The Boss to the Beatles to Madonna to Rod Stewart, GLEE's emotional and invigorating season finale was pretty much everything a gleek could have asked for in a grand send-off to the original crew of McKinley High's New Directions - at least insofar as we have seen them thus far - as the musical dramedy series ends its third season and heads into uncertain new terrain with Season Four and the purportedly revolutionary new dual-show concept GLEE mastermind Ryan Murphy and company plan to incorporate while bringing in guest stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson and THE GLEE PROJECT winners. As seen in "Goodbye", the future looks quite uncertain for many of the McKinley graduates - Rachel (Lea Michele) may have gotten into NYADA at the eleventh hour and arrived on Broadway to fulfill her theatre dreams, but Finn (Cory Monteith) and Kurt did not get into their performing arts academies of their choice. So, what now? So, too, will Quinn (Dianna Agron) assumedly head for the East Coast and Princeton, while Santana (Naya Rivera) will apparently be joining Rachel in New York - but, to do what? The future is evidently more promising for some than for others, but what we will see play out is infuriatingly indeterminable at this stage of the game. Anticipation is building, in any event - and GLEE continues to entice. What's next for the rest of the glee club we will have to wait until next season to witness, but we can rest assured that Blaine (Darren Criss), Sam (Chord Overstreet), Joe (Samuel Larsen), Sugar (Vanessa Lengies) and Artie (Kevin McHale) will be around, with the fates of some of the original glee clubbers who graduated a little less cut and dry as far as their character's trajectories are concerned - particularly Puck (Mark Salling), Mike (Harry Shum, Jr.), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and Mercedes (Amber Riley). And, as for Mr. Shu (Matt Morrison), Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) and Emma (Jayma Mays)? We will definitely be seeing much more of them in September. While we can always rely on GLEE to provide us with outrageous jokes, outlandish characterizations, unexpected dramatic and thematic twists and turns, shockingly touching domestic drama and many incredibly heartwarming moments and socially progressive messages, the music - more importantly, the musical numbers - is what makes GLEE stand out from every other serial television series before or since and why the show will unquestionably be remembered as something revolutionary and indisputably idiosyncratic in the scheme of TV history.
Matt Morris News
With music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, the grandson of Richard Rodgers, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA fulfilled its great promise by becoming one of the most enchantingly romantic and melodically moving musicals to come about in the new millennium and its Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Actress In A Musical, Best Orchestrations and a trio of technical prizes go a long way in justifying the notable place the Italianate musical has in American theatre history. Plus, what an original cast - besides Tony-winner Victoria Clark, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA also featured fellow nominee Kelli O'Hara, who appears this season in a leading role in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, as well as crossover GLEE superstar Matthew Morrison, who would go on to make another strong impression in a pivotal role in a musical at Lincoln Center soon thereafter (also under the direction of Barlett Sher) - SOUTH PACIFIC.
Today we continue the 2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - culminating in the final entry on June 10, aka Tony Sunday - with a focus on two tremendous theatrical talents who have crossed over from Broadway fame to international acclaim on Fox's hit musical dramedy series GLEE, which ends its third season tonight: HAIRSPRAY's Matthew Morrison and SPRING AWAKENING's Lea Michele.
Today we are talking to one of the biggest new stars on Broadway who first burst onto the scene in HAIRSPRAY but has since carved out a place in the great pantheon of theatre history in creating the iconic lead role of Elder Price in the Broadway hit of the decade, THE BOOK OF MORMON, Andrew Rannells. One among many on the incredibly impressive list of performers at Monday night's NY Pops JOURNEY ON gala at Carnegie Hall celebrating the music and lyrics of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Rannells joins many of the other accomplished Broadway/Hollywood crossover stars of modern Broadway as well as those who predominantly tread the boards. Illustrating his journey with the edgy and ribald musical smash THE BOOK OF MORMOM from workshop to Broadway, the Tony Awards and beyond, Rannells paints the picture of the show's road to success and imparts his effervescent enthusiasm and all too apparent joy to be appearing in such a crowd-pleasing and joyous experience eight times a week. Additionally, Rannells shares his thoughts on the upcoming national tour starring Gavin Creel and whether or not there will be a MORMON film version sooner rather than later. Plus, Rannells gives also us the first look at his 21st century parenting and adoption-themed NBC pilot, THE NEW NORMAL, and outlines the finer points of the story, his character and the themes of the hotly anticipated new single-camera comedy series coming from the creator of GLEE, Ryan Murphy. That, his favorite Ahrens & Flaherty songs, favorite shows, future acting plans, what is currently on his iPod - all of that and much, much more!
