#zach woodlee

[d-criss-news]

rj.ulrich: Happy Birthday @ zachvwoodlee - one of the best people I know.

[forabeatofadrum]

It's Out of Touch Thursday, or maybe we should be in touch, since it's also mental health day. I hope you are all well. Thank you @wellbelesbian, @confused-bi-queer and @bitbybitwrites for the tag.

I have watched Heartstopper and I am not over it.

Anyway, writing! Last week, I made a huge WW post about names and identity for my Dancin' on that bamboo ceiling series, the series that tries to give the wacky, inconsistent, and sometimes blatantly racist representation of glee's Asian characters a place. I actually already posted two chapters: the one where Wes reflects on his last name, and the one where Yu-Jin and Tina talk about names being changed through adoption.

And now, here is something from Mike and Tina's chapter:

"You should wear red," Mike's mom says as she straightens the lapels of Mike's jacket. "Should I?" Mike asks. He wants to make a great first impression on Tina's parents. Maybe red is too bold. "Good Chinese sons wear the lucky colour," Mike's mom says, and Mike's not sure if she's serious of making fun of the notion. "I don't think they care whether I am a good Chinese son, māma." "They're Chinese, aren't they? It never hurts to try." Mike frowns. "They're not Chinese." Now it's his mom's turn to frown. "I thought Tina was named Chang." "Cohen-Chang," Mike corrects her.

A little bit more on this, under the cut, again. It's not as long as last week's post, but it's still something.

I know I said I was going to ignore the elephant in the room, which is Tina's last name. I have been doing it since 2017, when I started this fic, but again, in an installment that's all about names I don't see a way to do so. Not only that, but I think it'd be nice to have a chapter where Tina and Mike meet each other's parents and how they discover new things about the other. It would be a great parallel.

I mentioned in last week's post multiple possible explanations for the name Cohen-Chang, and in the end I have decided to settle on the explanation that somewhere high up in Tina's family tree, there was a Chinese person and the name has stayed over the years. I mean, it could happen. Look at my 11 generations long Sims family tree. Some last names are still in rotation. I am still working out the details and maybe I don't have to, since it's glee, and also Alice Oseman straight up did the same thing with the Spring family, but we'll see.

In hindsight, I think the best "canon" explanation for Tina having the name Cohen-Chang is that her family is mixed: one parent is Cohen, the other is Chang. It could work within canon, since we know nothing about her parents apart from the fact that they adopted her. We have no names or faces. It would also explain why Tina also mentions how her mum, for example, made her tea with panda hair and all that crap. In my fic it's all explained by the fact her parents are very sensitive of her heritage and try (emphasis on try, because... panda hair???? Oh glee.)* to include Asian things in her upbringing. Honestly, the fact that I didn't come up with this is entirely on me. I suppose I was so focused on exploring adopted identity from the POV of an Asian person in a white family that I completely did not think of this.

I think it does raise the question: why did they adopt from Korea, then? Adoption from China is a can of worms, especially since the last couple of years, but in the end, it doesn't mean Tina's parents would HAVE to adopt from China if one's Chinese. But it might have been easier. I don't know. Again, can of worms.

But hey, that is not how it goes in the Dancin' on the bamboo ceiling series, and whereas it may have made more sense in the glee canon, it is still the glee canon, and there's also nothing within said canon that contradicts what I have written now.

To quote Zach Woodlee: "But it's glee!"

*To add: I looked it up to be sure, and Mike's mom is the one who made the panda hair tea! As far as I am aware, that is just kinda bullshit? That being said, tea made from panda POOP is apparently a thing. The more you know.

And now, the weather: @quizasvivamos @coffeegleek @caramelcoffeeaddict @raenestee @tectonicduck 

@nightimedreamersworld @urban-sith @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @bookish-bogwitch

@that-disabled-princess @special-bc-ur-part-of-it @larkral @wellbelesbian​

@artsyunderstudy​ @facewithoutheart​ @shrekgogurt @rockitmans

@whatevertheweather @shame-is-a-wasted-emotion @esilher @kurtsascot @blackberrysummerblog 

@nightimedreamersghost @ivelovedhimthroughworse @thnxforknowingme @martsonmars

[tuiyla]

Ranking Once More, With Feeling songs

Eyyyy let’s go. Separating songs that were part of a medley, for the most part. Going out to @rachelberryy​​!

Not part of the ranking:

The Mustard: wouldn’t feel fair or necessary to include it in the list. Still, as well executed as the rest of them and a fun La La Land feel wayyyy before La La Land actually happened.

Bunnies: I find Anya to be ridiculously delightful, including the bunny running gag and this was a shocking but funny and appreciated interruption in the middle of I’ve Got a Theory. The rock opera was a fun genre to bring in and yeah, Anya’s just cool.

The Parking Ticket: again not necessary to include in the actual ranking but a fun background (foreground) moment. Man it really reminded me that basically all of these songs have a CXG “equivalent”.

