Glee cast to make Toronto debut
The young cast of hit TV show Glee hits the stage in Toronto this weekend for four sold-out performances, in their only Canadian appearance.
The 13 young actors who play members of a high school glee club are set to perform favourites from the show, including Toxic, My Life Would Suck Without You, It's My Life and the show's anthem, Don't Stop Believin'.
It's the second summer tour and first Canadian appearance for the cast of the wildly successful show, which includes Cory Monteith, a Vancouver actor who plays Finn, the football quarterback who is so often forced to be a leader when he doesn't want to be.
Matthew Morrison, the U.S. actor and former Broadway star who plays teacher Will Shuester (Mr. Shue) in the series, says he believes Glee is a show the world needed.
"I love it because you can have this fun campy episode, but at end of the episode a family can sit together and have intelligent conversation about bullying or gays in high school or teen pregnancy. We touch upon such great social issues," he said in a recent interview with CBC News.
Glee forged itself a reputation as gay-friendly in its first season, with story lines involving Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt, the out-of-the-closet gay teen who is bullied at school.
The singing-and-dancing fun of the TV show, and the torqued scripts, have the effect of making a tale about a group of misfits more palatable to teens and young adults.
"I think even if you're the most popular kid in school in high school, there is part of you that is insecure," Morrison said. "Everyone has insecurities and I think Glee touches upon all those insecurities. It really is for the outsider, which is everyone," he said.
The show draws adult viewers as well, he said, including parents watching with their kids and adults who enjoy seeing the old hits brought to life again.
Morrison is not touring with the Glee cast — he released a self-titled album of original songs this spring and is travelling separately to promote his album.
The 16 tour dates planned for 2011 followed a spectacularly successful summer tour in 2010. Lea Michele (Rachel), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Mark Salling (Puck), Dianna Agron (Quinn), Naya Rivera (Santana), Heather Morris (Brittany), Harry Shum Jr. (Mike), Chord Overstreet (Sam) and Darren Criss (Blaine) are all to appear on the Toronto stage.
All of the stars of Glee have gone from being relatively unknowns to having paparazzi follow their every move. It's disconcerting, Morrison said.
"Even Jane Lynch who's been in this business a lot longer than any of us, this is all new for her too, this kind of exposure, this kind of exposure, notoriety and fame," he said.
"So we've really kind of hunkered down became a family and really gone through these things together so we really lean on each other as well too."
There are two Glee concerts Saturday and two Sunday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.