog storyline about the band of merry misfits that his tuners singing their praise, "I think it's important for us to see the loser aspect of ourselves, reflected on television ... We like to root for the underdog. And these are a bunch of kids who in spite of getting slushies thrown in their faces every day and being maligned ... the high school culture. ... They show up to every day dutifully to glee club and sing their hearts out and support each other. I think that's something all of us want to root for, and we love music."
Neither Jane nor Matthew dropped any clues about upcoming episodes (Matt responded with a straightforward, "Something really big happens. I think that's the really exciting thing about the show. I'm not going to tell you anything") but judging from this interview, the kids of McKinley High aren't the only ones with something to sing about.
This article is from 'Glee' Stars Talk About The Importance Of Being Losers & Hint At 'Something Big' To Come
Glee TV Guide: Glee violates the Ten Commandments
"The students lie, they cheat, they steal, they lust, they lace the bake-sale cupcakes with pot in order to give the student body a severe case of the munchies. Nearly all the Ten Commandments get violated at one point or another, while the audience is invited to laugh at people's pain and folly and humiliation."
Glee, the hit show about a high school Glee club, has very sharp claws, which is one reason kids like it so much. It is routinely, if hilariously, cruel (the sweet jock is described as so dumb, "he's cheating off a girl who thinks the square root of 4 is rainbows"). But no darker current--let alone motivation for parental monitoring--had occurred to me until I recently heard a bright, earnest youth minister tell a group of high school kids that he thought Glee was "anti-Christian."
It is easy to see his point, if you look at the specifics. In his view, Glee portrays Christians as phonies and hypocrites. He observed that the only self-identified Christian is the shiny blond Quinn, cheerleading president of the celibacy club, who is pregnant by one classmate but pretending the father is another. (To make matters more complicated, in a heartbreaking scene, she begs her parents' forgiveness; in righteous fury, they throw her out of the house.) Meanwhile, the glee-club director, Mr. Schuester, is unhappily married to a perky little spider, which makes the adultery subplot involving him look positively charitable. The students lie, they cheat, they steal, they lust, they lace the bake-sale cupcakes with pot in order to give the student body a severe case of the munchies. Nearly all the Ten Commandments get violated at one point or another, while the audience is invited to laugh at people's pain and folly and humiliation.
Which led my husband to pose the question to our daughters, What would Jesus watch? That in turn led to an intriguing--and useful--conversation around our dinner table. It's the oldest teacher's trick, better to show than tell: the Sermon on the Mount was clean and clear, but Jesus also offered parables, little mysteries to unwrap and examine for their coded messages. This is a delivery device especially good for teenagers building their rebellious muscles.
It insults kids to suggest that simply watching Characters Behaving Badly onscreen means they'll take that as permission to do the same themselves. The fact that Glee is about a club full of misfits already makes it ripe gospel ground; Jesus was not likely to be sitting at the cool kids' table in the cafeteria. And it's set in high school, meaning it's about a journey not just to college and career but to identity and conviction, the price of popularity, the compromises we must make between what we want and what we need.
This article is from The Gospel of Glee
Glee, the hit show about a high school Glee club, has very sharp claws, which is one reason kids like it so much. It is routinely, if hilariously, cruel (the sweet jock is described as so dumb, "he's cheating off a girl who thinks the square root of 4 is rainbows"). But no darker current--let alone motivation for parental monitoring--had occurred to me until I recently heard a bright, earnest youth minister tell a group of high school kids that he thought Glee was "anti-Christian."
It is easy to see his point, if you look at the specifics. In his view, Glee portrays Christians as phonies and hypocrites. He observed that the only self-identified Christian is the shiny blond Quinn, cheerleading president of the celibacy club, who is pregnant by one classmate but pretending the father is another. (To make matters more complicated, in a heartbreaking scene, she begs her parents' forgiveness; in righteous fury, they throw her out of the house.) Meanwhile, the glee-club director, Mr. Schuester, is unhappily married to a perky little spider, which makes the adultery subplot involving him look positively charitable. The students lie, they cheat, they steal, they lust, they lace the bake-sale cupcakes with pot in order to give the student body a severe case of the munchies. Nearly all the Ten Commandments get violated at one point or another, while the audience is invited to laugh at people's pain and folly and humiliation.
