Glee Live! Review: Your Can’t Miss Summer Concert Event

Maybe you’ve been a diehard fan since the pilot premiered. Maybe you were a little underwhelmed by season two. Maybe your playlist is dominated by their covers. Wherever you may fall in Glee fandom (or outside of it), can we just agree on one thing—this is the hardest working cast in show business.?

This spring the gang from McKinley High’s New Directions simultaneously shot on location in New York while prepping for their second live concert tour. They jumped straight from the set into rehearsals, and shortly after launched the U.S. leg of the tour, which will wrap in a few weeks. Then it’s off to Europe before landing back in L.A. and getting started on season three.

I caught last year’s tour at Radio City Musical Hall in New York, and I admit, they blew me away. The genuinely talented cast brought all of the energy from the first season to their live show, complete with pre-taped sketches featuring nonperforming cast members, a full suite of backup dancers, and special guest stars.

At the show I attended, Jonathan Groff joined Lea Michele on stage for a duet of “Hello” just before the cast came out for their encores. Glee Live is truly an experience crafted specifically for fans of the TV series. This sophomore outing is equally impressive, with the additions of new cast members Chord Overstreet, Ashley Fink and yes, even the gift that is Darren Criss and the Warblers, to the live show.

I’m always struck by how diverse the crowd is at a Glee event. There are  staple tweens, groups of twentysomething ex-high school drama geeks like my friend and me, middle aged couples, young couples, and whole families. After an entertaining, high concept performance from opening act The League of Extraordinary Dancers, people were primed for the main event. Let’s walk through it together before I share my thoughts.

The show opened with dancers dressed in Cheerios’ uniforms handing out barf bags to members of the audience, accompanied by a video announcement from Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) chastising the crowd for wasting their money on a show that’s so awful it’ll move them to vomit. Will (Matthew Morrison) eventually interrupted her hilarious tirade against the glee club and introduced the first number.

When that curtain went up and I heard the familiar beat of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”, something I can only describe as magic happened as those six original cast members stood with their backs to the audience. You know the song. Lead vocalists Cory Monteith and Lea Michele carried the song while each of the other seven cast members came out and struck a brief pose before joining their teammates. After a brief shout-out to birthday boy Kevin McHale, it was onto Florence & the Machine’s “Dog Days are Over” with Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley backed by the cast before segueing into “Sing”.

Throughout the show, short skits that are half video screen and half live cast interacting with the pre-taped segments break things up. The first featured Mr. Schuester trying to help Brittany (Heather Morris) overcome her stage fright by channeling her idol. What followed was an electric performance of “Slave 4 U”, with some of the best produced choreography to come out of Glee.

Thus begins our solo rounds with Mark Salling’s “Fat Bottomed Girls”, which started with him at a separate center stage in the audience before he navigated his way through the crowd where he joined Cory Monteith, on drums of course, on the main stage with the rest of the concert band. Kurt has never been my favorite character, but Chris Colfer’s tear-jerking rendition of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” could probably melt the coldest of hearts.

Amber Riley took the center stage, belting out “Ain’t No Way” and thanking the audience for coming out to support the show. Kevin McHale, who yes does perform all but one number in character in his wheel chair, was joined by Harry Shum Jr. and assorted backup dancers for “Pretty Young Thing”, followed by the cast, sans Lea, reuniting for the obligatory Gaga number “Born This Way”. They did in fact rock their episodic t-shirts for the number, including Santana’s “Lebanese” coming out statement. Then the absent Lea Michele returned to close out the first act with Katy Perry’s “Firework”, complete with a full suite of pyrotechnics that had most of the crowd up and dancing along.

Sue checked back in at this point, introducing the “equally ridiculously named” Warblers,  who performed in the audience for their interlude. Darren Criss and company belted and beat boxed their way through “Teenage Dream” and then braved the audience to get to the main stage during “Silly Love Songs” before capping it off with “Raise Your Glass”. If there was a moment I had to point out where things really got wild in the crowd, it was the first time you could see Criss and the blazered crew of the Warblers on stage. Probably the most inspired idea from the second season, even the unfamiliar Warblers ensemble members were nearly mobbed by the crowd in their floor seats. Fret not Warbler fanatics, Criss returned a little later.

Joining club members in a digital reproduction of the choir room, Finn (Monteith) announced it was time to work on duets and introduced Kurt and Rachel (Michele) seated on the center stage in the crowd for their mash-up “Happy Days/Get Happy” which was as flawlessly executed as you’d expect. Santana (Naya Rivera) mocked the duo while prepping her own duet, but was interrupted by Sam (Overstreet) and Quinn (Dianna Agron). Overstreet grabbed his guitar and the two performed their rendition of “Lucky”. Mercedes (Riley) interrupted Santana’s rant about this number, pulling her on stage for the jaw-dropping “River Deep, Mountain High”.