Dawn’s Ballet: fully instrumental so excluded for that reason. But eyyy, Zach Woodlee! Even if we don’t see his face. Again proving that playing around with genres and committing fully to the musical episode is fun.

14. Dawn’s Lament

Despite technically ranking last I actually really like this short song. The fact that it’s so short is the only reason it’s so low but even in just two lines of lyrics I think it sums up Dawn’s angst and, well, lament really well and makes me wish she got a full feature. It’s my understanding that Michelle Trachtenberg asked not to sing too much so that’s understandable. But yeah, I think it’s good that she had this much, especially because, as I understand, despite Dawn’s behaviour being understandable she gets a lot of shit from the fandom.

13. What You Feel (+reprise)

Nothing against Hinton Battle who of course does an amazing job but the real strength of this episode is revelations about our beloved characters, not the monster of the week song. Not that this number isn’t as fun as the rest of the episode but it simply can’t compare to main cast’s solos, duets, and group numbers. The reprise shouting out the episode title is extra fun, though.

Best part: ironically in many ways, Dawn’s parts. Particularly “see, my sister’s the Slayer”

12. Something to Sing About

I feel like a lot would consider ranking this so low criminal. And in a way I do wish it could be higher but musically, I just don’t much vibe with it. I understand and appreciate the sentiment behind it, it’s a powerful scene and includes the big revelation about Buffy having been in heaven. The backup bit is amusing and Alyson Hannigan acts her butt off in the background as the reveal is going on but I simply can’t put it higher when I know this won’t be the song I listen to the most. I much, much prefer Buffy’s other solo. It’s also just, a bit long oops.

Best part: Musically, the beginning, but thematically probably Spike’s ending verse.

11. Where Do We Go From Here

I’m not sure how to justify ranking this above the previous one. I guess I’m just a sucker for group numbers and I think it has the appropriate balance of drama and levity. It feels a bit funky that Sweet leaves and yet they sing this afterward but whatever.

Best part: Giles’ solo line: The battle's done and we kind of won

10. Coda

As you’ll see further down this list I love a good reprise and this mash-up of Buffy and Spike songs only to culminate in the first step towards their relationship, it’s really chef’s kiss. Very very brief and closes by going back to the previous song but still, a good coda.

9. I’ll Never Tell

This is pure fun for Anya and Xander and a great performance. Harsher in hindsight, now that I’ve seen Xander leave Anya at the altar. But I keep being a sucker for Anya shenanigans in particular and this was very fun as that. I don’t care for all the lines but I appreciate all the effort that went into this number in particular.

Best part: His eyes are beady!

8. If We’re Together

It’s heartfelt and maybe a bit cheesy but hey, I love cheese and the power of love, found family and all that. It fits BtVS to have something like this, it simultaneously makes fun of the show and also emphasizes that yeah, this is the strength of the Scoobies. I also enjoy the double meaning behind Buffy’s what does it matter lines. We support our girl in her depression era.

Best part: Hey, I’ve died twice

7. I’ve Got a Theory

This is just that quintessential first group number with the lighter tone and everyone involved. It feels different enough to separate from If We’re Together and slightly ranking above it for the fun factor, including Xander’s ramble about witches. Points for being the song with the most Willow in it

Best part: Honestly, Xander’s ramble.

6. Under Your Spell

I kinda wish I could rank this higher. And it is good! It begins a new tier on our list and there’s much to appreciate. Amber Benson’s voice (even though I would prefer more chest voice but shhh okay okay) and the fairy tale vibes, and just the fact that the big love song went to the lesbian couple. The sentiment is lovely even with the darker undertone of Willow’s literal spell from the previous episode, but more on that in a bit. It feels apt to give Tara, usually a quiet and reserved ch a solo in the musical episode to express her feelings fully. I’m in awe that this was on television in 2001 and was quite shocked that they went there at the end lol. What do you know, they sure had the cojones and I appreciate that.

Best part: as cheesy as it is, the willow tree line

5. Rest in Peace

I debated putting this below Under Your Spell but I gotta appreciate the rock vibes, the angst, and the sheer over the top poetry of it. It’s really the perfect song for Spike and as much as I think the metaphors and puns are over the top, again it just fits him. Plus, I have to admit, it’s just more fun to listen to than Tara’s solo (still with love to her of course). God Spike would make such a dramatic lesbian.

Best part: If my heart could beat it would break my chest

4. Standing

Anthony Stewart Head really went for it and this song was perfect for both his voice and Giles’ character. I do think the sentiment felt a bit, hmm, off, but that’s a convo for another day. Giles’ fatherly love for Buffy is the very DNA of this series and him realizing that he has to let Buffy go, just after getting her back, hits all the right emotional places. If we had to let go of ASH, as a main cast member at least, this was as good a sendoff as we could get. Also curious that this is the only song that seems to be in just once of the characters’ head? Whatever, it’s musical logic.

