The long-awaited return of Trouty Mouth himself - Chord Overstreet; singing Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup", no less - was only the beginning of the big moves and even bigger events of last night's epic GLEE "Sectionals" episode. Yes, this year's sectionals competition certainly spelled a vast departure from less successful years' past and seeing and hearing New Directions taking on the vaunted catalog of Michael Jackson was the convergence of two true blue pop culture institutions coming together and making musical magic at long, long last - from "ABC" to "Man In The Mirror". Michael's sister Janet got her hotly anticipated GLEE treatment, as well, in the form of a syncopated and spirited "Control", during the stylishly executed Jackson tribute sequence. For the Broadway babies amongst the gleeks, we also were treated to an EVITA homage from Ohio's rival glee group, the Unitards, led by GLEE PROJECT's Lindsay Pearce. In addition to Finn and Rachel's discovery of White Chocolate (aka Sam) making ends meet as a stripper - as well as their subsequent reclaiming of him back to McKinley High and to the ranks of New Directions - "Sectionals" proved to be a strong and satisfying end to the journey of Season Three: Part 1 and next week's Christmas episode seems poised to provide ample entertainment value over the rushed tying up of loose dramatic ends as the series prepares to go on a brief hiatus until February. "Sectionals" displayed the continued rise to prominence - musical, dramatic and otherwise - of some featured players to the top of the star ranks and afforded Chord Overstreet and Darren Criss in particular with some delectable dramatic and musical moments - providing a distinct parallel to off-stage/off-show realities; Criss having become the biggest GLEE breakout star of all in a very short span of time - with Harry Shum, Jr. and Jenna Ushkowitz given solo moments to shine, as well. So, too, did Dianna Agron get her dramatic due at long last and her bumpy and grumpy story arc for Season 3 seems to be finding its footing and justification in the overall themes of the consistently strong season - her particularly well-delivered and delicately measured scene with Idina Menzel's Shelby (the adoptive mother to Quinn and Puck's baby, Beth) being a dramatic highlight of the season so far. So, too, was Finn and Blaine's scene in the gym an understated and sensitive reading of this episode's particularly smart and sharp script. Lea Michele continues to get short shrift in the musical department, but her leading of Fun.'s "We Are Young" was a welcome reminder of her golden instrument. So, while there were definitely many dramatic moments to remember in "Sectionals", the music - as always and forever - was the central delight and the payoff of the pairing of GLEE and the music of Michael Jackson (and Janet) was generally well worth the wait.
Dianna Agron News
On Sunday, December 4, 2011, the Trevor Project presented 'Trevor Live,' a high-profile event to benefit the life-saving work of The Trevor Project. The evening featured moving performances from Hollywood's most talented and entertaining performers, including Mary J. Blige,Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, LeAnn Rimes, Barrett Foa and the Warblers, Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough, JC Chasez, American Idol contestants Kris Allen and Stefano Langone, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Jesse Tyler Ferguson,Darren Criss, Step up Dance, and Amber Riley. Check out Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson's performance of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS' 'Somewhere That's Green' from the event by clicking below!
On next week's episode of GLEE, the New Directions celebrate the holidays while trying to attend two events scheduled for the same time. Check out photos from the episode below!
On Sunday, December 4, 2011, The Trevor Project honored Lady Gaga with the Trevor Hero Award and Google Inc. with the Trevor 2020 Award during 'Trevor Live' presented by Audi of America and ING and directed by Adam Shankman.
On tonight's episode of GLEE, the New Directions compete at Sectionals against the Troubletones; a former Glee Club member, Sam, returns to McKinley; Quinn weighs an important decision; Tina helps Mike with a problem regarding his future. Check out photos and audio from the episode below!
As previously reported, among the next round of hits to get the GLEE treatment include a mash up of Destiny Child's 'Survivor' and Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', and Toby Keith's latest hit, 'Red Solo Cup', featured on his latest album 'Clancy's Tavern.' The newest epiosode of GLEE airs on FOX December 6 and 8pm EST.
On next week's episode of GLEE, the New Directions compete at Sectionals against the Troubletones; a former Glee Club member, Sam, returns to McKinley; Quinn weighs an important decision; Tina helps Mike with a problem regarding his future. Check out photos from the December 6 episode below!
Get a look at GLEE's upcoming 'Hold on to Sixteen' episode, airing December 6, below!
On tonight's episode of GLEE, Finn tries to rally the rival show-choirs behind one of their own. Sue's bid for political office causes heartbreak for another teacher; and the student body elections turn scandalous. Check out photos and audio from the episode below!
According to reports from Fox News, Toby Keith's latest hit, 'Red Solo Cup' will be featured on an upcoming episode of GLEE in early December. 'Red Solo Cup' has had over 3 million online views and is off of Keith's latest album 'Clancy's Tavern.'
On the next episode of GLEE, airing November 29, Finn tries to rally the rival show-choirs behind one of their own. Sue's bid for political office causes heartbreak for another teacher; and the student body elections turn scandalous. Check out photos from the new episode below!
