Who’s YOUR Next Gleek? – A Peek at Oxygen’s New Reality Show “The Glee Project”

Have nightmares about the future of your favorite musical comedy show kept you up nights? 

Did Rachel’s and Kurt’s conversation about the “c” word, during the Season 2 Glee finale, send shivers up your spine?  (I’m talking about “college,” obviously.  Get your mind out of the gutter!) 

Have you spent the past few summer hiatus weeks writing long “fan letters” to Ryan Murphy, in which you plot out, in great detail, scenarios that will enable your favorite McKinley High characters to get left back another year, just so that you can maintain your own sanity?

If so, then you are a TOTAL NUTBALL!  then “The Glee Project” is the summer series for you!  Starting this week, every Sunday at 9 p.m. on the Oxygen channel, twelve (well . . . now, eleven) hopeful late teens and early twenty-somethings will duke it out for the chance to win a seven-episode arc on the most popular musical program on Fox that isn’t American Idol.  And as teen drama fans know, A LOT can happen in seven episodes.  (If you recall, Darren Criss’s Blaine Anderson was upgraded to a series regular on Glee, after appearing in half that amount.)

Entertainment industry nerds like me will undoubtedly appreciate the “behind the curtain” peek that this show offers at what the casting process for a successful prime time program actually looks like.  (Well . . . at least you get a peek at what casting for a successful prime time program WOULD look like, if it was done through a reality television show.)  Acting as both mentors and judges of the prospective new Gleeks’ are Robert Ulrich (Glee’s casting director) Zach Woodlee (the show’s choreographer), and Nikki Anders (a vocal coach for the series).

Ryan Murphy, himself, will also be on hand to make the final elimination decisions . . .

As if that wasn’t enough, each episode will also feature a REAL GLEE CAST MEMBER, who will basically be there to stand around, smile, look pretty, and collect his or her hiatus paycheck.   This week’s lucky guest star was the sexy Darren Criss.

Next week, we get Idina Menzel, who played Rachel bio’s mom, and former Vocal Adrenaline coach, Shelby Corcoran, during the show’s first season.

But I have to say that my FAVORITE Glee cast inclusion into The Glee Project was the “celebrity” who appeared during the “audition” episode.  Of course, I’m referring to THIS GUY  . . .

Brad Ellis, i.e. “The Random Dude at the Piano” is just the Captain of Cool, as far as I am concerned . . .

Even those of you who AREN’T Entertainment Industry Geeks, will likely get a kick out of observing the various contestants, and trying to pinpoint precisely what type of character each would play, if he or she was lucky enough to make it onto the show.  After all, stereotyping people, and making snap judgments about them, based solely on a picture and under ten minutes of screen time per episode, is what Glee is all about, right?

 Yes, that was meant to be sarcastic. 🙂 

Let’s put it a nicer way.  The Glee Project gives fans of Glee the opportunity to “play” casting director, and try to envision the future of the show.  So, what are we waiting for?  Let the stereotyping casting begin! 

(By the way, if you are interested in learning more about the show, or any of the cast members you see here, feel free to check out Oxygen’s surprisingly comprehensive show website, which features, among other things, cast bios, photographs, and audition tapes.)

In case you haven’t seen this yet, here is a photograph featuring all twelve Glee Project contestants . . .

Please note that this article WILL contain spoilers from the first episode of the show.  In other words, I plan to mention that a certain Glee hopeful has already been eliminated from the running.  So, if you don’t want to be spoiled, you may want to stop here, until you’ve actually seen episode 1.

Now that I’ve gotten that little disclaimer out of the way, allow me to introduce the twelve cast members of The Glee Project.

First up, we have Damian . . .

Damian kind of seems to have a Young Hugh Grant thing going for him . . .

First off, he’s got the accent (though HIS is an Irish Broque, as opposed to Grant’s British lilt).  This will work immediately in his favor, I suspect, as chicks tend to dig accents, BIG TIME.  Damian also has a baby face, and a sort of goofy, self-deprecating charm, that makes him instantly likeable.  Cons for Damian include his dorky dancing (Finn!  You have company!), and a quiet singing voice, that might find itself overpowered by Glee’s current cast of “belters.”

