One of the central joys of GLEE for theatre fans is the constant stream of top-tier triple-threat talent on display, oftentimes the very best and brightest stars on Broadway - and the epic return of Idina Menzel on GLEE last night was certainly a cause celebre of the highest order on that accord. While Idina's WICKED co-star Kristin Chenoweth has certainly made more appearances over the seasons - and racked up Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her splendid work, as well; as recently as in the Season 2 finale and the "Rumours" Fleetwood Mac tribute episode - it is Menzel who has a pivotal role in the story of the show in a way perhaps no other guest star does: she plays Rachel Berry's estranged mother, Shelby. While the physical similarities in the appearance of Menzel and Lea Michele are easy to see (and, in some ways, hear) - although they bear no actual relation - it is in their masterful musical marriage that some of the best moments of GLEE arise and have arisen in the past - many the most heart-breaking and heart-warming among them. "Poker Face" is the gold standard by which every other duet is held up to since Season One and their take on the LES MIZ (and Susan Boyle) classic "I Dreamed A Dream" fulfilled the promise of its title for every Broadway baby in the audience - and even Idina's "Funny Girl" left a little footprint on our hearts. Yet, what about these two titanic Broadway leading ladies taking on one of the most well-known and best-loved musical theatre songs of all time - from one of the greatest musicals ever written, no less - "Somewhere" from WEST SIDE STORY? Furthermore, what about Chris Colfer essaying yet another grand dame show-stopping number, this time in the form of FUNNY GIRL'S "I'm The Greatest Star"? And, most of all, how did the hotly anticipated performance by Darren Criss of the WEST SIDE STORY staple "Something's Coming" come off - a song that had its Exclusive World Premiere in this very column this weekend - and did it ultimately pan out onscreen on GLEE as stupendously as it sounded it would? To find out all about how last night on GLEE - "I Am Unicorn", written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Brad Falchuk - the divas dominated, Criss catapulted to the top of the gleek heap and Colfer channeled Barbra Streisand herself - as well as all the other McKinley High-related drama and overall epic entertainment value that the show offers every week, especially now - read on.
GLEE/ABCDThe complex formula for GLEE's success and how it has managed to be the perfect fusion of TV sitcom comedy and engrossing drama, theatrical expression (in many forms) and pop culture nirvana - complete with the most dastardly and hilarious villain on TV, Sue Sylvester - is best bro
Ken Down into four simple categories - for simplicity's sake, we shall call them the ABCDs of GLEE. Maybe add an E, too. These essential elements are: attitude, Broadway,
Darren Criss and divas. Entertainment value is the E. From there - mix and match. Basically, it is that simple. While Season Two was more mix and Season One was more match, it seems that over the course of only two episodes there is a focus on mix and matching that was never quite as apparent as it is now. They have found a balance - and a lot of that success has to do with
Darren Criss. He seems to bridge the gap in the cast between the big Broadway belters and the pop princes and princesses and makes everything just gel really well.
To break down the ABCDs of GLEE step by step, systematically, it is imperative to look at all aspects of the show over the course of the three seasons so far. Firstly, the sheer ambitiousness of
Ryan Murphy and company's creation is the most outward expression of the attitude of all involved in doing the seemingly impossible and making a musical TV series work. Making it cool and popular is the bonus. The fact it is affecting a change in the country and bringing more young people to theatre is its gift. Yet, that attitude element also comes into play with the creators' daringness in taking on a number of hot-button issues and repeatedly addressing aspects of teenage life that have never been discussed in this way in front of a national audience before. For that, they should be applauded. For example, take the treatment of the storyline about
Chris Colfer's character's coming out - played out over a series of episodes that nabbed Colfer a Golden Globe, as well as earning high praise for his father on the show, Mike O'Malley, who received well-earned nominations for his sensitive work - or, even better, the depiction of Kurt's relationship with
Darren Criss's character, Blaine, on the show. It is revolutionary in its frankness and verisimilitude. And, speaking of Criss, that brings us to another essential element of GLEE that was only introduced to us last season - but, what a flashy, fantastic, unforgettable introduction it was (remember "Teenage Dream"?)!
Darren Criss is a fresh star of the highest order and rarely in show business these days do we see a success story like his play out on a national stage like his has - from a teenage YouTube semi-sensation singing Disney songs to an edgy starring role on GLEE that has led to worldwide breakout success and fandom leading to concerts, albums and, now, his Broadway debut in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING starting January 3 - and no one deserves it more that Criss does. He crosses the Ts and dots the Is that make GLEE really come completely together. Before he was fully integrated into the cast as he is now, there was a variety show feeling to the moments we got to spend with him, especially given the character's physical separation, being at a different school most of the time, so, only now can we see what his full ensconcing into the GLEE firmament will mean for the integrity and impressiveness of the club on the show - and GLEE itself. Truly, the entire cast has become a part of the entertainment establishment and the power that GLEE can have on a career is immeasurable - just look at InDepth InterView participant and GLEE guest star Charice and her new pop hits - and many of the cast-members are now household names just a few short seasons after they first came into our households in the first place. Such is the power of GLEE - and such is the ABCD formula for its Season Three success of successes.
