SOUND OFF: No More GLEE Neglect

Last night saw the highly-awaited return of FOX's hit musical comedy/drama series GLEE, featuring performances by this week's InDepth InterView participant tearing up "All By Myself" - international recording superstar Charice - in addition to the return of Broadway baby Cheyenne Jackson as part of Sue Sylvester's Legion of Doom and Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow returning as substitute teacher Holly Holiday. While the focus was more on the drama and plot developments for once - expectedly enacted to reacquaint us all with what was up lo, two months ago when the last new episode pf Season Two aired - as opposed to the musical content, which dominates the proceedings more often than not. That being said, Charice and Gwyneth delivered in a big Broadway way - and there were more rabbits than a magician's hat in Harry Shum‘s slinky and stylish choreographic tour de force. And, it is clear that the screen chemistry when combining Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Morrison and Cheyenne Jackson is something to be seen.

Turning Tables & Turning Heads

Looking the most striking the stunning beauty has perhaps looked since her SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE heyday, Academy Award recipient Gwyneth Paltrow exuded all that makes us yearn for that magic only cast by a star of with that special gift in her terrific "Turning Tables". Until her stint on GLEE, even I was unsure that Gwyneth was a consummate performer able to stand up to the very best of Broadway and Hollywood, because such are the talents that the cast of GLEE contains - Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison being among the very brightest stars in the Broadway galaxy - and beyond - but, yet, she does. Morrison and Michele are perfectly at home here on GLEE - and the fact that I am point them out tonight is illusory, given the fact that they could well be overshadowed. While neither one had a musical moment to truly shine on "Night of Neglect" - the focus was decidedly on the underdogs and the outsiders - they made their presence known with Michele scoring in her scene with Amber Riley as a diva-advising-diva moment that only seems to come on a television show as special as the universe created by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennen (who penned tonight's episode) and Brad Fulchuk could contain, in addition to Morrison‘s intimate scenes with Gwyneth Paltrow over scalding hot pizza. Speaking of hot, the trio of Gwyneth, Morrison and Cheyenne Jackson proved positively combustible and one hopes that Cheyenne's suave and cool character will continue on for many more episodes - this season and far, far beyond. And, when does he get to sing? The time can't come soon enough! Especially, perhaps, a duet with Charice? Matt Morrison? Gwyneth? Whomever it shall be, let's hope it happens sooner rather than later. After all, he is a Broadway performer at the top of his game and there are only a handful of episodes left this season. A duet with Kristin Chenoweth when she returns as April Rhodes in May would be manna from heaven - and a true Passover present to please.

The stars of "Night of Neglect" from the Glee Club were undoubtedly Amber Riley and Harry Shum, Jr. - the former with an Aretha Franklin barn-burner served up hotter than grits in "Ain't No Way" and Harry Shum, Jr.'s Marcel Marceau-esque dance and physical explosion - how else to describe the phenomenal athleticism of this extremely unique and always exciting performer? - set to Jack Johnson's "Bubble Toes". Talk about running the gamut - a down-n-dirty r&b/soul ballad juxtaposed with Mike Chang tearing it up to a coffee-house Jason Mraz-ish chill-out jam. Only on GLEE - and thank goodness it's back and as good as ever - if not better. Tonight was a second-tier episode content-wise and drama-wise, yet it reconfirmed the joy and excitement that only this show can deliver to the people who love musical theatre expression enacted in any medium - whether it be on a screen or a stage anywhere. We get the drama - and we also get the pathos. Plus, the epic episodes make Broadway cool again in a way it hasn't been since the MAD MEN era. Next week promises to be an especially enthralling detour with a super-sized ninety-minute escapade named after the new Lady Gaga anthem that is performed in the episode - along with Duck Sauce's addictive "Barbra Streisand" and much more - "Born This Way". Before Gaga, though, came Celine and Aretha - or, should I say, Charice and Amber Riley - the Gleek stars of last night; bar none. Riley's aforementioned "Ain't No Way" was a stunner; Harry Shum, Jr.'s dance dazzled; Gwyneth positively - and literally, thanks to that luminescent lighting artistry in her elegant number - glowed; yet, there was one star that shone brighter than absolutely all others on GLEE last night.

So let's give thanks - and, even more so, let's give it up - for Charice. Her "All By Myself" rivals that of even the original, Celine and Mariah Carey themselves - and I told her so yesterday when we spoke, so be sure to check out the chat for all things GLEE and much, much more - and she so awesomely delivered on her promise and her almost unbelievable potential we have seen on OPRAH, YouTube, etc. since she blazed on the scene. Her previous GLEE songs - "Listen", originally performed by Beyonce in Bill Condon's screen version of DREAMGIRLS as Deena's answer to Effie's unbeatable "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"; which, coincidentally, Charice sings in concert to much acclaim (check it out on YouTube) and Lady Gaga & Beyonce's techno-dance duet "Telephone", done delectably with Lea Michele - were just an appetizer for last night's offering. I simply can't wait for what she has to offer us next - the girl can do it all and has made almost impossibly idiosyncratic songs her own in a very special way. As Stephen Tobolowsky's character says, "I tried to be a hater, but I just couldn't do it!" and so is the case with the return of GLEE this week. We need something this bright and shiny and new and fun in the rainy months of spring around us now. The Easter Bunny's basket surely brought some golden eggs - and, also, Jenna Ushkowitz definitely deserves a mention for her brave take on a bizarre Lykke Li selection (in the place of a spot reserved for Bjork, who refused her song to be included on the show). Plus, the Karovsky/Kurt drama is bubbling to a boil and the Will/Emma plot is becoming even more uncomfortably complex - what will happen next? Next week can't come soon enough. Thank all thing goods, great and gleeful that the endless string of nights of neglect have at long last ebbed - and we've been given a glowing, GLEE-ful golden egg. Just in time!