I can envision Damian playing an Artie-type character, someone who is generally liked by everybody, and doesn’t make too many waves.  In terms of romantic interests, it might be fun to see Damian paired with Rachel, since his low-key, easy-going, nature might balance out her Type-A intensity and diva-like ways.

Next up is Bryce . . .

I’m actually a tad surprised, and a smidge disappointed, that this guy was eliminated so early in the competition, as he’s someone I can definitely see on the show, as a friend / rival to Puck.  Just like a certain Mohawk-sporting sexpot we all know and love .  . .

. . . Bryce has the body of an athlete, the style of a rebel, and the confident swagger of a guy who SEEMS like a conceited jerk on the surface, but who hides hidden depths.  Had Bryce won the competition, I could definitely have envisioned him as being a fun love interest for Mercedes (if the whole “Sam” thing doesn’t work out) and/or for Quinn.

Then, there’s Samuel . . .

I must say that this guy is one of my early favorites.  I already love his voice, his style, and his maturity.  (Though, admittedly, I suspect this actor, in particular, might have some difficulty passing for a 16-year old.)  If Samuel wins this competition, he could bring an element to New Directions that we haven’t seen yet, that of the “sensitive hippie.”  I can envision Samuel’s character intially butting heads with either Rachel or Quinn, and, eventually developing a love/hate relationship with either female. 

Love/hate relationships are always my favorites on teen dramas, as I tend to find them SO INSANELY HOT!  It’s high time they put one of those types of relationships on Glee.  And that is yet another reason, why I am rooting for Samuel to take it all in this competition.

My other favorite to win The Glee Project is Cameron . . .

This guy is the epitome of Geek Chic.  Sure, he’s skinny, and a bit clumsy, when it comes to “fancy foot work,” but there is something undeniably sexy about Cameron.  He plays guitar, and has a sweet mellow voice and singing style that evokes comparisons to artists like Jack Johnson or Bruno Mars.  Personally, I would love to hear Cameron sing a duet with either Mark Salling (Puck) or Kevin McHale (Artie), as I think those two voices would compliment his quite well. 

In terms of love interests, no one really sticks out for me just yet, who would be a good match for Cameron.  However, in terms of social networking, I do think a character like this could become fast friends with Artie, Sam, or even Mike Chang.

Another early fan favorite to take this competition is Lindsay . . .

The first thing that struck me about this contestant is how much she looks like a Young Carla Gugino .  . .

The cool thing about Lindsay, in terms of character development, is that she seems pretty versatile.  She’s obviously pretty enough to play a cheerleader / Queen Bee type, like Quinn.  And yet, she also has the style, and relatability, to play a more Earthy / Do-Gooder type.  Romantically, I could see Lindsay paired with any of the main male characters on the show, with the most obvious candidates for her affection being Puck and Finn.

One of the more unique casting choices on the show would be Ellis . .  .

Ellis is kind of a dichotomy, in that she looks and dresses like a middle-schooler, but has the sad soulful eyes, and singing voice of a thirty-something.  I can picture Ellis playing one of those child-prodigy types, who skipped a few grades to get into McKinley High.  Her character would be precocious, and very serious, verging on dour.  Depending on HOW much younger this character would be than the rest of the cast, I could potentially see her as a love interest for Artie.

Next up, we have Hannah . . . 

Having been voted Class Clown in her own high school, Hannah demonstrates the perkiness of Rachel Berry, the humor of Lauren Zizes, and the powerful voice and dancing skills of Mercedes Jones.  On the surface, this would seem to make her the ideal candidate to be a character on Glee. 

And yet, I wonder whether these positive attributes will ultimately end up working against her.  Specifically, I fear that the casting directors might have difficulty envisioning for Hannah a place within the Glee cast that is not already inhabited by other characters.

Another Gleeky hopeful who might experience the same problem as Hannah is Marissa . . .

