Glee brings Broadway to prime time

Concluding with a rousing performance of the classic late night bar hit “Don’t Stop Believing”˜ by a motley group of high school outcasts, Glee combines the awkwardness of growing up with the sophistication of professional theater. The moment is a testament to the triumph of the underdog.
The scene runs parallel to the series as a whole—just as the previously uncoordinated teenage group finds relative glory through their unexpected performance, Glee itself may achieve success despite its unusual placement in the musical theater genre.

Glee, which launched its first season on FOX last night, tells the tale of a young high school teacher attempting to bring his school’s mediocre glee club back up to the level of excellence it attained when he was a student himself. The show’s humorous subject matter is mainly a vehicle for musical numbers that elevate the show above the average sitcom in terms of difficulty of execution.

Because of the obvious challenge of incorporating musical numbers into a weekly program, it may not come as a surprise that musical theater and television have not been widely recognized as an effective pairing. It appears as though Glee may accomplish something its predecessors—such as the cut-short Viva Laughlin and Cop Rock˜˜—failed to do. With musical numbers that are fully and realistically integrated into the show (in the form of glee club performances), Glee refrains from randomly bursting into song.

Another thing that Glee has on its side is its devoted and rapidly burgeoning fan base, known as “Gleeks”. The Gleeks have likely picked up on the authentic musical theater talent of the show’s stars: Matthew Morrison, who plays the teacher, and Lea Michele, who plays the glee club’s star singer.
Both actors have worked primarily on Broadway—Morrison in South Pacific, Hairspray, and The Light in the Piazza, and Michele most notably in Spring Awakening. Having Broadway talent grants Glee an edge among theater lovers who are eager to watch their professional-level musical performances from the comfort of home.

In addition to Morrison and Michele, another Broadway boost comes from the guest stars who are slotted to appear over the course of the season, including Victor Garber and Kristin Chenoweth. Both are well-known in theater actors, but they have also crossed over to the television crowd (Garber in Eli Stone and Alias, among other shows, and Chenoweth in Pushing Daisies).
As it stands, Glee is charting new territory with its reliance on actors who, for the most part, are known for their excellent musical ability rather than their mainstream popularity.

“It’s good that they [Glee] are pulling relatively unknown talent, because there are so many talented people out there... Why would you bother recycling old television actors?” added Colleen Shaffer, CC ’12. The refusal to cast big-name Hollywood actors who can sing decently, in favor of genuine Broadway talent, may just be Glee’s unexpected ticket to success.

While Glee is still in the earliest stages of its season, there are already high hopes for this unconventional series. At the very least, the “Gleeks” out there will likely stick to one basic tenet: “Don’t Stop Believing.”