Which led my husband to pose the question to our daughters, What would Jesus watch? That in turn led to an intriguing--and useful--conversation around our dinner table. It's the oldest teacher's trick, better to show than tell: the Sermon on the Mount was clean and clear, but Jesus also offered parables, little mysteries to unwrap and examine for their coded messages. This is a delivery device especially good for teenagers building their rebellious muscles.
It insults kids to suggest that simply watching Characters Behaving Badly onscreen means they'll take that as permission to do the same themselves. The fact that Glee is about a club full of misfits already makes it ripe gospel ground; Jesus was not likely to be sitting at the cool kids' table in the cafeteria. And it's set in high school, meaning it's about a journey not just to college and career but to identity and conviction, the price of popularity, the compromises we must make between what we want and what we need.
This article is from The Gospel of Glee
Glee TV Guide: On Rachel Berry's True Partner, Finn Hudson versus Noah Puckerman
We're partial to both pairings, which means we could be persuaded either way, and that's why we're hosting another one of our irregular (but oh-so-fun) love debates.
So we've opened the floor to speeches in favor of both Team Puckleberry and Team Finnchel, and selected the best two arguments to present to you today. Your job is to jump in here, read the resolutions in favor, and then decide for yourself which pairing is more perfect for Rachel.
Ready? Set? Go!
Argument in favor of "Finn & Rachel" by Stephanie in New York
From the first episode of Glee, Finn and Rachel make their mark as the "It couple" of McKinley High School. The only problem? They are not actually together. He's the popular, clueless jock, and she's the talented, type-A geek; they are polar opposites. Yet they share musical talent and a desire to chase their dreams out of their small hometown.
On paper, they make no sense as a couple, and this is exactly why they actually work. To quote Rachel, "It is our differences that make us special. It's our differences that will help us win."
What cements this couple is the music. When they sing to each other, they express what they cannot say out loud.
Rachel was heartbroken to learn that Finn's girlfriend was pregnant (though only viewers know that Finn is not the father). Rachel finds out about the baby and is devastated. Finn tells her, heartsick, that he has feelings for her and their kiss was real. Rachel sticks with Glee Club, telling Finn, "If I let you down when you needed me most, I'd never forgive herself." Rachel knows she can help the club win competitions, aiding Finn in earning a college scholarship. This selfless act leads to a heartbreaking performance of Queen's "Somebody to Love." Rachel and Finn sing, reaching their arms out to hang on to each other. "Someday I'll get outta this prison cell," they sing. "Someday I'm gonna be free."
With Glee, all you need to know is in the music.
Argument in favor of "Puck & Rachel" by Julie in California
There are three factors that help me to determine which couple I will support for any fandom. These three factors are potential, chemistry and compatibility. Potential is what first drew me to the Puck-Rachel relationship on Fox's Glee. The moment his slushy hit her face, I thought, "This could be something. Something great." Something like the gruff popular/loner type bonding with the sweet, unpopular girl, where one learns to soften and the other learns cool confidence. Slightly cliché, maybe, but great nonetheless. Their compatibility stems from a shared desire to be a star (she's a gold star, he's a rock star) and a fierce determination when going after what they want.
Last, but certainly not least, is their chemistry. One need only to watch "Mashup" (warning: Puck-Rachel scenes might cause your TV to burst into flames) to become subject to the intense chemistry that burns between the two of them.
Yes, they are hot. Yet there is a sweetness that almost softens the sparks, making Puck and Rachel seem real, genuine. It is the summation of all of these factors that keep me on board the Puck-Rachel "ship" with the intent to never disembark. I'm encouraged by the Puck-Rachel fan base, which continues to grow every day, that I will not be sailing on this ship alone.
Glee Joe Viles/FOX
So? What do you think? Or do you declare this all to be poppycock because Puck obviously belongs with Quinn (Dianna Agron), or heck, because you've read the slashfic and you're just sure that Quinn belongs with Rachel?
Meanwhile, an all-new installment of Glee airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Fox. Don't miss it!