Best part: the way he delivers Wish I could slay your demons

3. Under Your Spell/Standing Reprise

Ohh okay, so yeah I love an apt reprise and this mashup was incredibly powerful. Under Your Spell gains its darker meaning as Tara realizes what the audience had known and to parallel her sense of betrayal and, though it will take her another episode to truly admit, realization with Giles’ is so cool. To parallel a young woman’s queer love for her girlfriend with a middle aged man’s for his daughter figure. For both to realize, albeit for vastly different reasons, that they can’t be the ones helping their loved ones anymore. For Giles, it’s to help Buffy grow. For Tara, it’s the realization that she can’t, even inadvertently, continue enabling Willow. It’s such a cool thematic concept and executed beautifully musically, and cinematically as we see the shot of Buffy and Willow talking, ignorant the difficult decisions their loved ones are making. Well done, show.

Best part: Wish I could stay (but they can’t. and doesn’t that just break your heart?)

2. Walk Through the Fire

Here we go, the best group number of the bunch even though the other ones all have their strengths. It combines so many excellent parts. Buffy’s depression, even Going Through the Motions making a brief return. The Scoobies’ realization that yeah, they should help. Spike’s own realization that he’ll always come back to Buffy’s aid. The ‘villain’ parts. ASH once again delivering his solo bits very well, particularly the Dawn line. Beady-eyes is right, we’re needed! It combines funny and deep and heartfelt and really, that sums up the show well. Plus yeah, the small reprises.

Best part: I think this line's mostly filler. Pls, that’s too funny.

1. Going Through the Motions

Okay listen at first I was like, can I? Can I actually rank this first? But why not. What an excellent song to start us off with. A few minutes into the episode and this already had me so hyped. The composition, the flow, how fun the demons are in this, Buffy’s attitude, SMG’s voice to be honest. The fact that this is her I want song! The very first song! This is just such a fun and yet meaningful song. It’s funny how SMG turns inexplicably British in it (heaRt has an R, surely) but I don’t care, she does a great job and this song really embodies my love for season 6 Buffy. So good!

Best part: How can I repay...? Whatever. This was SO funny. The rhymes throughout the episode can be a little too simple but when they work they just work.

So that would be the list, hope I didn’t shock and upset anybody. I knew going into this that people heralded Buffy’s musical episode as not only an OG but one of the, if not the ultimate best and you know what, yeah. And if anything it really proved to me that jukebox musicals are not where it’s at - if you’re gonna do a musical, put your whole pussy into it. Write those original songs! Make them relate to the characters and reveal interesting things about them. That’s the whole point and it’s why, though the villain song was fun, others were far superior. Not that I didn’t love this series before but Once More, With Feeling well and truly cemented my love for BtVS.

[spaceorphan18]

And Here's What You Really Missed : Heather Morris Interview and Preggers Recap

Okay... so I'm very behind on all of these podcasts, I'll probably be doing these two at a time since it takes a while to listen and write up notes.

Also... you guys, I've been labeling the show wrong this whole time. It's -- And That's What You Really Missed. Ah well, it's fine, that way no one from the show can find it when it's googled.

***

Heather Morris Interview -

Discussion about how she came to the show - worked for Beyonce, and Zach Woodlee (Glee's Choreographer) had her come on to help teach the Single Ladies dance. Never had an audition with RM because it was cancelled twice, and was more or less just incorporated into the show.

Discussion about her first day - and how she essentially pooped her pants on her way to the show, and threw her dirty panties outside her car window and kept going.

Mentions that Heather's inspiration for Brittany came from a character from Mean Girls.

Discussion about her eating disorder, and how Naya was the only person who reached out to her.

(Lots of discussion around Naya, and the gratefulness about how she was able to speak her mind.)

Discussion about her family life and how they shaped her and her work ethic. She works hard, but keeps her head low and tries to stay out of things (almost to a fault).

Discussion about how fame was really hard -- she had put in the work to be famous, but once there, wanted to go back to being private. (They discuss how the attention thrown on her was a lot like how it was with Chris -- and how Heather is a very private person who had a hard time with being a public figure.

Discussion about how hard the show was to do -- and how tiring. They recall a time during Rocky Horror where it was 1am, and Heather wasn't well -- and Kevin surmised that if Heather isn't well, than none of them were.

Discussion about mental health - and Heather going to therapy (I do appreciate the positivity surrounding the subject).

Discussion about being pregnant while on the show -- more or less, that it was crazy that she had to do it, and she also had to fight to get off the show for the end of her pregnancy.

Discussion on various reality shows they've all been on - The Masked Dancer (which Heather won), RuPaul's Drag Race (which Kevin and Jenna were one), and a mild shade at Dancing with the Stars - where Heather didn't get far, but also got a lot of flack about because she was a professional dancer.

