A New Kind of High School Musical
Glee Premieres September 9, 2009
The genre-bending Glee has steadily been gaining industry buzz, for its quirky high school social structure, and also for its impressive production pedigree.
The Glee Cast
The show's titular glee club is led by a Spanish teacher, Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison. While Morrison's film resume lists some popular works (Dan in Real Life and Music and Lyrics), his true talents have been better served on stage. In 2003, he originated the role of Link Larkin in the hit musical Hairspray, and in 2005, garnered a Tony nomination for his role in the play A Light in the Piazza.
Acting as a foil to Morrison's idealistic Will, Jane Lynch plays Sue Sylvester, the scheming cheer coach. Lynch has over 100 screen credits to her name; most recently, roles in Julie & Julia and the CBS drama Criminal Minds.
"She's just mean through the whole thing," Lynch told E!Online. "I get meaner and meaner, and I'm always foiled. Everything I try to do gets foiled."
Heading the high school portion of the cast is Lea Michele, who plays diva Rachel Berry. While she lacks a diverse screen resume like Lynch's, at age 23, Michele has already made her mark onstage. In 2006, the ingenue originated the role of Wendla in the critically acclaimed Spring Awakening, and has also played roles in Fiddler on the Roof and Les Miserables.
Fox's Promotional Strategy
In May, Fox made the unusual decision to air a preview episode of Glee after American Idol, in order to generate an early interest for the show. That sneak peek earned over 10 million viewers, and the show's version of "Don't Stop Believin'" was the second-most downloaded song on iTunes the next morning.
To encourage even more viewers, Fox allowed iTunes users to download the pilot episode for free, and also released free music videos of Michele singing "On My Own" from Les Miserables, and the cast performing Kanye West's "Gold Digger."
In the week leading up to the show's official premiere, Fox aired a special director's cut of the preview episode, with additional scenes that shed extra light on character development and storylines. The director's cut also included a scene of Morrison playing guitar and singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane," allowing the former Broadway star to show off his vocal ability.
On the Friday before Glee's premiere, Fox aired a special "Tweet-peat" edition of the pilot. As viewers watched the show, they also saw live Twitter posts from the show's cast and crew scroll across the screen, detailing their own impressions and opinions on the scenes.
Upcoming Guest Stars
To supplement its roster of regular performers, Glee will also feature some heavy-hitting guest stars.
Fresh from the cancellation of Pushing Daisies, Broadway alumna Kristin Chenoweth will guest star as a former member of William McKinley's glee club, who now, in a break of character for the usually perky actress, is "kind of a drunk, a has-been. She's squatting in a McMansion in town, but she's still got it. She's got the voice, she's got the moves and she really shows the kids how to put it on," according to Lynch.
Other guest stars will include rapper Eve as the coach of a competing glee club. The show has also enlisted former Alias star Victor Garber, as well as opera singer-turned- pop star Josh Groban. However, little is known about the men's roles, or what they may sing.
No matter what story lines the show follows, or whether or not Fox's incessant marketing pays off, Glee will undoubtedly be an enjoyable break from reality. After all, in real life, people don't burst into song.
Fox's Glee Debuts September 9, 2009
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