. . . with her confident attitude, perfect figure, and Pantene Pro-V hair, Marissa seems primed to play a Mean Girl.  She would also make a rather sexy romantic pairing with Puck.  But with Quinn and Santana already constantly battling one another for Queen Bee status, does McKinley High really need another Alpha Female?

Speaking of characters who would undoubtedly but heads with Santana, check out Emily . . .

Since Emily struck me as a perkier (some might say, more annoying) version of Santana, I could envision her playing either Santana’s younger sister, or her scheming neighbor, over in Lima Heights Adjacent . . .

Other viewers have suggested that Emily would make a good love interest for Santana.  But, personally, I don’t see it.  I think these two are WAY too much alike to mesh well as a couple.  In fact, it’s their similarities that may work against Emily in this competition.

Another character who may be too much like a pre-existing one on the show is Alex . . .

. . . this sweet and rather flamboyant teen, with a love for all things fashion, and a high voice, perfect for belting out show tunes is . . . let’s face it . . . the African American version of Kurt Hummel . . . and I mean that in the nicest way possible. 🙂

One type of voice Glee has genuinely lacked in the first two seasons is that of a country singer.  And, though I am not necessarily a fan of country music, myself, the need for that kind of voice on Glee was what intrigued me most about McKyleigh . . .

This Texas’ natives love of all things country definitely makes her stand out in a crowd.  In fact, I suspect the character SHE would play on Glee would be much like the person she is in real life.  It would be fun to watch McKyleigh and Mercedes interact with one another, in particular, as the two couldn’t have more different tastes and styles. 

And hey, why not take that one step further, and have McKyleigh show some romantic interest in Sam?  A little love triangle never hurt ANY show!

Daddy LIKE!

Finally, last, but certainly not least, we have the adorably diminutive Brazilian native, Matheus . . .

Of all the cast members, this was probably the one who got the most screentime in Episode 1 of The Glee Project.  There are a couple of reasons for this: (1) he has the most uplifting personal story of the group, having taught himself English just months after emigrating to the United States, and having survived a near fatal accident, that almost deprived him of the use of his limbs; (2) he won the first “homework” challenge on the show, giving him an early lead amongst his competitors; and (3) everything about Matheus is just so DARN likeable, from his short stature, to his kind eyes, to his brace-faced smile, to his surprisingly cut abdominals (which he gladly flashed to the cameras . . . TWICE), to his unfailingly upbeat outlook on life.

Though I honestly don’t have a clear picture of what role Matheus would play on Glee, he definitely seems like he would be a stellar addition to the cast, one that would immediately resonate with fans.  Oh yeah, and he has an amazing voice too!

So, there you have it, a brief glimpse into the twelve prospective Gleek hopefuls who will be competing this summer on The Glee Project.  Which one is YOUR favorite?

[www.juliekushner.com][Fangirls Forever]

Heebie Jeebies, Creepy Crawlies, and Hot Abs – A Recap of Glee’s “The Rocky Horror Glee Show”

I have to say, the Glee producers took a decidedly big risk in choosing the theme for this week’s show. 

For one thing, The Rocky Horror Picture Show itself is an “acquired taste.”  It’s got its fans.  It’s got its haters.  And it’s got a good portion of Glee’s fanbase, who have never seen it at all . . .

The show is also pretty raunchy.  (All the characters that aren’t actually “doing it” on-screen, are impliedly getting busy off of it.)

Did I mention that the fans of the show are SERIOUSLY hard core?  You mess with what made them fall in love with this show, and they will make you live to regret it!  (I mean, these guys throw toast at people . . . for fun.)

Hopefully, they don’t throw the Grilled Cheesus . . .

All that being said, I think Glee did an admirable, if slightly imperfect, tribute to a musical classic this week.  And for that, they deserve a round of applause . . .

And . . . let’s face it . . . the multitude of Half-Naked Dudes didn’t hurt either . . .

Did you ever notice, how the writers of Glee find an excuse to show Chord Overstreet more or less naked in EVERY SINGLE EPISODE?  Not that we’re complaining . . .

Let’s “Time Warp” back to the beginning of the episode, shall we?

School Musical = Foreplay?

