Latest news with #Glee
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Glee Reunion: Chris Colfer and Darren Criss Bring #Klaine to the Tonys, 10 Years After Series Finale
The 2025 Tony Awards was a big night for a lot of people — but mostly for the cast of Glee. Where do we even begin? Perhaps with Jonathan Groff (aka Jesse St. James) getting everyone on their feet with a performance from the Bobby Darin musical Just in Time? Or maybe Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) presenting an award while celebrating her own impending return to Broadway in the revival of Chess? Or how about Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson) taking home his first-ever Tony Award for his role in this year's Best Musical winner Maybe Happy Ending? More from TVLine Ratings: Tony Awards Surge 38% to Biggest Audience Since 2019 Patti LuPone Skips Tony Awards Amid Audra McDonald Controversy - Watch Oprah Winfrey Joke About It On-Air Tonys 2025: Hamilton's Original Broadway Cast Reunites for Sleek Medley - Watch These were all very exciting moments, sure, but we're actually here to highlight an off-camera incident that will make you feel like you're living a teenage dream: Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummell) posted a picture on Monday from a Tonys afterparty where he celebrated Criss' big win alongside his former TV hubby, giving Gleeks one more sweet hit of #Klaine. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chris Colfer (@chriscolfer) Several of Colfer and Criss' former co-stars chimed in to celebrate the reunion, as well as Criss' win. Heather Morris (Brittany S. Pierce) and Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones) were among those who dropped supportive emojis under the photo. Coincidentally, the 2015 series finale of Glee also took place at the Tonys, with Rachel's now-husband Jesse cheering her on from the audience as she took home her first statue. And did we mention that Rachel also became a surrogate for Kurt and Blaine? That finale really did give us everything. Did seeing Colfer and Criss together again give you — as we used to say back when Glee was airing — all the feels? Drop a comment with your thoughts below. Glee's Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: 10 Songs We Still Listen to Regularly View List Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
And that's what you missed: Every 'Glee' star who's won a Tony Award
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images; Bruce Glikas/WireImage; Marsha Bernstein/WWD via Getty Images Jonathan Groff; Alex Newell; Darren Criss The Glee cast featured some of the most talented musical theater performers to ever grace the TV screen. With an iconic run between 2009 and 2015, Glee was centered on group of young performers as the members of a high school Glee Club in Lima, Ohio. The show was all about how much talent and potential these high schoolers had, dreaming up big futures for many of them. In the series finale of Glee, the character of Rachel (Lea Michele) goes on to win her first Tony Award, which did set the tone for what fans could expect from the careers of some of the stars. The show also featured numerous guest stars, including Broadway stars and musical theater legends. Many of those stars had Tony Awards before appearing on the show, but have also continued to produce great work that earns them even more nominations. As of 2025, 12 performers who played characters on Glee have Tony Awards, including five members of the New Directions. Scroll through to discover which cast members over the years have won Tony Awards — starting with the latest addition to this list! Darren Criss joined the Glee cast in season 2 as Blaine Anderson, a member of the glee club at a rival all-boys school called Dalton Academy. Eventually, he transferred to William McKinley High to join the New Directions and started dating Kurt. In 2025, Criss won a Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending. Jonathan Groff starred in Glee as Jesse St. James, a rival to the New Directions and on-again-off-again boyfriend to Rachel. Groff was first nominated for a Tony for his role as Melchior in Spring Awakening in 2007. Lea Michele — Groff's love interest in that musical and eventual Glee costar as well — was not nominated, alas. Groff was then nominated again for playing King George III in Hamilton, and eventually won his first Tony for starring in Merrily We Roll Along in 2024. After appearing on The Glee Project, Alex Newell joined the season 3 cast of Glee as trans student Unique Adams, and subsequently joined the New Directions in season 4. In 2023, Newell originated the role of Lulu in the Broadway musical Shucked and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the role. Along with J. Harrison Ghee, who won for Some Like It Hot that same night, Newell became the first out nonbinary performer to win a Tony. Ali Stroker is another person who went from The Glee Project reality competition series to getting cast on Glee. In 2016, Stroker won a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Ado Annie in Oklahoma!. She was the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award for acting. Jenna Ushkowitz was a member of the original New Directions as the character Tina Cohen-Chang, and stayed on the show until it ended. Over the years, Ushkowitz has won two Tony Awards as a producer: One trophy for Best Revival of a Musical, for Once On This Island, in 2018, and another trophy for Best Play, for The Inheritance, in 2020. Brian Stokes Mitchell has been nominated for four Tonys overall, and won for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Fred Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me, Kate in 2000. On Glee, the actor played LeRoy Berry, one of Rachel's gay