The Evolution of ‘Glee’ – Who ARE These Young’ns?
The breakthrough dramedy of the 2009 television season, Glee, has taken America by store. Ever since the pilot premiere after the American Idol finale in May, young and old alike have been addicted. Ratings for the series steadily go up each week due to positive word-of-mouth, and merchandise have been selling like wildfire. Each episode’s songs jump straight to the top of the charts when they go on sale on iTunes. The release of the Glee soundtracks and season DVDs are sure to sell out in an instant. Gleek t-shirts and buttons are religiously worn by the devoted followers, and posters are plastered on many walls. The Glee actors have just started a mall tour, and those are bound to be filled to capacity with screaming, sobbing fangirls (and some fanboys, as well).
It’s almost as if the Boy Band Invasion of the late 1990s has struck again. Instead of N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys capturing the hearts of teens, tweens and middle aged mothers, its a bunch of near-unknowns that resemble the United Nations more than heartthrobs. Regardless of looks, this group of new talent are having their time to shine right now. So, the question is, who are these kids and where in the world did they come from?
Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) – This Broadway baby has been on stage since she was eight years old. She has been featured in Les Miserables (Young Cosette), Ragtime (the Little Girl), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava/Shprintze), The Diary of Anne Frank (Anne Frank) and was the female lead in Spring Awakening (Wendla). Stepping away from her roots, Michele plans on releasing a rock album within the next year.
Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson) – The Native Canadian has an array of talents, judging by his job resume before he started acting. Before acting, he was a taxi driver, construction worker, people greeter at a Walmart, and a telemarketer. In terms of acting roles, he acted a lot of a few low-budget horror movies (Hybrid)Â and a few episodes of various sci-fi shows (Kyle XY, Supernatural) before hitting the big leagues with Glee.
Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones) – This powerhouse is a relative unknown. Aside from Glee, the only other major brush with fame she had was when she got rejected by American Idol judges. The rejects tend to do better than the actual winners, though, so Riley should have a bright future ahead of her.
Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) – Another unknown, the Indianapolis native is having a breakthrough. Starting out from small-town musicals and show choir, Colfer has paved the way for gay youth with his portrayal of Kurt. His style and one-liners alone have already made him a fan favorite, and he is sure to win over more fans when he sings a rousing rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’ with Michele in the November 11th episode, Wheels.
Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams) – People may have recognized this young actor prior to Glee. He was in a popular episode of The Office when his pizza boy character got ‘kidnapped’ by Michael Scott (Steve Carrell), and was in a three-fer of True Blood when he played a coroner’s assistant. However, I know him from a moderately successful boy band named NLT. They weren’t very original, but his vocals stood out amongst the others, and they were mildly entertaining to watch, as well.
Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang) – Born in Korea and raised in Long Island, Ushkowitz led a similar path as Michele (they’ve even been friends since they were eight years old). Acting in many high school plays (Les Miserables, Into The Woods, The Laramie Project), she has also been featured in Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow, and sang the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for a New York Knicks game. (Start watching @ 4:45)
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