Someone should really instruct the federal government to watch this week’s episode of Glee.  After all, it includes within it, the solution to ALL of the nation’s healthcare problems!  I mean, who the heck needs medicine at all, when you’ve got Uncle Jesse from Full House catering to your physical, emotional, and psychological needs?

Having already raised TWO Olsen twins, there’s nothing this guy can’t do . . .

Well, at least, this is what Will’s lunch meeting with Emma suggests.  Just a few dates with Uncle Jesse Carl, and our OCD Poster Child, now, not only no longer needs to cut the crusts off her sandwiches, or wear plastic bags on her hands in public, she also apparently enjoys “playing dress up” and watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show, amidst a filthy theater of costumed “Toast Throwers!”

Emma shows Will how to do the “Time Warp” . . . again.

This marked change in Emma inspires Will to do something daring: namely, use his students to try lure Emma back into his arms (and, hopefully, his bed).

. . . because using kids to get sex . . . well . . . THAT’s not creepy at all . . .

So, that afternoon, Will informs his Glee kids that they will be performing The Rocky Horror Picture Show for their school musical production.  The proceeds from the show will be used to break Puck out of juvie (come back, Puck, COME BACK!) fund the club’s trip to the National Glee Club Competition in New York City!

In “brilliantly creative” and “not-at-all stereotypical” casting news, Will wants Finn and Rachel to play the dorky male and female leads, Brad and Janet;

He also wants Artie to play . .  . wait for it . . . the Guy in the Wheelchair . . .

I’m shocked!

 Will also hopes that Kurt will play the Very Flamboyant and Sexually Ambiguous Villain, Dr. Frankenfurter . . .

“Flamboyant?  Moi?”

Unfortunately, Kurt is totally not down with dressing in drag (He ends up being cast as a surprisingly convincing Riff Raff.)

 And so, who offers to take the part, but . . .

MIKE CHANG? 

Woah!  Color me impressed!  It looks like Uncle Jesse Dr. Carl has not only cured Emma of OCD, he has also broke Tina’s Dancing “Hot Patootie” of a Boyfriend out of his chronic, nearly mute, Glee Club laziness . . .

I am already picturing those abs encased in a tight leather leotard . . . Mmmmm!

Oh and Puck Sam will play the Hot Brainless Robot, who everybody desperately wants to screw, Rocky “The Creature.”

If You Can Dream It, Be It, Buddy . . .

With all those “innovative casting decisions” behind him, Will hands the club permission slips, to be signed by their parents, and sends them on their way.  And with that, Will’s dastardly plans to steal Emma from Uncle Jesse, have officially been set in motion . . .

Body Conscious

“I have no idea what’s going on in this script.  And, not in a cool, Inception way,” remarks Finn, as he and Rachel run through their lines, as Brad and Janet.

“Oh come on!  The Leo character was TOTALLY dreaming!  How else would you explain his kids not aging or changing their clothes for 10 years?”

Things get even more confusing, when Rachel informs Finn that he will be performing the scene on stage in his underwear.  (This just became like every bad dream, I have ever had . . .)

“I can’t be on stage in my Tighty Whities,” squeaks Finn.

Wait . . . Finn wears Tighty Whities?  In my dreams, I always kind of pictured him as a Boxer Guy . . .

Immediately recognizing that her boyfriend suffers from “Body Issues,” Rachel comforts him by telling him that he is the “Hottest Boy in School.” 

Hottest Boy in School . . . Third Hottest Boy in Glee Club . . . same difference, right?

As Sue Sees It . . .

Honestly, I would watch my local news SO MUCH MORE OFTEN, if it contained a segment like Sue’s Corner.  These little segments never fail to make me giggle like a school girl when I watch them.  “Halloween is a time when Little Boys to dress like Little Girls; Little Girls dress like Whores; and [both] brow beat hard working American families into giving them food,” she begins.

“We’ve lost the true meaning of Halloween . . . FEAR.”

Be afraid.  Be VERY afraid . . .

Sue concludes the segment, by advising Mommies to tell their kids that Daddy is a “Brain-Eating Zombie” who just whispered to Mommy that the kids “look delicious.”