This article is from http://www.eonline.com
Glee TV Guide: Glee versus Lost
No more. Fox just released its 2010 TV schedule and it has placed Glee's new episodes (which premiere April 13) on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Unfortunately, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. just so happen to be when ABC is putting the final season of Lost. Not to mention there are already plenty of Melrose Place, NCIS: L.A. and The Biggest Loser fans out of there, and their faves all already air at that time.
Brutal, man. Our house has four DVRs total, so we can probably survive this without picking up a third dual-tuner TiVo at Best Buy, but most people don't have such a gluttonous appetite for TV. Therefore: Choices must be made.
This article is from http://www.eonline.com
Glee TV Guide: CNN interviews Glee's Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch
New York (CNN) -- The thing about "Glee" is that it came along at the right time.
The current television landscape isn't exactly a smorgasbord of satisfying viewing. It's littered with about-to-be-canceled programs that never establish viewership, a few standby dramas and reality show after reality show. Enter "Glee."
A cross between "The Breakfast Club" and "Grease"? Maybe not, but "Glee" is a combination of teen angst, musical theater and soap opera-worthy love triangles ready for prime time.
This isn't the first television show to base each episode around a big production number. Think "Fame" and "Cop Rock." But "Glee" does it with purpose.
"A song is never sung for no reason," says star Jane Lynch. "There's always deep psychological or emotional impetus for the song, and it's usually uplifting or tragic, and I think people love that, especially bringing that out through music."
"Glee" is different. It can be politically incorrect and yet it manages to address social issues correctly. It's quirky in the best sense of the word. And maybe the fact that it's set in a high school is the draw. Every adult has high school memories -- some good, some bad, some very bad. The teens who are watching "Glee" now can so like, oh my God, totally relate.
Being part of a hit television show is a rare thing considering most highly rated programs these days are starring rich non-acting housewives or people who are famous because they are rich non-acting housewives
So it's not surprising that two of the show's stars are very happy these days.
I spoke with "Glee" leads Matthew Morrison, who plays the hopeful and very likable Will Schuester, and Jane Lynch, who plays coach Sue Sylvester, need I say more. The following is an edited version of those interviews:
CNN: I have to ask you about the unbelievable success of "Glee." Did you ever expect this to happen?
Matthew Morrison: No. You audition to be in a pilot every year. To turn into this, it's. ... We're all set on a goldmine, and we're all excited and honored. It's hard to talk about it because it's such a special show and we're so happy to be a part of it.
CNN: It's basically musical theater on television. Why do you think the people were ready for it?
Morrison: I think a show like this probably couldn't have happened five years ago, but I think with the success of "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" and other movie musicals, like "Hairspray, " "Chicago" and "Nine" that's coming up, they set the groundwork for people to accept it and being excited about it. I think we're putting a different twist on it to make it fun and interesting and kind of cool.
CNN: In the past few episodes, some bombshells were dropped. What can we expect in future episodes? Are you privy to anything?
Morrison: Am I privy to anything? I'm privy to everything. But there's going to be a lot more bombshells dropped. It's that kind of show every week. Something really big happens. I think that's the really exciting thing about the show. I'm not going to tell you anything.
CNN: Nothing? You can't give anything away?
Morrison: No. I'm sorry.
CNN: It's OK. Aside from the musical aspect of the show, do you think people are drawn to the underdog storylines?
Morrison: Yeah, it is a show about the underdogs. I think that everyone in the world at some point was an underdog, so I think everyone can relate to the show in that way.
CNN: The cast of "Glee" was supposed to sing on its own float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast on NBC. Then suddenly they weren't. What happened?
Morrison: You know about that as much as I do. I read about it on the Internet. I think they spun the story really well for "Glee." They didn't help NBC's cause, but I think it's interesting. But we're chugging away, and it's better for us we don't.
CNN: Are you having the time of your life right now?
Morrison: I am. I'm having the best time ever.
CNN: What has made "Glee" so instantly popular with viewers?
Jane Lynch: I think it's important for us to see the loser aspect of ourselves, reflected on television. ... We like to root for the underdog. And these are a bunch of kids who in spite of getting slushies thrown in their faces every day and being maligned ... the high school culture. ... They show up to every day dutifully to glee club and sing their hearts out and support each other. I think that's something all of us want to root for, and we love music. We're the home of American musical theater. We created it.
CNN: Tell me about Sue Sylvester. Something unexpected was revealed about her recently.
