Comedy, Drama, High School, Singing and Dancing! This is the recipe for the smash FOX Television series Glee. Glee was created by Ryan Murphy, who also created one of my all time favorite television shows, 1999’s Popular. Glee has been doing very well for itself this fall. People all over are eating it up and are hungry for more. Not only have the ratings been great, but the songs that are featured in the show are quickly downloaded on iTunes by the masses, putting them at the top of the most downloaded songs list.
The show revolves around a high school glee club that has become a haven for teenage misfits. Matthew Morrison, a Broadway actor who originated the role of Link Larkin in the Tony award winning musical Hairspray, plays Will Schuester. Schuester decides to take over the failing Glee program and hilarity ensues. With comedy powerhouse, Jane Lynch as his nemesis (Sue Sylvester, a Machiavellian high school cheerleading coach at the high school where Schuester teaches Spanish), the show always delivers the laughs. Another Broadway performer, Lea Michele, plays the self-proclaimed star of the glee club, Rachel Berry. Michele originated the role of Wendla Bergmann in the Tony award winning musical, Spring Awakening. Michele, along with Morrison and Lynch are joined by a very talented cast who, for the most part, all sing and dance.
Above: The Cast of Glee.
Glee has not only become a successful T.V. series, but it seems to have created its own subculture of fans. The fanatics of Glee have categorized themselves as “Gleeks.” Gleeks have been known to watch every episode multiple times, have all of the new songs from Glee downloaded before the episodes air, use quotes from the show in everyday situations, follow every cast member on Twitter, and make fan videos on YouTube. This past week I found two of my friends actually having a Glee lip synching battle via YouTube. One girl would lip synch and perform a song from Glee and challenge the other girl to out-Glee her. It was so hilarious and true to the spirit of Glee. The videos would begin with them saying stuff like “I see your “Don’t Stop Believing,” and raise you “Bust Your Windows.” Glee seems to never stop pleasing. Each episode gives one of the characters a chance to tell their story and show the audience how they fit into the puzzle.
The latest news on Glee is that Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire and Dr Horrible’s Sing a Long Blog will be directing an upcoming episode. Also Jonathan Groff has signed on to be in five to six Glepisodes! Groff was the male lead to Lea Michele’s Wendla, in Spring Awakening. He will play the male lead in the rival glee club, Vocal Adrenaline. According to creator Ryan Murphy, Groff will be playing male diva, or a “Miva.” “A Miva is a male version of a…” Well I guess we will have to watch to find out. One can only hope for a Rachel Berry slash Miva Spring Awakening and or “Once More, with Feeling” duet! News of Whedon and Groff, has all of the Gleeks (including myself) GLEEKING THE (beep) OUT! If only I could make an appearance on Glee, my life would be complete…