Fourteen episodes in, with eight more to come after the seven week hiatus that just began, GLEE's Season Three has been filled with shocks and surprises, but none so shocking and surprising as last night's potentially fatal collision involving the one and only Quinn Fabray, Dianna Agron. In the show's final moments, the danger of auto texting was made painfully plain to see as Quinn's car was demolished by an oncoming truck as she typed the episode's title into her phone, "On My Way," - on her way to the wedding of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Cory Monteith), that is. 'Chapel Of Love' playing on the radio gave the scene an extra added note of morbid irony and twisted the dramatic knife in a way few enterprises dare to do, as well - a NIP/TUCK twist (as Ryan Murphy would have it). So, is this really the last we shall see of Quinn on GLEE? We will have to wait until April to see, but some pictures have already surfaced of Quinn wheelchair racing with Artie (Kevin McHale) onset, so perhaps she survives after all. Besides Quinn's catastrophe, one of the most complex and controversial secondary characters on the show, closeted gay football player and Kurt's former McKinley High bully par excellence, Max Karofsky, succumbed to a heartbreakingly presented suicide attempt, but survived to fight another day. Will Quinn be as lucky? What will become of her daughter, Beth - sired with Puck (Mark Salling) back in Season One - who is being raised by Rachel's birth mother, Shelby (Idina Menzel)? Does this mean we will be seeing more of Ms. Menzel in the back 8 of the season? Will Puck and Shelby rekindle their romance in the wake of Quinn's crash and subsequent rehabilitation or, maybe, death? Only time will tell, it seems. In an episode packing an incredible punch, GLEE'S "On My Way" delivered the drama, the social commentary, the laughs, tears, joy and, of course, the music as stylishly and successfully as any of its finest episodes ever have, even if some of the questionable of-the-moment contemporary song selections at the central Regionals competition failed to fully ignite as other songs may very well have done. Indeed, last night's GLEE was all any gleek could ask for from the Winter Finale of their favorite show, and, if we are forced to wait a few weeks for the next episode, best to go out on a big, bad cliffhanger that makes a splash.
Completing the Lima Sound Machine in a truly terrific way, Ricky Martin made his highly-awaited GLEE debut last night and the word on the tips of tongues wagging across the country today is undoubtedly duende. Dwarf, you say? No, not dwarf - to paraphrase the idea of the term, a passion for performance. That being the definition, no show currently on TV packs more duende into each and every minute than GLEE. A dramatic and musical marriage to beat the band and infusing the show with some spine-tingling spark and verve, Ricky Martin made his musical moments really matter. Both Ricky's cover of LMFAO's international smash hit, remixed and sung alongside none other than Madonna on Sunday night's Super Bowl, "Sexy And I Know It" - in a new bilingual iteration - and Madonna's own "La Isla Bonita", in a moving and exceedingly pleasing pairing with Season 3 standout Naya Rivera, allowed for Ricky Martin to make his musical mark on the GLEE universe in much the same way Neil Patrick Harris, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Gwyneth Paltrow and many other featured guest stars have done in leaving indelible impressions that still linger in the memory. The Ian Brennan-penned "The Spanish Teacher" occasionally may have lapsed into Season Two variety show territory, but acted as an enlivening - and, eventually, surprisingly poignant - episode to occur at this point in the show's history. Will David Ramirez return to McKinley High to guest lecture a glee club rehearsal or two? We will have to stayed tuned to see - and hear - but, until then, this episode went a long way in furthering Sue's development as well as giving Finn and Kurt a welcome bonding scene. Beyond all that, though, Matt Morrison played a hard-to-swallow storyline about a non-Spanish speaking Spanish teacher with finesse and ease, letting Martin shine - or, should I say, twinkle. Like teeth - or stars - that is.
