Cory Monteith News

"For the first time in its charmed, yet pitiful, existence the New Directions has lost Sectionals," and, with that, indeed did "Christmas came early for one Sue Sylvester." As GLEE gave the gift of its inimitable takes on a number of musical theatre showstoppers - among them, songs from CHICAGO, COMPANY and HALLELUJAH, BABY - to gleeks around the world with last night aptly-titled "Swan Song" episode, the Lima-based glee club that now and always acts as the focal point of the show faced perhaps its most treacherous hurdle yet - and that's not even including Sue's evil shenanigans. In NYC, the temperature rose in much the same way that it actually unseasonably happened to do in Gothan itself this week with a spectacularly sexy "All That Jazz" and some seriously stage-worthy barn-burners courtesy of "Being Good Isn't Good Enough" - recently re-introduced to the world at large by no less than Barbra Streisand in her landmark 2012 tour (as well as on her recently released cut-out compilation RELEASE ME) - and COMPANY classic "Being Alive". While next week is sure to provide all the holiday cheer a show named GLEE could possibly muster - which is a whole lot - this week's "Swan Song" reminded us why GLEE connects and continues to express an all-too-rarely explored, expressed and enacted trope of those who are involved with the performing arts: competition inspires greater dedication.

'Tis the season to be jolly as the Glee cast releases Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Vol. 3, available Tuesday, December 11.The album features timeless holiday classics, including "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas," and "Jingle Bell Rock." Six of the tracks recorded will be included on the holiday themed episode of Glee, which airs Thursday, December 13, at 9:00 PM ET/PT on FOX. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Vol. 3 will also showcase 4 songs recorded exclusively for the release including "Joy To The World" and "Silent Night" (see below for track-listing).

Today BroadwayWorld is proud to present the third and fourth world premiere exclusive songs in a month's time, following "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" performed by Kitty (Becca Tobin) and the New Directions girls as well as "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" performed by Marley (Melissa Benoist): in addition to Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Amber Riley, Darren Criss and the New Directions with a theatrically-attuned group reworking of the 80s Crowded House pop classic "Don't Dream It's Over", here is theatrical standard "All That Jazz" from CHICAGO courtesy of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Cassandra (Kate Hudson) from this Thursday's brand new episode, "Swan Song".

Today BroadwayWorld is proud to present the third and fourth world premiere exclusive songs in a month's time, following "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" performed by Kitty (Becca Tobin) and the New Directions girls as well as "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" performed by Marley (Melissa Benoist): following "All That Jazz" from CHICAGO courtesy of Rachel (Lea Michele)and Cassandra (Kate Hudson), here is Cory Monteith, Darren Criss and the New Directions with a theatrically-attuned group reworking of the 80s Crowded House pop classic "Don't Dream It's Over" from this Thursday's brand new episode, "Swan Song".

On next week's new episode of FOX's GLEE titled "Thanksgiving", it's time for Sectionals, and New Directions receives guidance from some of the recent McKinley graduates who volunteer to mentor the glee club during their Thanksgiving breaks. Meanwhile, Rachel and Kurt have a non-traditional holiday dinner in the Big Apple. Check out photos from the episode below!

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to Tony Award-winning SPRING AWAKENING songwriter Duncan Sheik all about his staggering spate of upcoming stage projects - the musical stage adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis bestseller AMERICAN PSYCHO, as well as his Steven Sater collaborations on THE NIGHTENGALE, WHISPER HOUSE, MR. CHESS and ALICE included - in addition to all about his upcoming concert appearance on November 23 at the Gramercy Theatre. Additionally, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter also expounded upon his career thus far and we took a look back at some of his favorite scores and composers, as well as the individuals to have the most impact on him and how that has played out in both his theatre and recording career. Plus, Sheik shares exciting exclusive news on the development of the forthcoming film adaptation of SPRING AWAKENING, directed by McG, to potentially begin filming next summer if all goes as planned, as well as opens up with his feelings on GLEE's recent homage to his hit 90s single "Barely Breathing" and his original SPRING AWAKENING leads Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff, as well as news about his upcoming solo album and the many, many stage projects he currently has in development. All of that and much, much more!

"No contact, not even in song." And, with those words, the epic romance of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Cory Monteith) - Finchel, familiarly, to fans of the show; gleeks - on Fox's hit musical dramedy series GLEE came to a horrific car crash of a coda - and all-too-appropriately so given the automatic, systematic, ultimatic GLEE GREASE tribute oh-so-amusingly billed as "Glease". The Robert Aguirre-Sarcasa-written, Michael Uppendahl-directed ep gave us a generous dose of GREASE justified by the glee club's take on the classic 50s tuner while also offering us some hair-raising dramatic and thematic developments, as well - Mr. Shue (Matt Morrison)'s sabbatical; the permanent ceasing of not one, not two, but three central romances of seasons' past; as well as the nefarious interception of Cassandra July (Kate Hudson) into the entanglements of the NYC-set storyline of the all-new, revamped GLEE S4.

Check out a group performance of GREASE's 'Born to Hand Jive,' featuring Amber Riley from GLEE's 'The Role You Were Born to Play,' which aired Nov. 8!