After the segment, Sue is visited in her office by two  guys that look like insurance claim adjusters, but are actually Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf. (These guys played Brad and Eddie, respectively, in the original Rocky Horror Picture Show movie).

Apparently, Bostwick and Meatloaf also head up the Local News.  They inform Sue that they are aware that her high school’s Glee club will be putting on a very controversial Rocky Horror performance at the school.  Therefore, they would like her to write a “hard-hitting” news piece on the subject . . .

And so, with a Local Emmy on her mind and evil in her heart, Sue approaches Will about helping him out with the play. 

Will responds by reluctantly asking her to play the Criminologist in the production.  How fitting!

Hot Patootie!

Sue’s “assistance” comes in handy, almost immediately.  When Mike Chang’s parents tell their child they are “so not cool” with him wearing makeup and playing a tranny in the school play, Sue commandeers Uncle Jesse to help out . . .

Yes, because having a 40-something year old leather clad man seduce teenagers on stage is not inappropriate or creepy at ALL!

A skeptical (not to mention insanely jealous) Will insists that Carl audition before getting the role.  Apparently, Dr. Carl isn’t just an expert in cleaning teeth and curing OCD, the dude can also SING AND DANCE.  Using his signature Jesse and the Rippers’ style, Dr. Carl performs a rousing interpretation of Rocky Horror’s “Hot Patootie,” (sung by Meatloaf, in the original production) while joyfully spinning his girlfriend Emma around the classroom.

“I am SO screwed!”

A very huffy Will remarks that, since Carl will be playing Dr. Frankenfurter, he should have to audition with one of his songs.   But Carl staunchly refuses to cross dress.  And so, he will play “Eddie” instead. 

But who will play Dr. Frankenfurter?

“I’ll do it Mr. Schue,” remarks Mercedes.

Recalling the “if you can dream it, be it,” line from the show, Mercedes explains that she has always wanted to play the lead in a school play, and playing Dr. Frankenfurter would give her the perfect opportunity.  YOU GO, GIRL!

In the next scene, we get to watch Mercedes perform Dr. Frankenfurter’s iconic “Sweet Transvestite” dressed in full Frankenfurter garb.  I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first of a women playing the part of a male crossdresser.  However, I must say that her interpretation of the song was pretty ingenious. 

“It’s astounding!”

The songs new “PG” lyrics, however, left a bit to be desired.  “Sin-sational Pennsylvania?”  Come ON, writers!  What exactly made it acceptable to use the word “transvestite,” but NOT the word “transsexual.” 

*sighs*  PRUDES!

Speaking of Prudes . . .

After the rehearsal, Will confronts Emma (who he has hired on as the show’s Sex Toy Costume Designer) about how wrong Carl is for the role of Eddie.  The conversation evolves into a discussion about Sam, and how uncomfortable he is in the barely-there tight gold undies he is forced to wear as Rocky.  Will’s solution.  “I can play Rocky!”

Riiiiiiiight, because a 30-something half-naked man being seduced by a bunch of half-naked teenagers is not inappropriate or creepy at all!

Emma, who’s clearly a moron agrees with Will that his playing Rocky would be an “amazing” idea!  And so, Will asks her to rehearse Rocky’s main musical number “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me” with him. 

While Santana and Brittany watch excitedly from a nearby window . . .

 . . . (assuming the voyeuristic roles Magenta and Columbia had in the original show), Will and Emma begin to perform the musical number. 

Emma, for her part, gets “very” into the role of the newly sexually-awakened Janet . . .

When Emma is not ripping Will’s shirt off with her bare hands, or writhing on the desk like a Sex Kitten in Heat, she’s humping Will’s leg like a Happy Dog!  But when the song ends . . . well, that’s when the sparks really fly!

I really hope they don’t expect Rachel to do THAT!

Body Confidence, Part 2

Meanwhile Finn, still VERY concerned about his shirtless stage debut, is obsessively working out in the school gym, with Sam and Artie.  The usually confident Sam now finds himself feeling a bit insecure, having had his shirtless scene ripped away from him by, none other than his OWN teacher!  Finn wonders whether his shirtless part will be taken from him as well.