"I don't want to see the spectacle that is Michael, I want to be the spectacle." And so goes the motto of GLEE giving Michael Jackson his musical due. Much like MJ brought together the worlds or pop and R&B and broke down racial barriers through his music and message, GLEE set the stage by placing our favorite gleeks in a battle with the Warblers - not unlike the Sharks vs. Jets of the recent WEST SIDE STORY tribute. And it was quite a sight to see - and hear. Like the memorable Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Fleetwood Mac tributes before it, last night's "Michael" episode of GLEE was the realization of a life-long dream for many gleeks in the audience and the epic convergence of two pop culture dynasties. Series creator and show musical sequence mastermind Ryan Murphy penned the episode himself and the razor sharp dialogue was as biting and bizarre as always - in a good way. A very good way. And, the musical numbers? Even better. Filled with fun facts relating to the man in the mirror being honored and with more musical numbers than one could envision even fitting into an hour of network TV with story, too - and what plot developments - once again, GLEE made us remember that this is our very own spot in the entertainment universe, right at corner of Hollywood and Broadway. The joy that standing on that corner can make us all feel through sheer osmosis is transcendentally exciting, and, even more than that, exquisitely exciting. My, oh my - how we have missed thee, GLEE! True, it's only been a few weeks, but Season Three has been so consistently strong as to make each and every episode unmissable thus far and each pause positively interminable. After all, in just the last episode alone we were left with three marriage proposals! No more scattershot scenarios ala Season Two or heavy focus on the adults like Season One, Season Three is all about the cast of characters that comprise New Directions - and, Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, thank goodness that is the main subject being taught at McKinley High this semester. "Bad" to "Ben" to "Black Or White"; "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Smooth Criminal", "Scream" and more, GLEE's MJ tribute was a true OMGLEE moment.
Showcasing six of the show's strongest supporting performers in a vast array of arresting ways in the first ten minutes was merely one of a myriad in the embarrassment of riches on view as GLEE roared its way back after a multi-week Winter hiatus last night. From GREASE done grandly and giving Amber Riley and Chord Overstreet a duet to linger in the memory - "Summer Nights" - to Helen Mirren's unexpected and unquestionably brilliant narration for Becky (Lauren Potter), and, the piece de resistance: Jayma Mays backed up by Jane Lynch and Dot Jones on the Laura Nyro-penned Fifth Dimension stoned-soul classic "Wedding Bell Blues" - ingeniously accredited to "Will!" in this iteration. While the opening sequence of the show packed a wallop and stood as clear evidence that at this stage in Season 3 GLEE is far from treading water and very well may be the most polished and smooth and consistent it has been since the first episodes of Season 1 (and even then). Matt Morrison and Kevin McHale - backed up by Harry Shum, Jr. and the boys of New Directions - strutted out the recent Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera hit "Moves Like Jagger" in a mash-up with the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with sleek stylishness to spare and some ferociously fierce moves. REAL HOUSEWIVES reality star Nene Leakes as the synchronized swimming coach certainly made a strong first impression in her over-the-top and hilarious characterization of a, well, over-the-top and hilariously-written character (Sue Sylvester better watch out for her). Speaking of strong writing, co-creator Brad Falchuk wrote the 'Yes/No' episode and it was directed by a helmer of many of the show's best in previous season - an actor in his own right - Eric Stolz. Three knockout musical numbers in the first fifteen minutes in addition to the two aforementioned cameos was only the start of an episode evidencing the most consistently entertaining show on TV in top form as we head into the meaty middle of GLEE Season 3. Three proposals in, and all signs point to 'Yes' for GLEE in Season 3 - let us hope Rachel follows suit in her response to Finn when the show returns in two weeks with the highly-touted Michael Jackson tribute episode.
For all those silver and golden Broadway babies, young and green gleeks and plain old all-around entertainment enthusiasts of any age on your holiday shopping lists this year, today we have a SOUND OFF Special Edition 2011 Giving Gifts Guide sure to fulfill the wants, wishes, dreams and desires of your nearest and dearest theatre-loving family and friends with a white and red spotlight on the absolute essential must-haves for this holiday season! Among the festivities: we have GLEE taking on Joni Mitchell and Elvis; two charity albums benefiting arts-related causes and featuring Broadway's best; the most spectacular production of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA you are ever likely to see; candles coming in the six scents from THE SOUND OF MUSIC's beloved "My Favorite Things"; and, of course, Sondheim's massive new tome of the lyrics from the second act of his career - "with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany," no less - topping the list at #1! Plus, the most important gift of all!
Papatango have teamed up with one of London's leading new writing venues, the Finborough Theatre to present the winning entries in the 2011 Papatango Playwriting Competition 2011, featuring this year's winning play Foxfinder by Dawn King which will play for a four week limited season from 29 November (Press Night: Thursday, 1 December 2011 at 8.30pm) and three runners up who will each receive a one week run - Through The Night by Matt Morrison (Press Night: Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 6.30pm), Rigor Mortis by Carol Vine (Press Night:Wednesday, 14 December 2011 at 6.30pm) and Crush by Rob Young (Press Night: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 at 6.30pm).