Heather's favorite numbers: U Can't Touch This (it was fun!), River Deep Mountain High, Jump (though apparently Jump was the worst because it was so hot.

Least favorite: Hello Goodbye (Because you shouldn't touch classics) and Bad Romance (the costume was the worst.)

She talked about how working with Naya was amazing, and it was always a treat get to listen to hear her sing.

And... that's pretty much it. It was a lot of stream of conscious discussions. They didn't really dig in deep to any of the topics, but kind of let the conversation flow somewhat naturally.

***

Preggers Recap -

The fact that I just listened to this podcast and don't have a lot of firm moments probably says something. It's a lot of gushing and a lot of just recapping the plot - and Kevin and Jenna are cute, but not much noteworthy.

They break the plot down into three parts -

Babygate - the part that's a majority of the episode, but they don't have a lot to say about it - other than they think Terri is a horror movie character (she is - now that I think about it). Also the line from Kendra about the baby being black is a nod to Jessilyn Gelsig's character from Niptuck.

Beyonce Gate - they discuss a bit about the Single Ladies dance, and Jenna talks a little about having to put that together. They mention Chris changing the costume to be more Kurt-like (which, hilariously, is a well known story around these parts). Also - the slap to Tina's butt was an improv.

They both have a lot of affection for the story line (me, too!) - even if it is campy. They really praise Mike O'Malley's Burt - who keeps it real and honest among a show full of crazy people.

They text Ryan to ask him if Kurt's coming out was based on his life. Ryan says no -- it's what he wish had happened. Which I think is fascinatingly insightful. Kevin and Jenna go into a discussion about how the show represents idyllic situations as a way to show positivity for the gay community. Jenna also likened it to wanting to see more positive adoption stories - since she is adopted, and things she sees in media are always negative.

Sue's story - They talk about Lea wanting to have a Celine Dion song, and getting one. Jenna was also asking for Celine Dion songs, but didn't really get to do one. (There was also a story about how Lea asked for a Celine song, and was given the wrong one -- I'm so curious as to what this was.) Also, Jenna shares a few stories that I think they talked about on their Showmance podcast -- the first being her dislike of the spider necklace because she doesn't like spiders and the second being Matt's advice on not doing theater acting for the camera.

They also discuss Tonight - and how it's going to be a running gag that Tina doesn't get songs. (Jenna jokes - with some truth behind it - that Tina's lack of things to do is what made her crack.)

Cringiest Moment: All of Sandy and Figgins commercial for the socks.

Worst dance move: none. Everyone was awesome.

Best Song: Single Ladies

Best Line: My body is like a rum chocolate souffle... ;)

Best performance by a prop: the spider necklace

Things that didn't age well: The quote about the baby being black.

Things that did age well: Burt coming home to watch deadliest catch.

Shit we found on TikTok: They talk about the recaps of their podcast on TikTok and do a couple of shoutouts. They also acknowledge the plot hole (?) about Karofsky being on the hockey team and football team. So - they have a voice message from Max Adler - who talks about coming in originally for a one time thing being a hockey player. And when they called him back - they had to make him a football player.

(Omg - so, not only does Kevin peruse TikTok all the time for Glee content, but he's asking people to send him stuff, too. I am /so/ glad I'm not on TikTok -- I just would never want anyone from the show to see my content. Eesh.)

[bowtiesnmusicals]

Here is my recap of Slush Fund (Mash-Off).

I am skipping the Drag Race episode. If you want me to do a recap I will but I really just wanted to do the Glee related episode. I know I also skipped the Snixxmas and Darren's Christmas episodes. I can go back and do these if anyone wants me too. I just figured most people bought tickets to watch the live version of Snixxmas and there were other posts about Darren's Christmas episode.

Anyways, now I will actually start the recap.

There are no actual mashups in this episode. Well not song wise anyways.

Matt, Lea, and Cory were on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. This was the first glee magazine cover.

It was announced Johnathan Groff would be doing a couple of episodes. Jenna said he's the nicest person in Hollywood.

The number 1 movie at the time was Paranormal Activity. Lea forced Kevin to watch it. She had a movie night at her house. Jenna opted out because she doesn't like scary movies. Chris might have been there. Actually they aren't sure if Jenna was there.

Austin has taught Kevin to appreciate scary movies.

The day after this episode aired Neil Diamond tweeted Mark. It was the first time an artist reached out after their song was covered.

Jayma sings for the first time in this episode.

Kevin likens Rachel and Puck to when Rachel and Joey dated on Friends. It's just weird.

Kevin says the Thong Song is a classic.

This episode is a lot of cringey Shue. It feels like Acafella's part 2. We see a lot of the adults in this episode. Many boundaries are being crossed.

Mr. Shue doing Bust A Move is also weird. He unbuttons his shirt and touches students faces. It's just a really weird number.

Everybody is getting slushied in this episode. This is where Karofsky says he is on the hockey team.

Lots of tracking shots of slushy cups.

Amber improved the not my weave line.