Lynch: Right. In the past episode of "Glee" you find out that Sylvester has an older sister with Down Syndrome who's in an institution, and so we get to see the softer side of Sue, and see how much she loves her sister and how gentle and kind she is with her sister. And of course she turns around and stabs someone else in the back. But we know that she does have it in there, that she has a heart. But we won't see a lot more of that of Sue.
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck, the writers ... there's nothing conventional about them and they'll never do anything by hitting ... the nail and the head are going to come around the back door. That's what I love about getting a new script from them every week. You know it's going to be different and weird and really grounded in reality.
CNN: Can you relate to Sue Sylvester in any way?
Lynch: You know that devil on your shoulder that tells you terrible things about people and of course you'd never say "maybe you don't really believe." She has no filter, and it just comes right out. So I'm a nice person after I leave "Glee" because I get to exercise the heinous behavior while I'm in a track suit yelling at defenseless children.
CNN: How much fun is it being able to have no filter?
Lynch: It's great, it's the best. Whatever that comes to Sue's head comes out of the mouth. She loves the look of shock on people's face that they can't believe that she would say that and indeed she did.
CNN: Do you know what's going to happen next in any of the storylines? Are you clued in ahead of time?
Lynch: No, I am not. I know that we will go to the sectionals. We may win, we may lose, we'll see. But uh. ... It's going to be interesting. People will break up, people will get together. We're going to be seeing odd pairings. Buckle in, it's going to be a lot of fun.
CNN: I feel like every episode can stand on it's own.
Lynch: You can watch one episode. ... Each one is isolated and makes sense, and you can get involved in it. That's the hallmark of a really good, well written show. Yeah, they stand on their own. Really fine episodes.
This article is from http://www.cnn.com
The current television landscape isn't exactly a smorgasbord of satisfying viewing. It's littered with about-to-be-canceled programs that never establish viewership, a few standby dramas and reality show after reality show. Enter "Glee."
A cross between "The Breakfast Club" and "Grease"? Maybe not, but "Glee" is a combination of teen angst, musical theater and soap opera-worthy love triangles ready for prime time.
This isn't the first television show to base each episode around a big production number. Think "Fame" and "Cop Rock." But "Glee" does it with purpose.
"A song is never sung for no reason," says star Jane Lynch. "There's always deep psychological or emotional impetus for the song, and it's usually uplifting or tragic, and I think people love that, especially bringing that out through music."
"Glee" is different. It can be politically incorrect and yet it manages to address social issues correctly. It's quirky in the best sense of the word. And maybe the fact that it's set in a high school is the draw. Every adult has high school memories -- some good, some bad, some very bad. The teens who are watching "Glee" now can so like, oh my God, totally relate.
Being part of a hit television show is a rare thing considering most highly rated programs these days are starring rich non-acting housewives or people who are famous because they are rich non-acting housewives
So it's not surprising that two of the show's stars are very happy these days.
I spoke with "Glee" leads Matthew Morrison, who plays the hopeful and very likable Will Schuester, and Jane Lynch, who plays coach Sue Sylvester, need I say more. The following is an edited version of those interviews:
CNN: I have to ask you about the unbelievable success of "Glee." Did you ever expect this to happen?
Matthew Morrison: No. You audition to be in a pilot every year. To turn into this, it's. ... We're all set on a goldmine, and we're all excited and honored. It's hard to talk about it because it's such a special show and we're so happy to be a part of it.
CNN: It's basically musical theater on television. Why do you think the people were ready for it?
Morrison: I think a show like this probably couldn't have happened five years ago, but I think with the success of "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" and other movie musicals, like "Hairspray, " "Chicago" and "Nine" that's coming up, they set the groundwork for people to accept it and being excited about it. I think we're putting a different twist on it to make it fun and interesting and kind of cool.
CNN: In the past few episodes, some bombshells were dropped. What can we expect in future episodes? Are you privy to anything?
Morrison: Am I privy to anything? I'm privy to everything. But there's going to be a lot more bombshells dropped. It's that kind of show every week. Something really big happens. I think that's the really exciting thing about the show. I'm not going to tell you anything.
CNN: Nothing? You can't give anything away?
Morrison: No. I'm sorry.
