Glee

A new show set in the middle-of-nowhere, dismal town of Lima, Ohio dealing with the trials and tribulations of a struggling high school glee club probably sounds less than captivating to the majority of television consumers in this country. However, since Glee has hit prime time television this fall, an overwhelming majority of audiences has embraced it on account of its undeniable amount of musical talent.  Fox’s newest television series puts the musical talents of American Idol to shame with its screaming display of aptitude and flair.  This is primarily due to the strategic choice to cast young and outstanding talents within the musical theatre scene (such as Lea Michele who plays Rachel), rather than the perhaps more tempting option of picking well-known pop stars or more commercially popular and recognizable actors/singers.  The ambivalent cast has quickly risen to the spotlight as the show has proven that it is certainly suitable for prime time television.  Thankfully, though (for us theatre geeks), is has maintained a strong grasp on its intrinsic quirkiness and over-the-top dramatization and parodies of true Broadway musicals.

 

Within Glee’s very first season it has already drawn much attention and hype due to the innovative and explosive re-arrangements of contemporary hit songs, which are performed by the cast of “high-schoolers” at the end of each episode.  Also, the show’s producers have tactfully capitalized on an agreement with iTunes to sell and promote the songs in the iTunes music store as they are performed in the show each week.  These performances are beyond stellar to the point where it is hard to believe that they are supposed to be sung by a high school glee club.  There is no doubt that millions of former, current and about-to-be high school geeks and artsy-fartsies sit at home salivating over what they all secretly wish their own glee club could (have) aspire(d) to be.  With characters like Finn (Cory Monteith) and Quinn (Dianna Agron), the show even makes glee club appealing to the jocks and cheerleaders who wouldn’t be caught dead singing in the school choir.  

 

If you can look past the fact that the acting and filming of the show can at times come of as cheesy or overly perky (think Pleasantville on crack), it is clear that the creators have established a super distinguished quality and valuable viewing experience.  In turn, the entertainment value overrides the value of being entirely realistic.  To its credit, many of the situations and struggles are actually very relatable for anyone who is in or has been through high school, popular or not.  In Glee, there is something for everyone from archetypical high school characters to nostalgic high school situations and memories.

 

Everyone should give Glee a shot and watch as these musical theatre rock stars take their talent from the stage on to the screen.  The transition has so far proven to be magical!