Just as I was spiraling down from TV withdrawal due to the finales of my favorite shows (Grey's Anatomy, Bones, Castle, Southland, the Office, Big Bang Theory and more) the premiere of GLEE last Tuesday had me jonesin' for more episodes of this hilarious new musical dramedy. As an avowed lover of all things Broadway I couldn't wait to see GLEE, and it definitely lived up to all of the pre-premiere hype.
Capitalizing on High School Musical like stereotypes, well-meaning Spanish teacher Will (Matthew Morrison, the original Link in Broadway's Hairspray) takes on his high school's glee club after the former director is ousted. He quickly discovers that the five students who are willing to sing in New Directions! (yes, that is the name Will chooses for the new club) aren't going to be enough to save glee's reputation as the lowest club of the low. It turns out that unless New Directions! can win state, the principal will dissolve glee so he can rent out the auditorium to Alcoholics Anonymous, because "there's a lot of drunks in this town," and they'll pay the school ten dollars a head!
While overacheiver and all-round perfectionist Rachel (Lea Michele) has enough talent and chutzpah to carry the group, she demands a male lead who can "keep up" with her. A little underhanded contriving on Will's part secures Finn (Corey Monteith), the school's football star, as that all-important male lead. The episode ends with Will's promise to lead New Directions! to the state finals, despite his wife's constant pleading to give up teaching and become an accountant.
The show's quirky sense of humor, word-perfect writing and wonderful actors immediately endeared it to me. All of the supporting actors were phenomenal, including actress Jane Lynch, the high school's gym teacher and nemesis of glee. I predict that Morrison, Michele and Monteith will become household names next season.
The show definitely has a beat on current topics with the school trying to squeeze every penny out of an already overtaxed budget (hello recession!) and the musical frenzy that's been sweeping pop culture with movie musicals like Hairspray and Mamma Mia!, not to forget the aforementioned High School Musical.
If all that's not enough for you, then the singing and dancing should hook you. Any lover of cheesy musical standbys and pounding rock ballads such as myself should have been thrilled with musical selections from the pilot episode such as "On My Own" from Les Miserables, "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" from Guys and Dolls, "Can't Fight this Feeling" by REO Speedwagon and the musical number that ended the premiere, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. I've also heard buzz that Broadway superstars like Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel are scheduled to cameo on the show next fall!
As the summer unfolds and you find yourself craving something, anything, that isn't reruns or reality TV, check out the premiere episode of GLEE now streaming on fox.com, or available for download on iTunes. You can also download choral versions of "Rehab" and "Don't Stop Believin'" that appeared on the first episode on, where else, iTunes. Enjoy!