CNN: It's OK. Aside from the musical aspect of the show, do you think people are drawn to the underdog storylines?
Morrison: Yeah, it is a show about the underdogs. I think that everyone in the world at some point was an underdog, so I think everyone can relate to the show in that way.
CNN: The cast of "Glee" was supposed to sing on its own float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast on NBC. Then suddenly they weren't. What happened?
Morrison: You know about that as much as I do. I read about it on the Internet. I think they spun the story really well for "Glee." They didn't help NBC's cause, but I think it's interesting. But we're chugging away, and it's better for us we don't.
CNN: Are you having the time of your life right now?
Morrison: I am. I'm having the best time ever.
CNN: What has made "Glee" so instantly popular with viewers?
Jane Lynch: I think it's important for us to see the loser aspect of ourselves, reflected on television. ... We like to root for the underdog. And these are a bunch of kids who in spite of getting slushies thrown in their faces every day and being maligned ... the high school culture. ... They show up to every day dutifully to glee club and sing their hearts out and support each other. I think that's something all of us want to root for, and we love music. We're the home of American musical theater. We created it.
CNN: Tell me about Sue Sylvester. Something unexpected was revealed about her recently.
Lynch: Right. In the past episode of "Glee" you find out that Sylvester has an older sister with Down Syndrome who's in an institution, and so we get to see the softer side of Sue, and see how much she loves her sister and how gentle and kind she is with her sister. And of course she turns around and stabs someone else in the back. But we know that she does have it in there, that she has a heart. But we won't see a lot more of that of Sue.
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck, the writers ... there's nothing conventional about them and they'll never do anything by hitting ... the nail and the head are going to come around the back door. That's what I love about getting a new script from them every week. You know it's going to be different and weird and really grounded in reality.
CNN: Can you relate to Sue Sylvester in any way?
Lynch: You know that devil on your shoulder that tells you terrible things about people and of course you'd never say "maybe you don't really believe." She has no filter, and it just comes right out. So I'm a nice person after I leave "Glee" because I get to exercise the heinous behavior while I'm in a track suit yelling at defenseless children.
CNN: How much fun is it being able to have no filter?
Lynch: It's great, it's the best. Whatever that comes to Sue's head comes out of the mouth. She loves the look of shock on people's face that they can't believe that she would say that and indeed she did.
CNN: Do you know what's going to happen next in any of the storylines? Are you clued in ahead of time?
Lynch: No, I am not. I know that we will go to the sectionals. We may win, we may lose, we'll see. But uh. ... It's going to be interesting. People will break up, people will get together. We're going to be seeing odd pairings. Buckle in, it's going to be a lot of fun.
CNN: I feel like every episode can stand on it's own.
Lynch: You can watch one episode. ... Each one is isolated and makes sense, and you can get involved in it. That's the hallmark of a really good, well written show. Yeah, they stand on their own. Really fine episodes.
This article is from http://www.cnn.com
Glee TV Guide: Grace Hitchens in Glee
In this Wednesday's episode of Glee (9/8c on Fox), New Directions finally meets some of the competition for sectionals: Jane Adams Academy, led by Grace Hitchens (guest-star Eve). The rapper-actress took a few minutes from her tour in Dubai — her fourth album "Flirt" drops later this year — to dish on her guest stint, including the plot to take down the McKinley High glee club.
Working as a glee club coach from a competing reform school, "she gets approached about trying to get rid of the glee club at the school," Eve said. "You see her take these girls to the school and they do this 'Bootylicious' number, which blows the competition away. When you see this number, you're going to die. It's one of those things where you're like, 'How can they make this happen?' but it's also hilarious at the same time."
Grace's tactics are far different than those of Will (Matthew Morrison). "For me especially, I come from a harder place" she said. "I'm the teacher of a reform school. I'm used to being very strict."
Originally, songstress Whitney Houston was going to guest star in this role. "I would've loved to watch that myself," Eve said. "I think it would've been different in a sense because she's an original diva. She would've brought a whole other energy, which would've been amazing."
Unfortunately, Eve won't be singing during the episode. "It was really fun to sit back and watch everyone else sing," she said. "If there was another episode and I could come back, it would be amazing if I could sing." What's her ideal song if she returns to the show? "Sweet Dreams," by The Eurythmics, she said. "That's like my karaoke go-to song."