The fine art of the mash-up has been a hallowed tradition that has been explored to a significant extent on GLEE since the very beginning, so a night filled with only such two-stack tracks would seem to be the ideal way to celebrate the show's 300th musical performance to date, which came in last night's "Mash-Off" episode. The mash-ups blasted off in a grand manner and the carefully-constructed couplings were often quite brilliant twists on the sounds of the original singles - the spectacular 300th performance showcase of Adele's "Rumor Has It' and "Someone Like You" acting as the musical apotheosis of the evening. Mixing disparate elements from the incredibly diverse musical catalogs of Adele, Lady Gaga, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Blondie, Van Halen, Eddie Rabbit and Crystal Gayle, "Mash-Off" managed to shine a light on the couples singing the musical mergings, as well as provide the high entertainment value implicit in any episode so far on the resoundingly strong third season of GLEE.
The potential prospect of the entertainment behemoth known as GLEE taking on perhaps the finest American musical ever written - WEST SIDE STORY - is enough to make any Broadway baby near-exultant, yet when the songs of the classic Bernstein/Sondheim score then are allowed to act as all-too-apt musical commentary on risque dramatic content in the highly controversial episode itself - all-too-appropriately named "The First Time" - a cataclysmic consequence can almost be counted on to inevitably arise. And, it did. Again. And again. And again - all night long. While it may have very well been Kurt, Rachel and Blaine's first roll in the hay, it would be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack to find much - if any - fault whatsoever with GLEE's button-pushing and excellently played tribute to Tony and Maria. Given what resulted from the doomed coupling of those Shakespeareans - Tony and Maria being more modern-day answers to Romeo and Juliet, of course - the ire of all the up-in-arms conservative helicopter parents in the country - and Capulets and Montagues, too, for that matter - could not even dare to try and contain the joy, excitement and sheer pleasure of what is undoubtedly one of GLEE's finest hours to date. There was a message or two to be learned, too. Yes, indeed, GLEE taking on WEST SIDE STORY went all the way - and then some. So, whether you are a Jet or Shark, you must be compelled to give it up for GLEE and its ode to WEST SIDE STORY.
Stage and screen star John Schneider is set to appear on the eighth episode of FOX's Glee, according to TVLine.com. He will play the father of Sam.
Coming after a nearly month-long mini-hiatus following the superb "Asian F" in early October, the gleeks of McKinley High on GLEE swept back onto the main stage last night with the hotly anticipated "Pot O' Gold" episode, which introduced new recurring cast members and THE GLEE PROJECT co-winner, Damian McGinty in the tailor-made role of sassy and offensive Rory Flanagan. While McGinty proved to be a winning addition to the roundly respectable line-up of GLEE Season Three, once again the musical performance highlight of the night goes to new GLEE regular Darren Criss - alongside show standout Lea Michele and the rest of the glee club - and their electrifying take on Katy Perry's campy anthem "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)". Much like with Lea Michele's emotionally shattering "Firework", once again a Katy Perry anthem has been rendered even better than the huge hit original by the gleeks of GLEE. Also, "Pot O' Gold" - directed by HAIRSPRAY movie musical helmer Adam Shankman - continued the season-long character arc of Tony-winning Broadway star Idina Menzel, in the role of rival McKinley glee club director Shelby Corcoran, and further developed her complex relationship with Quinn and Puck, played by sensitive Dianna Agron and imposingly forceful Mark Salling - the latter of whom contributed an emotionally charged and displayed his rarely seen softer side with his sensitive rendering of the 80s Foreigner power ballad "Waiting For A Girl Like You". McGinty's two selections - Teddy Thompson's "Take Care Of Yourself" and Kermit The Frog's "Bein' Green" - were relatively lucky and charmed introductions to the foreign exchange student character. Additionally, Mercedes, Santana and Brittany also got a Christina Aguilera/BURLESQUE-esque moment in the spotlight with their sweet and sexy "Candyman" (written by Linda Perry) as the newly formed girl-group The Troubletones. So, as for the rest of "Pot O' Gold" and how the songs stacked up in their dramatic context - as well as virtually everything else? Read on! The rainbow certainly ends with a shiny, gleaming pot o' gold - and maybe a leprechaun or two to love, too! Thank goodness it's Tuesday (or was) - and thank St. Patrick it's GLEE! After all, we've been waiting for a GLEE like this all October!
On tonight's highly anticipated return of GLEE, the Glee Project co-winner Damian McGinty makes his debut as foreign-exchange student Rory Flanagan.
As previously reported, Damian McGinty, one of the season one THE GLEE PROJECT winners, will play an Irish exchange studunt this fall. According to TVGuide.com, McGinty willl star as 'Rory Flanagan' for at least seven episodes. McGinty commented: 'I am having the time of my life. Rory is living with Brittany [Heather Morris], who thinks he is her own personal leprechaun only she can see.'
In tonight's return of GLEE, (airing 8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT) entitled 'Pot O' Gold', Will (Matthew Morrison) wants to bring some magic back to the glee club. New student Rory, (Damien McGinty, winner of THE GLEE PROJECT), makes his debut appearance and finds himself getting picked on by members of the student body. Check out photos and audio previews from the episode below!
From the anthem hit 'Don't Stop Believin' to the iconic rendition of 'Vogue' to the pop phenomenon 'Teenage Dream,' GLEE has sold more than 36 million songs. Now GLEE has reached another impressive milestone: 300 musical performances. The 300th performance, a momentous mash-up of 'Rumor Has It - Someone Like You,' will debut in the upcoming all-new episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Nov. 15 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
GLEE stars Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch recently sat down to talk about the importance of arts in education. Click below to hear what they have to say!
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