Today, BroadwayWorld is beyond thrilled to present the World Premiere of the newest track from Fox’s hit musical dramedy series GLEE - Darren Criss, as Blaine, performing the classic Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim opening vocal number from WEST SIDE STORY, “Something’s Coming”! This year’s choice for McKinley High’s new musical production, WEST SIDE STORY is a classic American institution known not only for its original Broadway run but also for the memorable 1961 film version that won a boatload of Oscars, including Best Picture. The Shakespeare-based musical tragedy created by Broadway’s finest minds has more than its fair lion’s share of unforgettable songs, as well - among them, last season’s top fan-favorite, “I Feel Pretty”. With “Something’s Coming” Criss proves to be the ideal Tony, too. A match made in musical theatre heaven, here is GLEE meets WEST SIDE STORY!
Hot on the heels of the Broadway-centric premiere episode on Tuesday night, this exclusive First Listen Friday performance from next Tuesday’s episode, "I Am Unicorn", perfectly captures the youthful passion, restless ambition and yearning for greater things that WEST SIDE STORY has signified and represented for generations and which GLEE now explores each and every week for a national audience of a new generation. Now, since you come to us for all news and views GLEE-related, BroadwayWorld brings GLEE to you!
This is the second World Premiere Exclusive that we have hosted this year, so be sure to check out the WICKED finale song “For Good” as performed by Lea Michele and Chris Colfer here.
You can preview next week's episode and much more at the official site here so be sure to check it all out once you have heard this exclusive First Listen! Additionally, the official soundtrack site, GleeTheMusic.com, is your one and only source for all GLEE music information and news, now and always, and be sure to pick up the tracks from "The Purple Piano Project" and "I Am Unicorn" at iTunes.com/Glee!
Also, “Something’s Coming” and the other songs featured in Tuesday’s episode "I Am Unicorn" - a duet of WEST SIDE STORY's "Somewhere" by TV mother/daughter duo Lea Michele and returning guest star Idina Menzel included - will be available for download on Monday, so be sure to check the official music site or iTunes.com/Glee then.
Tapping into lead character Tony’s drive, heart and unflappable charisma, Darren Criss tears into the titanic Bernstein vocal and tricky Sondheim lyrics with delectable and palpable relish and bite and the result is absolutely sublime for fans of Criss, GLEE, WEST SIDE STORY or a combination of the three. And, wow, what a killer final note! The mix of GLEE with WEST SIDE STORY is about all any Broadway baby in 2011 could possibly wish for and this first of what will be many more WEST SIDE STORY songs is a real winner and bodes extremely well for the brilliance from one of Broadway's best shows to come to fruition in future episodes. As only GLEE can do. And that's cool, boy - real cool.
So, now, be one of the very first in the universe to hear the newest classic from the entertainment behemoth known as GLEE and sample the complete “Something’s Coming” by Darren Criss from WEST SIDE STORY below! Don't miss the song in context on the second episode of the show's third season, "I Am Unicorn", on Tuesday!
Also, stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for all GLEE-related coverage and for our weekly SOUND OFF reviews and InDepth InterViews for even more about what makes GLEE an essential part of the theatre universe - and a fantastic part of BroadwayWorld! Much more to come! After all, the season has just begun! To quote Mr. Sondheim, "So many possibilities... ."