This episode was the start of the fake slushies. They used it because it was faster to reset and easier to clean up. It did not look as good as using a real slushy.

Everyone had a great time doing Bust A Move because they didn't really have to do anything.

Matt had to do a lot this episode.

Kevin had a teacher that taught him how to fake play the bass.

At the time they didn't see Bust A Move as cringe. They saw Matt as a friend. Whereas fans saw Mr. Shue as a teacher and that made it weird and not appropriate.

When Quinn and Finn get slushied a football player slips in the slushy at the end of the scene.

Jenna and Kevin watched Chris slushy himself. He asked them not to laugh because they only really had one take to get it right. The slushy went all behind him and on the light and got Lea.

Kevin points out Chris' amazing in that scene and Jenna says that's why he is a Golden Globe winner.

Kevin and Jenna vividly remember filming when they slushied Mr. Shue.

This is the first time we see Quinn in regular clothes. Quinn's clothes subtly mirrored what Dianna wore in real life.

You can see the plastic they had on the floor when the slushy Mr. Shue. Matt was actually really nervous. As of this episode 12 slushies was the most anyone had been slushied with but Kevin would soon break that record.

Kevin and Jenna purposely kept it quiet that Tina and Artie had never been slushied. Someone ratted out Kevin.

Kevin quite literally got the Superbowl of slushies.

Will and Emma talking about the mash up's really shows their characters perspectives.

Sue goes on a tirade this episode.

It was nice seeing Sue vulnerable but it was also a bit uncomfortable.

Zach Woodlee the choreographer was put through the ringer in this episode. Brooke the assistant choreographer really came in handy this episode.

Some of the Glee dancers are in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Also Jane is in this show.

The Puck and Rachel storyline makes Kevin really uncomfortable.

The dream montage was really good. Puck and Rachel were funny together.

Jenna didn't have Joey and Rachel on friends. She didn't want them to end up together. She thought it was weird to already be mixing and matching since we hadn't really seen much of Rachel and Finn at this point.

Jenna and Kevin forgot about What A Girl Wants.

Neil Diamond loved glee's cover of Sweet Caroline.

It was a fun number to shoot.

Kevin, Amber, and Jenna recorded the background vocals. to Sweet Caroline.

At some point the cast stopped recording the background vocals would have to learn the song the same day as they performed it.

This is not Kevin and Jenna's favorite episode.

Gold star to Matt for working his ass of in this episode.

Tartie Takes:

Cringe Moment - The whole entire episode.

Worst Dance Move - Thong Song

Favorite Dance - Sing Sing (Jane had a blast doing it.)

Best Song - Sweet Caroline

Best Performance By A Prop - Slushy

Flight of the Bumblebee playing during the slushy montage was brilliant.

Things That Didn't Age Well - Finn's line about a zombie virus.

Best Line - I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. Then on some dark cold night I will steal way into your home and punch you in the face. (This is Kevin's favorite line of the entire show.) Shue's reply is also great. Didn't work out with Rod. Also Emma's quote about Ken convincing her to be in the same room when the marriage is certified.

Fun Fact - They used something like a karate dummy to practice with the slushies. Apparently you can see it during their Oprah episode.

Shit We Found On Tiktok

Kristen Chenoweth made a Glee tiktok. April Rhodes to the students of McKinley and she signs popular. It was really cute.

Someone found a mistake in this episode. During Sweet Caroline when they are clapping at the end of the performance its the same shot twice.

Someone made an incredible tiktok of a shot of the cast of Riverdale watching something on a laptop and it cuts to Bust A Move.

Next up is Wheels!

[sillyname30]

I just listened to the latest episode of and that's what you really missed on Glee. Grant Gustin was a nice surprise. I thought there would be two other guests before him.

They talked about his life as a dad, his upcoming Broadway debut, The Flash and of course Glee.

Kevin said Grant became a member of their Glee family very very quickly. Later in the episode Kevin said about bringing new people in that they had a trial run with Darren and Chord and it worked so well and they loved them and they were okay. (Not the impression I got from the recap episodes. They say they love Chord all the time, but there is barely a word about Darren.)

I Want You Back was Grant's favourite thing to record and it's not in the episode. Past the lunch for the turn around one of the regulars was not still at work. Somebody went home. A stand-in was put it the wardrobe and it's very obvious.(Maybe Darren? He was preparing at that time for his Broadway debut in How to Succeed and probably was busy with that.)

There was no rehearsal or choreography for Smooth Criminal and it was done pretty quickly. It was the least interesting filming day and also like the most exciting. Grant was very intimitated by Naya and thought she was really cool and really talented and he couldn't believe he got to work with her.

Jenna asked about the musical episode of The Flash which she hasn't seen. (Earlier Jenna and Kevin said they are big fans of The Flash). Melissa was in the episode. They hadn't worked together on Glee, but they shared Glee stories. Then Darren came in and Zach Woodlee choreographed it. So it was a weird experience.