dads. Broadway legend Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in 1999. She's been nominated for two other Tonys for her roles as Glinda in Wicked and Lily Garland in On the Twentieth Century. On Glee, she played April Rhodes, a washed-up former glee club singer who never graduated from high school and joins the New Directions as an adult. Idina Menzel is another massive Broadway legend who's appeared on Glee. On the show, Menzel played Rachel's birth mom, Shelby Corcoran. She was nominated for her first Tony in 1996 for playing Maureen in Rent, and then won for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked (2004). Then years later, in 2014, Menzel and was nominated again for If/Then. On Glee, EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg played Carmen Tibideaux, the Dean of Vocal Performance and Song Interpretation at NYADA, the performing arts school that Rachel and Kurt attend after graduating from high school. In real life, she's been nominated for three Tonys as a producer, winning in 2002 for Best Musical for Thoroughly Modern Millie. Neil Patrick Harris appeared in one episode of Glee as Bryan Ryan, a former high school rival of Will Schuester's who's now a board member of Lima Public Schools and is seeking to defund the glee club. He won a Tony in 2014 for Best Actor in a Musical for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Legendary actor and singer Carol Burnett played Doris Sylvester on Glee — none other than Sue Sylvester's mother! After being nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for Once Upon a Mattress in 1960 and Best Actress in a Play in 1996 for Moon Over Buffalo, Burnett won a Special Tony Award in 1969. Helen Mirren played the inner voice of Becky Jackson, a member of the Cheerios who had Down syndrome, on Glee. Over the years, Mirren has been nominated for three Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. In 2015, the actress won for her performance in The Audience.
Tom's Guide
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
My heart broke when this musical comedy show was canceled — but at least it's streaming on Hulu
Musical TV shows are hit or miss, but the best ones lean into satire and self-awareness. To sell the idea of characters randomly bursting into song, a little camp goes a long way. Some shows like "Glee" and "Smash" build singing into the story through a cappella groups or theater settings. Others, like "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," invent quirky setups for musical numbers that teeter between realism and ridiculousness (the sweet spot). But I'm here for genre chaos. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical episode set the bar high for '90s kids and the entire TV industry. Plenty of shows have tried to match its iconic status, but most have fallen flatter than the pitchiest note. One-off episodes are hard enough. Sustaining that energy for a whole series? Nearly impossible — except "Galavant" pulled it off. ABC's short-lived medieval musical show turned every fairy tale trope on its head with biting wit, satirical absurdity and a soundtrack as fresh as its plot. RIP to the real king. True love won't get you far in medieval times — especially if you're a woman. The show opens with our wannabe hero Galavant (Joshua Sasse) on a quest to rescue his beloved Madalena (Mallory Jansen). Except ... she's not in distress. She left Galavant for the king who kidnapped her. Why? Power and money, obviously. King Richard (Timothy Omundson) may sit on the throne, but Madalena's running the show. She knows how to weaponize toxic masculinity — and does, with perfection. Meanwhile, Galavant's off trying to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued. Sorry, Galavant, but Madalena is just not that into you. She's not even subtle about it. Yes, she uses her charms to get what she wants, but it's not manipulation — she tells everyone exactly what she's doing. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. She's not the only badass in the realm. Princess Isabella (Karen David) tricks Galavant into fighting for her kingdom under the pretense of needing a big, strong man. It's not hard; the guy's got a raging ego. He's also a washed-up loser and kind of an idiot. But at least he has a good personality ... just kidding! Medieval Women: 2Medieval Men: 0 You know Alan Menken, the legendary composer behind Disney movies including "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Newsies." He co-composed Galavant with Christopher Lennertz ("Pitch Perfect," "The Boys"). These heavyweights poured genuine talent into this absurd little gem of a show, and it shows. "Galavant's" soundtrack could easily pass as a Broadway cast album. It's not just the vocals — it's the composition, the pacing, the comic timing. Every song is completely self-aware and absurd without veering into nonsense. Somehow, it all works. From 'Hero's Journey' to 'A New Season,' the show breaks the fourth wall with abandon and dares you not to hum along. Galavant himself may be a mildly lovable, mostly pitiful mess, but the show? It's a legendary feminist parody that lands every punch — often to Galavant's face. Sadly, "Galavant" met the fate of too many quirky cult classics like "Pushing Daisies," "Dead Like Me" and "Reaper." Despite all the jokes about low budgets and imminent cancellation, the show's brilliance wasn't enough to save it. "Galavant" may have ridden off into the sunset too soon, but fortunately, the entire series is streaming on Hulu. So if you missed it the first time (like most people did), you've got a second chance to witness the chaotic, catchy brilliance for yourself. And if you've already seen it? Watch it again (and again). The songs still slap, the jokes still land and Galavant is still gloriously bad at being a hero. Watch "Galavant" on Hulu