Papatango have teamed up with one of London's leading new writing venues, the Finborough Theatre to present the winning entries in the 2011 Papatango Playwriting Competition 2011, featuring this year's winning play Foxfinder by Dawn King which will play for a four week limited season from 29 November (Press Night: Thursday, 1 December 2011 at 8.30pm) and three runners up who will each receive a one week run - Through The Night by Matt Morrison (Press Night: Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 6.30pm), Rigor Mortis by Carol Vine (Press Night:Wednesday, 14 December 2011 at 6.30pm) and Crush by Rob Young (Press Night: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 at 6.30pm).
A television staple since the very beginnings of the format, the Christmas episode is a tried and true trope of TV this time of year and no show promises more hatfuls of holiday cheer and buckets of glee more than, well, GLEE does - and, last night, on the seasonally-themed "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" (titled after one of the two new original songs penned for the episode), GLEE was a cool, neon blue star in the oft-midnight black galaxy - one far, far away, evidently; especially given the Chewbacca cameo and STAR WARS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL nods - of network TV today (or ever, for that matter). Capturing the copious charm of the cast and commonalities of the holidays among us all, the Matthew Morrison-directed Christmas special was a jolly Santa, his decked-out sleigh and all the merry reindeer to go along with them. Positively overflowing with song selections from the simply spectacular GLEE: CHRISTMAS VOLUME 2 - available now - last night's GLEE was not only a holiday music lover's and gleek's dream, but it also came with a maraschino cherry on top for the Broadway babies among us - THE SOUND OF Music's "My Favorite Things"; sung in Summer in the famous Rodgers & Hammerstein show and Robert Wise film version, the song has nevertheless become widely associated with the season due in no small part to Barbra Streisand's unforgettable inclusion of it on her peerless 1967 classic, A CHRISTMAS ALBUM. "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" also gave Sue Sylvester some room to exact her ongoing revenge - and redemption - while the rest of the episode contained a multitude of New Directions-centric plot developments, surprises and, of course, seriously Santa-friendly musical numbers - all, fascinatingly enough, with an all-inclusive (and, even, religion-friendly; in Rory's nativity story scene) style. Not that Judy Garland's Christmas classic special wasn't paid as much homage as Santa and the baby Jesus were - as we should always expect from GLEE - because it was. More on that in a moment. So much to discuss!
Papatango have teamed up with one of London's leading new writing venues, the Finborough Theatre to present the winning entries in the 2011 Papatango Playwriting Competition 2011, featuring this year's winning play Foxfinder by Dawn King which will play for a four week limited season from 29 November (Press Night: Thursday, 1 December 2011 at 8.30pm) and three runners up who will each receive a one week run - Through The Night by Matt Morrison (Press Night: Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 6.30pm), Rigor Mortis by Carol Vine (Press Night: Wednesday, 14 December 2011 at 6.30pm) and Crush by Rob Young (Press Night: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 at 6.30pm).
Papatango have teamed up with one of London's leading new writing venues, the Finborough Theatre to present the winning entries in the 2011 Papatango Playwriting Competition 2011, featuring this year's winning play Foxfinder by Dawn King which will play for a four week limited season from 29 November (Press Night: Thursday, 1 December 2011 at 8.30pm) and three runners up who will each receive a one week run - Through The Night by Matt Morrison (Press Night: Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 6.30pm), Rigor Mortis by Carol Vine (Press Night:Wednesday, 14 December 2011 at 6.30pm) and Crush by Rob Young (Press Night: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 at 6.30pm).
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.
Today we are talking to one of the brightest stars on Broadway whose career has virtually exploded over the last few years with recurring roles on Fox's hit musical dramedy series GLEE, as well as NBC's multi-award-winning 30 ROCK - in addition to his newly minted classic character in the canon of unforgettable personalities on Larry David's HBO series CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM - the astonishingly gifted Cheyenne Jackson. Talking all about his Broadway roots and starring in musicals such as XANADU, FINIAN'S RAINBOW, ALL SHOOK UP and more, Jackson and I also discuss some of his favorite performers and co-stars and he shares fond remembrances of musicals and appearances past, as well as looks ahead to what he would like to do in the future, both near and far. Jackson also reveals what the next few months hold - the early 2012 return of 30 ROCK; the release of his new film THE GREEN - and describes what audiences can expect from his 50s and 60s-themed Carnegie Hall concert on November 18, CHEYENNE JACKSON'S COCKTAIL HOUR: MUSIC OF THE MAD MEN ERA. Plus, first news on his self-penned solo album with collaborator/muse Sia, as well as his upcoming film appearances - and much, much more!