With the news that fellow Glee guest-star Kristin Chenoweth will return to the show, might Eve be lured back as well? "If I'm asked to do it, I definitely would," she said. "It's just a really well-made, smart show."
This article is from http://www.seattlepi.com
Working as a glee club coach from a competing reform school, "she gets approached about trying to get rid of the glee club at the school," Eve said. "You see her take these girls to the school and they do this 'Bootylicious' number, which blows the competition away. When you see this number, you're going to die. It's one of those things where you're like, 'How can they make this happen?' but it's also hilarious at the same time."
Grace's tactics are far different than those of Will (Matthew Morrison). "For me especially, I come from a harder place" she said. "I'm the teacher of a reform school. I'm used to being very strict."
Originally, songstress Whitney Houston was going to guest star in this role. "I would've loved to watch that myself," Eve said. "I think it would've been different in a sense because she's an original diva. She would've brought a whole other energy, which would've been amazing."
Unfortunately, Eve won't be singing during the episode. "It was really fun to sit back and watch everyone else sing," she said. "If there was another episode and I could come back, it would be amazing if I could sing." What's her ideal song if she returns to the show? "Sweet Dreams," by The Eurythmics, she said. "That's like my karaoke go-to song."
With the news that fellow Glee guest-star Kristin Chenoweth will return to the show, might Eve be lured back as well? "If I'm asked to do it, I definitely would," she said. "It's just a really well-made, smart show."
This article is from http://www.seattlepi.com
Glee TV Guide: FOX puts "Glee" on a three-month-plus break
The first network to have the full midseason schedule announced, FOX puts "Glee" on a three-month-plus break. The musical show will wrap its first half of season 1 on December 9 and only returns for the rest on April 13. Indeed it will be paired with the performance night of "American Idol" on Tuesdays.
"Idol" will have its usual two-night shows starting January 12. Before "Glee" slips in as its partner, the singing competition will be accompanied at the 9/8c hour on Tuesdays by a new series titled "Our Little Genius". It is an unscripted series that features America's most gifted kids as they are tested with some of the most challenging and difficult questions.
A new series "Human Target" will premiere on Wednesday, January 20. "Target" is an action-packed drama about a unique private contractor who will stop at nothing even if it means becoming a human target to save his clients.
Another important note from the midseason line-up is that "Dollhouse" will still occupy the Friday nights. FOX had decided not to continue the series and wrap it all within January 8 to 22. After that "Kitchen Nightmares" will take over starting January 29.
"Past Life" will have its two-hour series premiere on Thursday, February 11 and will move to its regular slot at 9/8c after "Bones". The drama series is only a filler of "Fringe" which returns on January 14 to February 4 but takes a break until April 1.
"Lie to Me" has just got its nine back episode order which gives it a full second season, but FOX has not determined a particular date, stating that it will be in "late spring". Meanwhile, the status of " 'Til Death" and "American Dad!" are also still to be determined.
This article is from http://www.aceshowbiz.com
"Idol" will have its usual two-night shows starting January 12. Before "Glee" slips in as its partner, the singing competition will be accompanied at the 9/8c hour on Tuesdays by a new series titled "Our Little Genius". It is an unscripted series that features America's most gifted kids as they are tested with some of the most challenging and difficult questions.
A new series "Human Target" will premiere on Wednesday, January 20. "Target" is an action-packed drama about a unique private contractor who will stop at nothing even if it means becoming a human target to save his clients.
Another important note from the midseason line-up is that "Dollhouse" will still occupy the Friday nights. FOX had decided not to continue the series and wrap it all within January 8 to 22. After that "Kitchen Nightmares" will take over starting January 29.
"Past Life" will have its two-hour series premiere on Thursday, February 11 and will move to its regular slot at 9/8c after "Bones". The drama series is only a filler of "Fringe" which returns on January 14 to February 4 but takes a break until April 1.
"Lie to Me" has just got its nine back episode order which gives it a full second season, but FOX has not determined a particular date, stating that it will be in "late spring". Meanwhile, the status of " 'Til Death" and "American Dad!" are also still to be determined.
This article is from http://www.aceshowbiz.com
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