Elle
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Lea Michele's Tonys Look Paid Homage to Her Upcoming Role in 'Chess'
Lea Michele is making a triumphant return to Broadway this fall in the revival of Chess, and what better place to celebrate than at the Tony Awards? Last night, the actress appeared at Radio City Music Hall, where she joined co-star Aaron Tveit to present the trophy for Best Revival of a Musical. Together, they announced the winner: the Nicole Scherzinger-led Sunset Boulevard. For the big event, Michele wore a custom Michael Kors Collection look: a black halter tuxedo jacket with a plunging lapel neckline, paired with a pleated chiffon skirt featuring a thigh-high slit. She accessorized with classic black pumps and shimmering silver jewelry—including earrings, a bracelet, a bangle, and a ring—all by EFFY Jewelry. Consider it a seductive spin on the classic tailored suit. For the uninitiated, Chess is a musical set against the backdrop of the Cold War, revolving around an intense chess championship—and a complicated love triangle—between an American and a Russian. Joining Michele and Tveit is Nicholas Christopher (known for Miss Saigon and Hamilton), rounding out the trio. The production features a score by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The book for this iteration is penned by Danny Strong (Dopesick) and Michael Mayer will direct. (He previously collaborated with Michele on Spring Awakening and Funny Girl, according to The Hollywood Reporter.) The cast already had a 29-hour reading earlier this month. 'I am beyond excited to be returning to Broadway this fall with my amazing new co-stars in Chess,' Michele tells ELLE. 'I made my Broadway debut when I was 8 years old, and I've had the pleasure of being a part of this community for 30 years now. I cannot wait to get back onto the stage.' Before Chess opens at the Shubert Theatre, Michele will be gracing stages elsewhere—she's currently in the midst of a solo concert tour across the U.S. and Canada. 'I'm having so much fun on tour singing songs that are so special to me,' she says of the shows. 'It's a mix of songs from Broadway shows that I have been in, some songs from my studio albums, as well as songs from Glee! We also included a fun new section that we think Rachel Berry would sing currently, and I think fans have really enjoyed that part of the show. I also tell a lot of stories and have fun interactions with the audience.' Michele wasn't the only former Glee star at the Tonys last night—Darren Criss (who won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical) and Jonathan Groff (who was nominated in the same category and performed in the Hamilton reunion) were also in attendance. Famous guest stars including Kristin Chenoweth, Lea Salonga, and Adam Lambert rounded out the crowd. Below, see how Michele got ready for Broadway's biggest night.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Four-Time Tony Nominee Jonathan Groff on Eight-Year Journey to Become Bobby Darin and Spitting While Singing Quirk: 'Nothing I Can Do About It'
'It's my first love,' Jonathan Groff tells The Hollywood Reporter, on why he returned to Broadway so soon after winning his first Tony Award for Merrily We Roll Along last year. Now, Groff has received his fourth Tony nomination for playing singer-actor Bobby Darin in the jukebox musical, Just in Time. He has previously been nominated for his work in Hamilton and Spring Awakening. But this time, the experience is 'unlike anything' before, as he's been involved with the project for the last eight years and has learned how to embody the moves and persona of the legendary singer. More from The Hollywood Reporter Ike Barinholtz Jokes He's "Lucky to Be Alive" After Driving With 'The Studio' Costar Seth Rogen How 'Survival of the Thickest,' 'Mo' and 'Shrinking' Are Helping Destigmatize Therapy for Men of Color Tom Felton to Reprise Role of Draco in 'Harry Potter' on Broadway And the Mindhunter star is having a lot of fun doing it. At the top of the show, he introduces himself to the crowd as himself, which was Groff's idea, and even warns the crowd that he might spit on them while singing, poking fun at his saliva-based singing quirk that's become a running joke over the years. This year's best performance by an actor in a leading role category is also nostalgic because Groff is nominated alongside his former Glee co-star Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending), which he says is 'surreal' and the 'great gift of longevity with your peers.' Below, Groff tells THR about how he got in the best shape of his life by prepping for the show, his most memorable crowd interaction and how he creates the 'magic that happens between performer and audience.' This is your fourth nomination. What does this one in particular mean to you? I've never before been involved in a project from the conception. So, eight years ago, my friend Ted Chapin asked me to do a night of Bobby Darin music at the 92nd Street Y, and we've been developing the show ever since then. So to be nominated for this and for the show itself, to get six nominations after working on it for eight years, is unlike anything I've ever experienced. After , why did you want to return to Broadway so soon instead of taking a well-deserved break or focusing more on film or TV? (Laughs.) I love the theater, is the simple answer to that question. I just I love doing it so much. It's my first love. I didn't anticipate that the timing would work out. We've been trying to make the Bobby Darin musical happen for so many years that I never anticipated it would happen, timing-wise, like this. But there is an inertia and an energy and an acceleration to the vibe of Bobby Darin that it ultimately felt like the right thing. What's