Our final interlude featured the incomparable Brittany S. Pierce, reminding us that last time she was on tour, she confessed her love for one Kurt Hummel, but was humiliated by his rejection. She’s ready to move onto someone new this time and called Blaine Warbler (Criss) to the stage. She asked him if he wants to make out, and he of course told her he’s taken when Kurt burst out causing an again humiliated Brittany to run backstage.

Kurt and Blaine’s exchange was short-lived and nearly incomprehensible due to the deafening screams anytime Criss moved, but the sketches add a nice break to the pacing of the show.

Monteith’s featured solo came next, the 80s cover “Jessie’s Girl”. Then, Naya Rivera and her swing-dancing backup team broke it down for “Valerie”, featuring dancing duo Shum Jr. and Morris again. The cast reunited and wrapped up the show with “Loser Like Me”, joined by Criss in plain clothes, which makes him nearly unrecognizable with the rest of the group. Conspicuously absent from the number was Ashley Fink.

After a short break the encores began with Kurt’s dance number set to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. He’s backed, of course, by the always impressive Morris and the surprisingly agile Ushkowitz, and several ensemble dancers. The way Colfer manages those moves is equally impressive, gyrating and bouncing with his Kurt-ettes like his life depended on it, causing a mixture of hilarity and awe, at least in my general section.

Back on the main stage, Artie wheeled out for “Safety Dance” and yes, finally jumps out of that chair and shows us some of his old boy-band skills. “Empire State of Mind” and “Somebody to Love” wrapped things up for the night, with more pyrotechnics and well wishes from the cast, who seem genuinely thankful and appreciative for fans who come out and support them doing what they love.

The positive energy and commitment to the art that Glee’s all about comes across exponentially when experiencing it live. It’s hard not to be moved in some way by the performances, and given the chance I don’t know many who’d turn down a shot to jump on stage with them and sing along. The hard work and effort that might steer others in the industry away from such a project seems to be what drives the cast and crew of Glee to do insane things like two live concert tours on their hiatus rather than breaking for separate projects or just to take time off.

As many critics of the series have said, Glee can sometimes come across as the Lea Michele show, with her perceived need for at least one full-blown solo act, if not more, an episode. This second tour outing is far from a one star show, finding a great balance between not only each of the featured singers, but group numbers, duets and solo acts as well.

Make no mistake, Michele is a standout performer even with her scaled down presence with the expanding cast. While she does sing lead on the first few numbers, her solo venture with “Firework” is one of the get-out-of-your seat moments of the show. I did once or twice find myself out of habit wondering why there wasn’t more Rachel Berry happening. No “Go Your Own Way”? No “What I Did For Love”? I have read that on other tour dates she adds an encore version of “Don’t Rain On My Parade”. Her pairings with Colfer are always a favorite of mine on the series and their concert duet was no exception, though I wished it had been their version of “For Good” from Wicked.

The way everyone, save Ashley Fink, got their featured moment in the spotlight really highlighted the talent of the ensemble. I’ve always been on Team Santana, being blown away by her breathy, belting performances on the show. I wish she’d gotten to pull out her recent Amy Winehouse cover “Back to Black”, but “Valerie” and her duet with Riley were both moments that had me dancing along with my friends.

Agron’s solo was a highlight, especially after being the only cast member not featured in such a moment during the last tour. Sure, her voice isn’t he powerhouse of some of her fellow castmates, but her quiet vulnerability is more than enough to entrance an audience.

If you get a chance to catch the show keep an eye out for Morris, who pops up in almost every number with the rest of the dancing ensemble. She somehow manages to bounce from the center stage in her “Single Ladies” outfit, to under the main stage for her costume change, and back up onto it for the next number without missing a beat.

My only real gripe was the massively underutilized Chord Overstreet, at least when it came time for solo features, not that I’m dying to see his Bieber renditions live. Sure, the show could stand to be a little longer than 90 minutes, but let’s not over do it. Also, who couldn’t use more Warblers? “Bills, Bills, Bills” anyone? I’d buy a ticket to an entire Warblers show though, so maybe not everyone feels this way.

For fans of the show, if Glee Live is coming to your city, the experience is completely worth it. When else can you get to see Cory Monteith’s awkwardly endearing attempts at dance moves live and in person? For those of you who haven’t had a chance to catch the live act, Fox has already announced a 3D feature version chronicling the tour to hit theaters at the end of the summer. While it will ultimately be less of an event than the live experience, checking out this tour is something fans of the show shouldn’t pass up.

For remaining tour date information, visit www.gleetour.com.

Glee Live! in 3D hits theatres August 12.

Images courtesy of Theo Wargo and Fox.