The other two essential elements of the Season Three winning streak of GLEE so far are the ones held most near and most dear to the hearts of many who continue read this column - Broadway and divas. Many of the most beloved Broadway musicals have been represented on the show and last night was a Broadway baby's fever dream considering each and every one of the songs sung were taken from Broadway musicals - and from two of the best scores ever written, to boot. While Colfer's take on the FUNNY GIRL material - "I'm The Greatest Star" - will never be definitive by any stretch of the imagination, his somewhat schizophrenic and idiosyncratic take on the roof-raiser was enough to sway the casual viewer to his side just out of respect for how hard he sold it, though this is decidedly one of those songs best left to a visual flourish onscreen over an audio-only sampling, for sure. Even more so,
Idina Menzel and
Lea Michele's duet on "Somewhere" from WEST SIDE STORY was a visual treat and wonderfully woven into the dramatic story of the show. The progression of their duets so far - "I Dreamed A Dream", "Poker Face", and, now, this - tells an entire sad story in itself and acts as a illuminating dramatic triptych medley for these complex and richly written characters. While it would have been preferable had the powers-that-be decided to use the original orchestrations for the show and not this slightly saccharine and lumbering 80s-esque version of the song - seemingly influenced simultaneously by both
David Foster's production of
Barbra Streisand's legendary recording of the song on THE BROADWAY ALBUM as well as the lesser-known
Phil Collins cover version - the result packed the emotional punch gleeks have been clamoring for ever since Shelby's last appearance in the closing moments of Season 1. While it did not pack the wallop of "I Dreamed A Dream", it perfectly set up the story and songs to come. In many ways it was a very long Season Two with no Ms. Menzel and it was certainly worth the long wait to have her back again. Now, with her a semi-permanent fixture on the show again for the rest of Season 3A (the first 13 episodes), all that's left for us to ask is: what song is she singing next? I know that at the top of my list would be for her to take on a song or two by Fleetwood Mac songwriter and self-professed gleek herself,
Stevie Nicks. After all,
Gwyneth Paltrow just won a Guest Star Emmy for the Season Two episode where she sang the Nicks classic, "Landslide". What could be better than the original Elphaba from WICKED herself taking on "Rhiannon", the most famous rock song about a witch ever written? Or, better yet, how about an entire Nicks-themed episode with "Sisters of the Moon", too? To paraphrase from the Nicks song itself, it could be Heaven - if they would only try. Time will tell. What songs would you like Idina to take on next, either solo or as a duet with another cast member? Menzel is one of the biggest Broadway names out there and pretty much defines what it is to be a modern, 21st century diva on Broadway in this day and age, having originated roles in the two most significant audience hits of the last twenty years - RENT and WICKED. Now, on GLEE, a whole new generation of divas are being born -
Lea Michele,
Naya Rivera,
Amber Riley and
Dianna Agron included - following in the hallowed footsteps of the great ladies who have magnanimously (and magnificently) appeared on the show before them - Idina, Kristin,
Patti LuPone,
Carol Burnett and
Debra Monk included. Who do you think should be next?
Acres of attitude and ambition; the best of Broadway; a superb solo showcase for Darren Criss singing a true Broadway "I Want" stunner; and, a peerless diva at the height of her magical musical powers, Idina Menzel - last night's GLEE was the epic embodiment of the ABCDs of what makes GLEE destination viewing for entertainment junkies, Broadway babies and fans of plain old great performances. Last night we were treated to yet another of those spine-tingling, magic-in-the-making GLEE moments by way of Darren Criss, WEST SIDE STORY and "Something's Coming", and Season Three is poised after just two episodes to be the best GLEE has ever been - and that is really saying something! After all, at the end of the day, GLEE taps into an excitement and passion and youthful energy that nothing else on TV does - or, perhaps, ever has - and that type of power cannot be contained to mere formulas or letters or numbers or even words.
What's the recipe for success? How do you measure magic? Why does music move the soul in such a unspeakable, unknown way? Like many of the most beautiful and intriguing parts of life, sometimes it is best to just let it happen and enjoy.
So, perhaps we should make that the ABCDs and E of GLEE: ambition, audaciousness and attitude; Broadway and bite;
Darren Criss; divas; and, more than any other element, epic entertainment enjoyment to the nth. For Good.