Pioneer, innovator and the voice of an entire new musical theatre generation coming in the dawning of the age of GLEE, Tony Award recipient and Grammy-winning composer, lyricist and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda has merged the worlds of the two most significant of original American art forms - musicals and rap - in such a striking and surprisingly inventive way with his hit musical IN THE HEIGHTS - currently touring the country - and is setting out to do the same with his fresh collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning NEXT TO NORMAL composer Tom Kitt on their new musical BRING IT ON!, currently in previews out of town in Los Angeles as it eyes New York. In addition to discussing the development of IN THE HEIGHTS and BRING IT ON! in detail, Miranda and I also outline his experience working alongside the two modern-day masters of the musical theatre - Stephen Sondheim and the recently deceased Arthur Laurents - on the Spanish translation and new lyrics for the recent bilingual revival of WEST SIDE STORY - in addition to his forthcoming ALEXANDER HAMILTON project, which Miranda recently performed a medley from for President Obama himself at the White House Poetry Jam. As if all of that were not enough, we also delve into his thought process as he sets out to take on one of Sondheim's most challenging roles in all of musical theatre - that of Charley Kringas in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at Encores!, under the direction of James Lapine. Plus, news on his new feature film THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN, as well as recollections of his fondest Broadway shows, scores, cast albums, movie musicals and general musical and theatrical inspirations - and his favorite Shakespeare plays, too - as well as much, much more!
Papatango have teamed up with one of London's leading new writing venues, the Finborough Theatre to present the winning entries in the 2011 Papatango Playwriting Competition 2011, featuring this year's winning play Foxfinder by Dawn King which will play for a four week limited season from 29 November (Press Night: Thursday, 1 December 2011 at 8.30pm) and three runners up who will each receive a one week run - Through The Night by Matt Morrison (Press Night: Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 6.30pm), Rigor Mortis by Carol Vine (Press Night: Wednesday, 14 December 2011 at 6.30pm) and Crush by Rob Young (Press Night: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 at 6.30pm).
Last night's GLEE, titled "Asian F" (referring to an A-), was an A+ in almost every respect, managing to pack all the musical power, dramatic pathos, fabulous diva-tude and off-the-wall comedy that made GLEE the international sensation that it is and also push a few buttons over the course of an hour - and make a new star or two of its impossibly talented cast in the process, with that individual walking away - or, should I say, strutting away - with the night undoubtedly being Harry Shum, Jr., thanks in no small part to his premiere solo song sung on the show so far in his two seasons on the show. Indeed, Shum's "Cool" from WEST SIDE STORY was imbued with more choreographic tics and embellishments than even Jerome Robbins could have dreamed up in a week's time to get on film this swiftly and speedily. Besides the ultra-hip-swingin' awesomeness of Shum, last night's GLEE also set in motion a number of plots that will surely be a central focus of this fresh-faced and bold newly focused season - Santana/Brittany's relationship, the new Glee club member arriving next week and Idina Menzel's continuously ingratiating and increasingly impressive arc as Shelby, Rachel (Lea Michele)'s estranged mother, foremost among them. What will next week hold for New Directions? Plus, how did the famous recitative sequence from DREAMGIRLS - "It's All Over" - work outside of the classic r&b musical's context? Did Mercedes (Amber Riley) deliver in true Oscar-winning Effie fashion by taking on Jennifer Hudson's hit single "Spotlight" and making it her own? What about Heather Morris and Beyonce's "Run The World (Girls)"? And, most importantly, which semi-secondary lead stole the whole show? To see the answers to these pressing "Asian F" queries and some explanations of many of the reasons why GLEE continues its sterling winning streak with the third episode of the resoundingly successful Season Three, read on! Merely calling it "cool" doesn't even begin to cover it!
When a performance montage this fantastic comes along you are caught up in the spirit and lost in the moment in a magical way that only truly transcendent performances can conjure - and, on Monday night, on the stage of the unassuming fireworks spectacular from Washington, D.C., A CAPITOL FOURTH, on PBS, hosted by Jimmy Smits, such a momentous musical theatre moment occurred. While it is no surprise that Broadway star Kelli O'Hara was note-perfect, gorgeous and spirited, the fact that she brought such an air of star presence to the proceedings and performed with such precision made the medley burst, much like a firework, into something truly, well, spectacular. The addition of GLEE star and Broadway baby Matt Morrison on a pristine "Tonight" from WEST SIDE STORY brought the entire enterprise to new emotional and musical heights. What a rare and celebratory treat it is to have a look at these patriotic and, alternately, pathos-infused performances going into the weekend, post-Fourth - plus, "America" from Josh Groban and a MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET medley!
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