crazy is, the day after the Tonys last year, which is the last time you and I spoke, the next day, I went with our producers and Alex Timbers, our director, and Shannon, our choreographer, and Andrew, our music supervisor, to the Circle in the Square to do a site visit for the show. This is just the way it worked out, honestly. It was not something that I intentionally planned or scheduled on purpose. It just sort of shook out this way. What do you appreciate about playing someone who was actually alive? And how is this experience different from some other roles you've done? Over the last eight years, I have become such a deep, deep Bobby Darin fan. By all accounts, he was this Oscar-nominated actor and this Grammy-winning recording artist and prolific songwriter and producer, but everyone says he was at the height of his powers when he was at the center of a nightclub floor working the audience. So the most important thing for me, as I was doing the research on him, and for all of us as we were putting the show together, was to honor the spirit of that, of that energy, of that magic that happens between performer and audience. And this was the jumping off point for this conceit of our show that we turn Circle in the Square into a nightclub and where we've got tables on the floor level that you can reach out and touch the performers from where you're sitting, because that's what it was like when Bobby was at the Copa. Also, this conceit that I start the show as myself, so I establish this relationship between myself and the audience in the present moment, and give everybody the sense that like, let's all be here now together and travel back in time with each other to experience the story of Bobby Darin, while never losing that invisible thread between performer and audience that makes you feel when you're an audience member and as a performer like anything can happen on any given night, it's always different. So in playing Bobby Darin, that energy felt like the most essential thing to bring spiritually into the theater. I also took piano lessons. He was a prolific artist in so many ways. He played seven instruments in the show. I played the piano, I played the drums. I have been trying to embody him as much as possible physically as well, in addition to playing the instruments and then working with the writers Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver. There's so much story in his life. You could do a whole TV series about him. He has many books written about him, and so much went on in his life, so [it was about] trying to distill his story down to the most essential beats to really honor and celebrate who he was. You mentioned you're yourself at the beginning of the show. And you do introduce yourself by saying, 'Hi, I'm Jonathan Groff,' before devolving into Bobby Darin. Whose idea was that and what do you think it brings to the show? Yeah, I asked from the beginning if I could do that. It felt like the opportunity to tell the story of Bobby Darin's life in front of a live audience, that's where he was, at the height of his powers. That is the place to tell his story. Even removing the artifice of character at the very beginning and really establishing this connection between performer and audience was the most effective way to celebrate what he did to a room when he was in it. So I wanted to start the show as myself, and we spent years trying to figure out how we would make that work and how we would it. And really, it wasn't until our co-book writer Isaac Oliver came on board, because it's one thing for me to be myself at the top, but someone needs to write that. (Laughs.) A talented writer needs to articulate that. You don't want to just see me talking out my mouth at the beginning of the show. It's actually quite specifically constructed. What I say, how I say it and how I transitioned then into becoming Bobby Darin took a lot of writing and a lot of tries. [Oliver] really cracked the code with this opening monologue that he offered over the summer when we were doing a workshop as well as with this monologue at the end that I also delivered to the audience as myself, once the show is over, as sort of bookends of the experience. That was Isaac's idea. I think it really honors the spirit of who he was as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. You do a lot of dancing, which requires a lot of stamina. How did you prepare for that? And is it still challenging? Shannon Lewis, our amazing choreographer, she [worked with] me three times a week for 10 weeks before the first day of rehearsal. We were in the studio, and she taught me her physical warm-up, which is a 30-minute warm-up, which I still do every day before the show, to get my body ready. It's like training for a marathon physically, this role, and I'm learning a lot about my body, and I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my whole life. (Laughs.) And like you said, it's a daily, I would say it's a daily practice to check in with your body, find out where it is. I've like become friends with our physical therapist at the theater (laughs) who helps me with issues and small injuries as they come up. But it's like being an athlete, kind of, you know, you have to really take care of yourself. I've learned in the last, like, two months that cross-training is really essential for me. Earlier today, I was at the gym doing light weight lifting in order to counterbalance the repetitive motions I do every night while we're dancing. It's a real discipline. You acknowledge that part of the audience may be hit with spit during the performance. What went into that decision to mention that? Yes! (Laughs) This is the brilliance of Isaac, our co-book writer. He really cracked the code with that one. It's an interesting experiment to play one's own self (laughs), and he really helped. He did many things and wrote many amazing parts of the show, as did Warren, who gave so much to the show in so many different ways. But one of the contributions that Isaac made was finding the sweet spot of me, sort of like taking the piss out of myself and declaring who I was at the same time. I'm so grateful that he wrote me in the way that he wrote me. That was all his genius. People online have noticed that you do spit a bit when you sing, what do you make of the attention that it's gotten? It's funny, it started with back in the days of Spring Awakening. People used to ask if I would spit in their programs after the show, because I had spit on them on stage. And then years later, when the Disney+ version of Hamilton came out, and I was playing King George, and I was spitting kind of on myself, like, drool, like it was coming down my face, that became a whole thing. And then last year, during Merrily, Dan [Radcliffe] and Lindsay [Mendez] and I were joking and laughing about it a lot on the press tour. At this point, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm just sort of letting it happen at this point. Fortunately, all of my fellow actors that I've been on stage with are incredibly patient and like loving with me about that, and they don't make me feel too bad about it. What's been your most memorable dance and crowd member interaction so far? Good question. Oh my gosh, it's really fascinating because we're learning with these audiences that it's quite multigenerational. It's really like eight year olds and 80 year olds are both enjoying the show in equal measure. A couple of performances ago, this probably eight-year-old girl was in the front row, and I noticed her at the very beginning. I was sort of like winking at her and smiling at her, and you could tell she felt a little scared or a little nervous, and so I was trying to make her feel relaxed throughout the show and smiling at her. And then at the very end, I reached out my hand to ask her to dance, and she lit up like a light bulb. Her face got so excited, and she took my hand and immediately started spinning around in circles. I wanted to cry. It was so cute. Have you found any similarities between you and Bobby that helped you to understand and connect with him? There's this line I have at the end of the show when it's like in the middle of the very final song that I sing, called 'The Curtain Falls,' which was his famous closing song in his act at the end of his career. And I say, 'doing this,' meaning connecting with the audience in this way, 'Doing this was when he felt the most alive.' And then I say, 'honestly, same,' (laughs) that's the next line. And I really feel that connection with him. This great, deep, profound, primal passion for performing and for sharing that experience with the artists on stage, the cast and the band, and sharing that with the audience, is one of my favorite things in in my whole life. I just I love it so much. That love, I would say, is the thing that I have the most in common with him. This year you're also nominated alongside your former co-star Darren Criss. What does it mean to you that you're both nominated for Tonys in the same category? It's so awesome. It's so surreal. I remember him making his debut on that show, and creating such a sensation, and being such a like fresh, new, exciting talent, and to now see him be a real like, I mean, he's done many Broadway shows. I saw him do Hedwig [and the Angry Inch]. He was one of the replacements in Little Shop of Horrors. I saw him in Maybe Happy Ending, he's exceptional in it. This is the great gift of longevity with your peers, is that we get to go through all these experiences together. Lea Michele came to opening night, and brought her four-year-old son a week and a half later, and he was sitting on the aisle, beaming. It's a gift to be able to go through life and share these experiences with your friends. It's incredibly special. Looking back on your time on that show made so many more people knowledgeable about theater and made it accessible to people who don't have the opportunity to come to New York to see Broadway shows. Have you found that to be true, or have you heard of fans who became interested in musical theater through the show? Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, Gracie Lawrence, who is Tony nominated in our show, playing the role of Connie Francis and is a supernova talent. She told me during rehearsal, she was like, 'Oh my gosh, Jonathan, I can't believe I'm doing a musical on Broadway with you, because I used to come home after high school and watch you on Glee and now we're singing together duets on a Broadway stage show. So it's an example of a former Gleek that now we're co-starring in a Broadway musical together. It's so cool. We're coming up on the 20th anniversary of . Reflecting on all that's happened in your career since, what would you tell your younger self? I did that when I was 20 years old, and I guess the short answer is, I would tell him to keep following his passion and the thing that makes your heart race. Once you're doing that, once you're locked in with that, it doesn't matter if it's a success or a failure, because I've had both of those experiences throughout the years, highs and lows. But when I'm in touch with what is making my pulse race and what I get excited about, just personally, outside of anyone's perception of what might be good or bad, but just for my own self, the things that make me excited, that's when I'm my happiest. That's how I feel inside of Just in Time. I love Bobby Darin, and I love this experience so much. And getting the chance to live inside of his music and his life, it's pure joy. Just in Time is playing at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List