Check out a performance of P!nk's 'Blow Me,' by two of the newest McKinley Kids - Melissa Benoist and Alex Newell - on GLEE's 'The Role You Were Born to Play,' which aired Nov. 8!

The results are in! And, last night, after a month-long hiatus, GLEE came speeding back to the small screen with the spiffy and spunky new episode, "The Role You Were Born To Play" - a Michael Hitchcock-written, Brad Falchuk-directed entry to Fox's hit musical series centering on the auditions for this year's McKinley High musical - none other than the campy 50s musical comedy GREASE! And, indeed, GREASE is the word - and, furthermore, the musical GLEE was born to do.

On tonight's episode of GLEE, titled, 'The Role You Were Born to Play,' the school production of Grease is underway, and Marley (Melissa Benoist), Jake (Jacob Artist), Kitty (Becca Tobin) and football player Ryder (Blake Jenner) compete to play "Danny" and "Sandy." Meanwhile, former Glee clubbers Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) return to cast the play, and Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) struggles with a difficult decision. Check out photos and tracks from the episode below!

The Fox musical series GLEE takes on Broadway's GREASE, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, in the upcoming November 15th episode. Mike (Harry Shum Jr.), Joe (Samuel Larsen), Sam (Chord Overstreet), Ryder (Blake Jenner), Jake (Jacob Artist), Artie (Kevin McHale) and Finn (Cory Monteith) sing their version of 'Greased Lightning,'. Get a first listen below!

On the next episode of GLEE, titled, 'The Role You Were Born to Play,' the school production of Grease is underway, and Marley (Melissa Benoist), Jake (Jacob Artist), Kitty (Becca Tobin) and football player Ryder (Blake Jenner) compete to play "Danny" and "Sandy." Meanwhile, former Glee clubbers Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) return to cast the play, and Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) struggles with a difficult decision. Check out photos from the episode below!

TVLine.com reports that AMERICAN IDOL's Jessica Sanchez has been cast in the FOX musical drama series GLEE. The singer finished in second-place on the eleventh season of the singing competition, just missing the title bestowed upon fan favorite Phillip Phillips.

This week on Week Four of THE X FACTOR, the first round of contestants to make it into the competition for the $5 million recording contract were let go at boot camp - and, on GLEE, romantic walking papers were issued willy-nilly as four long-standing relationships between central characters came to a conclusion (at least for now).

This week marked the third X FACTOR/GLEE combo Thursday on Fox and both shows continued to deliver the chill-inducing trills and riff-tastic runs we have come to expect from the entertainment extravaganzas showing off TV's top vocalists, performers, celebrities, hottest songs and guest stars. Evidently, Sarah Jessica Parker and Britney Spears sure can spice up and heat up a cooling late-September autumnal soup!

After tonight's 'Makeover' episode of GLEE, the show aired its promo for next week. Titled 'The Break Up', the teaser features Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) and Will (Matthew Morrison) and Emma (Jayma Mays) reevaluating their relationships. Watch the promo below!

This week saw the second Britney Spears-centric episode of the musical dramedy series GLEE, "Britney 2.0", as well as the second three-hour block of new episodes of the reality singing competition THE X FACTOR, the latter featuring none other than new judge Britney Spears as it continued to offer up even more preliminary auditions as the arbiters hone in on a Top 20 and we gear up for the live shows starting soon. While the theme of Thursday night on Fox may have very well been their $15 million investment given glam, grand primetime treatment as only the network AMERICAN IDOL and GLEE built really could, both shows proved that the pop princess of the 21st century is at the top of the entertainment heap for very good reason, leaving X FACTOR fans, gleeks and entertainment junkies alike left requesting one thing and one thing only by the time 11 o'clock rolled around: "Gimme gimme more."

This week saw the premieres of not one, but two of the biggest entertainment extravaganzas currently on show in the vast TV landscape, both on Fox - the season two debut of the reinvented reboot of the reality singing competition show THE X FACTOR (with Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as new judges), as well as the season four premiere of the returning, albeit re-jiggered, half-NYC-set GLEE (with a memorable Kate Hudson, and, also, Sarah Jessica Parker joining next week). While one may have been more successful than the other in pulling off its grand switcheroo (especially insofar as overall transitional smoothness, THE X FACTOR really seems to be finding its voice, pardon the puns), the sheer enjoyment levels achieved by each was enough to make both recommendable and worthy of review given their intrinsic ties to the performing arts realm and their exploration, exhibition and employment of the titular x factor. Individuals with that oh-so-unmistakable allure were on ample display both on THE X FACTOR and GLEE, making both properties once again worth revisiting each week this year, like last year - look no further than jaw-dropping X FACTOR audition of Carly Rose Sonenclar for clear-cut proof of that. Plus, next week, THE X FACTOR and GLEE shall share a similar theme when GLEE gets 1,2,3 (or, more to the point: 5,6,7,8) with a second Britney Spears tribute, "Britney 2.0"

FOX's GLEE returns for season four tomorrow, September 13, with an episode titled 'The New Rachel.' Tune in tomorrow night to find out what happened to last year's seniors and meet the new crew at McKinley High. Check out the show's photo countdown below!