[rkrispyt]

I need suggestions!

I’m making a list of iconic dances from films, tv shows, music videos etc. to start learning as part of this project (I may only end up doing a one minute-ish bit of it in the end, we’ll see).

Below is what I’ve got so far - would love love love suggestions of things to add!

Rumor Has It/Someone Like You (Glee)

Something In The Air (High School Musical the Musical the Series)

Dirty Pop (*NSYNC)

Disco Inferno (Glee)

Say A Little Prayer (Glee)

Single Ladies (Beyoncé)

Halo/Walking On Sunshine (Glee)

We’re All In This Together (High School Musical)

Thriller (Michael Jackson)

Tik Tok (Glee)

Light Up The World (Glee)

Raise Your Glass (Glee)

The Rockefeller Skank (She’s All That)

Run the World (Glee)

Survivor/I Will Survive (Glee)

You Drive Me Crazy (Britney Spears)

Rhythm Nation (Janet Jackson)

Come On Over (Xtina)

Cold Hearted Snake (Paula Abdul)

Stick to the Status Quo (High School Musical)

Work It Out (High School Musical 2)

Getcha Head In the Game (High School Musical)

Born To Be Brave (High School Musical the Musical the Series)

Brave (Sara Bareilles)

Truth, Justice, and Songs In Our Key (High School Musical the Musical the Series)

1-2-3 (High School Musical the Musical the Series)

Ain’t Seen Nothin’ (High School Musical the Musical the Series)

Sometimes (Britney Spears)

Promise of A New Day (Paula Abdul)

Amber Riley’s freestyle (Dancing With the Stars)

And You Don’t Even Know It (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)

We Got The Beat (Head Over Heels)

Oops…I Did It Again (Britney Spears)

Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)

The Sign (Pitch Perfect)

?Maybe also:

Bust Your Windows (Glee)

Another One Bites The Dust (Glee)

Baby One More Timr (Britney Spears)

River Deep, Mountain High (Glee/Glee Concert)

Loser Like Me (Glee)

Boogie Shoes (Glee)

Bop to the Top (High School Musical)

[chriscolfernews]

msamberpriley I love these Gleeple 💜 see you all in another couple of years 😂😘

[nomatterifyoureblackorwhite]

Glee BTS » Wheels

[jordancat]

Glee- Make ‘Em Laugh - https://youtu.be/qum4nbN_vz0

[cc-still-going-strong]

contribute-a-verse:

Favourite Glee Cast/Crew Quotes About Chris Colfer PART 19 / 19 : ZACH WOODLEE (Glee’s Choreographer)

“Chris is amazing. I think he puts his own thing into everything, which is what makes him so lovable. I had nothing to do with any of that. You can’t teach that.”

I always like this guy

[bowtiesnmusicals]

Here is my recap of the So Much We Didn’t See (Laryngitis) episode of the podcast.

This episode on May 11 2010.

They had to really rack their brains to remember what happened in the real world the week the episode aired.

They were about to start their first tour.

They were in Phoenix Arizona. It was hot as hell.

It was Kevin’s first time in two gay bars. Jenna went to one of them.

Zach Woodlee and Kevin got invited to a back room at one of them and got to try expensive Tequila. Kevin thought it tasted like lighter fluid.

At one of the clubs it was announced that the cast of glee was there. They ran out of there so quickly. It was Kevin, Chris, Telly, and Megan. Kevin said where’s Chris, get Chris out of here.

Kevin was not closeted to the cast that played the kids. By the time they out to LA Jane Lynch came up to Kevin and said I heard you are a little gay boy. Kevin turned bright red. He didn’t want anyone else to know.

For this tour Phoenix was where they were working out what the show was going to be because there was debate if they would be in character the whole time. During the first show there wasn’t a lot of consistency. Sometimes they would refer to each other by their real names and others by their characters names. Kevin was in his chair the whole time so he was basically always Artie. They didn’t quite know what they were doing yet.

The people running the tour thought it would be like One Direction and everyone would go crazy. They would get respectful applause between numbers and then after the show everyone went crazy. The demographics were way off from what the tour promoters thought it would be because it wasn’t just teens. It was teens, younger children up through grandparents. People reacted like they were watching a theatre show and not a concert. They had to have a meeting to dissect what was going on. They figured out that because they were doing so many skits that it felt more like a theatre show. They added more bits of crowd participation to make it feel more like a concert.

Kevin took it very personally.

It was a new format for a tv show to go on tour. The only thing they had to go off before this was High School Musical which was a different demographic.

May 11 is Cory’s birthday and Jenna’s dad’s birthday. Her mom’s birthday is the same as Lea. Kevin’s mom has the same birthday as Ryan.

The tour was a hit after they figured things out. It’s as an experiment. They filmed at Radio City and we never saw it. Kevin said they have to text Ryan to see if he still has it.