“Nah, the Brad part is all about being cool with being uncool.  It’s about having confidence in your body, regardless of what it looks like,” explains Sam.

For whatever reason, this inspires Finn to walk around school naked.

Not that we’re complaining!

Principal Figgins, of course, wants to suspend Finn from school for “making half the student body need therapy.”  However, Will convinces Figgins to let Finn off the hook.  “Your reasons for doing this play are murky at best,” notes Figgins. 

(Murky?  Nah!  Everyone knows that Getting the Teacher Laid is the true reason behind ALL high school musicals . . .)

An Abomination

Things go from bad to worse, when Carl interrupts a dress rehearsal, to call Will out for trying to steal Emma away from him. 

And things go from WORSE to . . . WORSER(?), when Finn finds the footage Sue filmed for the local news, which exposes the Glee club’s performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show as an “abomination,” one which crosses the lines of human decency.

To Will’s horror, he realizes SUE IS RIGHT!

He has been using the Glee Club members as pawns in his Sick Sad Sex Games!  When Will confronts Sue, the pair engage in a surprisingly serious conversation about teens’ exposure to sexuality.  Will argues that his students are already exposed, so why not allow them to embrace it through art?  Sue replies that, as educators, they have a responsibility to protect students from those parts of life that are “Rated NC-17,” even if they can only do so within the four walls of the high school.

Then Will does something REALLY crazy.  He . . . agrees with Sue.

WOW!  This show IS scary!

Will decides to cancel the show.  Of course, this was precisely what the fame-seeking Sue didn’t want.  This leaves her screaming after Will that she “needs her local Emmy,” as he exits stage left . . . OOPS!

“Love can make you do crazy (and really creepy) things.”

Later, Will approaches Emma, and apologizes to her for having such a hot bod and making her rip his clothes off, even though she’s technically still dating the guy from Full House manipulating her emotions.  “You know, I only did this to get close to you.  I guess love can make you do some crazy things,” Will begins.

“I promise not to abuse our feelings for eachother anymore . . . Carl  is making you better . . . So, if I really love you, I need to back off and acknowledge that being with him, for now, is what’s best for you.”

But, is it really?  Emma didn’t look so sure, at the end of this scene . . .

Let’s Do the Time Warp AGAIN!

At the end of the episode, Will apologizes to his students, especially Sam and Finn for being a Creepy Lecher making them feel uncomfortable — and for putting on the show, for all the wrong reasons.  After all, Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t really about running around half naked and screwing everybody (well . . . actually . . . it kind of is).  It’s about outcasts coming together and rejoicing in that which makes them different!

“In that way The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the perfect show for this club,” concluded Will.

“So, why aren’t we performing it?”  Santana inquires rationally.

“We are.  We just aren’t going to perform it for an audience,” Will replies.

Well .  . . that’s kind of lame!

The last scene of the episode features the Glee Kids, in Rocky Horro- themed — but substantially less revealing — clothes, performing the show’s iconic dance number, The Time Warp.

Fun-filled, and care-free, this was probably my favorite musical number of the whole episode (Schuester’s awesome abdominal muscles in “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” notwithstanding). 

I just kind of wish it all  . . . you know . . . amounted to something more. 

While I enjoyed (despite being slighly skeeved out by) Will’s kind-of/ sort-of romantic play for Emma’s heart, I feel like it may have overshadowed the overall theme of the episode a bit.  For example, it would have been nice to have a few more scenes, during which the kids actually performed scenes from the show, even if those scenes had to be neutered to meet Fox’s newfound puritanical standards. 

(I mean, COME ON!  This was the network that brought us The O.C.,  a show where characters said and DID things that were WAY more sexually suggestive than the words “transsexual” and “heavy petting.”)

Need I say more?

On a positive note, the musical numbers this week were a lot of fun!  You can hear a taste of all of them here:

Did I mention, PUCK IS BACK NEXT WEEK?

OHHHHH YEAAHHHH!

See you then!

[www.juliekushner.com]