The Fox execs fessed up that it was sort of like a pilot program. If it did well then they would do an even bigger tour the next year.

The #1 song was Nothin’ On You by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars.

The #1 movie was Iron Man 2 with their future friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

On this day in 2009 the Glee cast attended their season 1 premiere screening event at Santa Monica High School.

Within a year they were selling out Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Kevin said the first tour was fun.

A restaurant was rented out for the cast and crew the day after the Radio City show. They went buck wild dancing on tables.

This episode was special for many reason.

Naya is progressively singing more and more and more in the back 9 episodes of the season. The creative team was starting to recognize how damn good she was at everything.

This episode is a perfect example of what Ryan said about it was so special that they got to spend so much time between scenes and he got to know them. This episode is a product of that. They also had time to bond with one of the directors, Alfonso.

Alfonso has also done a lot of directing for American Horror Story.

Kevin can do a great Alfonso impression. It’s the only one he can do. Well he can do Ryan too.

Zack Weinstein was a very special guest star.

Mike O’Malley and Ashley Fink are also in this episode.

Unfortunately there is no Jessalyn or Jayma in this episode.

The songs in this episode are Jesse’s Girl, Lady Is A Tramp (Kevin didn’t know this was from a Broadway show. He thought it was like a Frank Sinatra song. Jenna said that is fair because they did make it sound like a Frank Sinatra song or cover), The Boy Is Mine, Rose’s Turn, and One (The cover with Mary J. Bilge. Kevin was sad he didn’t get to sing on this song).

Rachel gets laryngitis, Kurt changes his persona to try to impress his dad, and Puck tries to regain his social status by dating Mercedes after shaving his mohawk. Mark was sick of it by this point. It made him super easy to spot out in the real world.

On the waste management sign on the trash can Puck gets thrown into there is a misspelling.

Puck tries to go after Mercedes and says many many offensive things. On the flip side Mark go to be very funny in this episode. It was something we didn’t get to see a lot of and Jenna said he was very funny.

Quinn gives Mercedes a heads up about being more worried about Santana going after Mercedes for going after her man.

Kevin said you need to go watch some bootlegs of the tour especially The Boy Is Mine.

Somehow when they were sitting around between takes they would have their directors/cast chairs in a circle in the middle of the soundstage. At some point Naya started doing a Monica impression which involved a lot of neck movement, neck bobbing, and hair moving. It was an incredible spot on impression. This probably happening during Madonna. Ryan would just appear out of nowhere and ask what they were laughing at and they would tell Naya to do the impression. Kevin said it felt like a coup and they tricked Ryan into doing something they wanted to do. You just have to make Ryan think it’s his idea.

After Naya recorded it she said Adam wouldn’t let her do the full impression. She definitely got a lot of it in there though.

There is a shot where Naya is at the piano and when she leaves she does this neck thing and that was part of the impression she would do for the cast.

Kevin discovered when he was looking this episode up he found that Naya does the full Monica impression on the tour.

Needless to say they were so excited to get to do The Boy Is Mine.

Puck at some point when trying to woo Mercedes says Blacks and Jews have a history of sticking up for each other. Wikipedia says King Martin Luther loved the Jews. He also mentions joining a Black church. It’s so very cringy and inappropriate.

Lea has a thing where she bad sings. Because she has such a phenomenal voice the juxtaposition of her bad singing is so good it’s cringing, off key, and piercing but so freaking funny. They would ask her to do it all the time on set between takes. She had the ability to get just off key enough that you are like oh god. They made her do it for Ryan and he laughed. The face she performs The Climb with is the one she uses when she does her bad singing. It’s like she’s not aware but she knows something is wrong. She did it live because it wasn’t a recordable thing. She has an earwig in her ear and you can see it. It was so she could keep time and keep the track.

She was singing and there was no music. They rest of the cast and to sit it he choir room in silence. They ere all trying to keep it together but it was so hard. Jenna was crying just thinking about it. There is a shot of Kevin before she starts singing and he’s already laughing. He’s doing his frowny face and turned away from her because he knew what was coming.

Lea was like guys you’ve got to stop laughing, I’ve got to get this done because they were making her laugh. The only way for them to not laugh was to make confused faces. Harry’s face was phenomenal. Nothing has ever made Kevin laugh harder then when Lea did her bad singing. Kevin texted her once and asked her do it on her phone for him.

Back to the episode recap. Rachel realizes that some of the glee club isn’t pulling their weight. She bribes Zizes with candy to but the choir room.

Ryan confirmed that Jesse was named Jesse so that Finn could sing Jesse’s Girl. This is Finn’s Don’t Rain On My Parade.

On the second tour the girls had a quick change room under the stage. Somehow along the way it turned into the girls pole dancing and stripping as they changed. Kevin heard about it and he would see them doing full strip tease. This would happen during Jesse’s Girl.

On one of the tours Jenna peed in a bucket.

Jesse’s Girl became an iconic number.

Rachel loses her mind and loses her will to live. She’s told she has to have surgery which is a scary thing when you are a singer.

Finn takes Rachel to see friend Sean Fretthold who is paralyzed. The actor who plays him, Zack, is paralyzed from the waist down.

When Rachel was crying in the scenes with him Lea was really crying.

Alfonso did an amazing job with these scenes.

There was an NPR article on Zack that came out the day the episode aired .He didn’t say anything bad about Kevin but said their should be more opportunities for actors that are disabled.

I’m like Tinkerbelle I need applause to live is probably one of the best lines of the show. It’s so funny.

This is when Finn decides Rachel needs some perspective.

Kevin said they were dressed like a Gap ad during One. This was a Zach Woodlee this is our Gap ad moment.

Poor Alfonso, they tortured this port guy. They could not control themselves during the serious numbers. The more serious it was the more they would laugh. Fix You was the worst. According to Kevin it was embarrassing.

The other thing that is happening in this episode is Kurt.

The assignment of the week is for everyone to find their voice. This gives us a lot of great solos.

Kurt is really threatened by what is going on with Burt and Finn. Burt takes Finn to a lot of sports ball games as Kevin put it.

Sue asks Kurt how does he know he’s gay. Have you ever kissed a boy, have you kissed a girl? That’s the problem with your generation you are obsessed with labels. Say you like show tunes that doesn’t mean you are gay, means your awful. Another funny Sue line.

This leads Kurt to go on a John Mellencamp trip and wearing flannel. Burt just goes with it. Kurt sings Ain’t That America.

The scene where Kurt is making out with Brittany and Burt comes down. Burt says, when you decided you let me know. It’s always so poignant and impactful. The show constantly constantly is going high low. You have Kurt and Brittany being silly and then a very touching grounded scene with Burt. The show is constantly swinging back and forth between those highs and lows. You get those beautiful grounded moments and silly weird moments all in one scene.

This eventually leads to Rose’s Turn. Kevin has pictures of when Kurt’s name was in lights. It was a phenomenal performance. Chris slayed. He was nominated for an Emmy for this performance. He didn’t win but it’s fine he won a Golden Globe.

Burt gets to see him perform this and we get that moment of you don’t need to change who you are to make me love you.

Chris wanted this song so badly. He had been pitching this song so hard. Kevin didn’t know any of this and of course didn’t know the song because he didn’t know Broadway when he started Glee.

It’s an iconic song. It was brilliant and it was amazing he got a sign kind of like Roxy Hart in Chicago. They also changed the lyrics.

Jenna was blown away and so happy for him. Chris was so excited to do it.

They got to watch him do the number. Kevin and Jenna said Chris has never sounded better.

Billy Porter sang it during a commercial break for the Tony’s. It’s unbelievable.

This episode was a lot of Ryan listening and giving everyone what they wanted.

Tartie Takes:

Ouchies/Cringe Moments - Puck referring to Mercedes as black girl several times. Kevin said specifically said when Puck says girl you’ve got more curves then a Nissan ad.

Best Dance Move - Naya head bob for Monica in The Boy Is Mine

Best Song - Kevin: The Boy Is Mine Jenna: Jesse’s Girl

Best Performance by a Prop - Kurt in lights on the stage.

Best Line - Jenna: I’m like Tinkerbelle Finn I need applause to live. Kevin: show you like show tunes doens’t mean your gay it just means your awful and also when she says I checked out of this conversation a minute ago, I have to remind myself to not stop and talk with students. Even when she’s not really in an episode she’s in an episode. She shows up says the greatest shit ever heard and gets the hell out.

The Shit We Found On TikTok:

There is a TikTok that ranks the songs of every episode. For Laryngitis they got the top three correct. They ranked The Climb last. Rose’s Turn is somewhere in the middle. The Boy Is Mine was number 1 on their ranking.

Next week is Dream On…it’s like Wheels part 2. They are both excited to watch it.

[sillyname30]

I agree that Mia would have an interesting perspective, certainly more so than random tiktokers who artists who had one their songs by Glee. Also she was actually a fan of the show even before Darren got cast and she rewatched it during the pandemic, which is more than you can say about a lot of these other guests. But there are soooo many crew members they could interview and just... don't, for whatever reason. I'm still waiting for Zach Woodlee.

I don't understand why they don't have crew members during the actors strike. Maybe some of them aren't comfortable to talk in a podcast. It's not for everyone. But still there must have been better guests than the musicians whose songs were covered and the fans.

As for Mia: I remembered she did an interview at TSG about the bar. So maybe she is willing to go on a podcast to talk about her work on Glee. It's unlikely, but it could happen.

[bestofgleecast]

[marauder-in-warblerland]

(Is it weird that I got really excited about Zach Woodlee choreographing a number for the flash/supergirl/epic glee reunion party spectacular?

Just me then? Fantastic.)