Audition (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Audition" is the second season
premiere
and 23rd episode overall of the American television series Glee
. The episode was written by Ian Brennan
, directed by Brad Falchuk
, and premiered on the Fox
network on September 21, 2010. In "Audition", the glee club members attempt to attract new recruits, including foreign exchange student
Sunshine Corazon (Charice) and transfer student Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
). A new football coach, Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones
), arrives at McKinley High, and school blogger Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
) provides updates on the glee club's summer break.
The episode features eight musical and dance performances, five of which were released as singles
, available for download
. Musical performances attracted mixed reviews from critics. Lea Michele
's rendition of "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line
was described by Robert Bianco of USA Today
as putting "every amateur musical performance on every TV talent show this year to shame", however Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
and ToddVanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
both found it incongruous in context. Charice's performances were well received by American and Filipino critics, and Alicia Keys
expressed approval of the Glee cast cover of "Empire State of Mind
".
"Audition" was watched by 12.45 million American viewers, and attained Glee series high Nielsen rating in the 18–34 demographic. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, with Entertainment Weekly
Tim Stack and Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
stating it had assuaged their fears of the show declining in quality in its second season. Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
and Rolling Stone
Erica Futterman both felt the show had returned to form following an increasingly disappointing first season. Several critics highlighted racial issues with the episode, with Fred Topel of Hollywood News describing a scene involving Sunshine as "downright racist", and Brittany Drye of The Stir additionally questioning the pairing of Asian characters Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz).
this year, they decide to perform "Empire State of Mind" (originally by Jay-Z
featuring Alicia Keys
) in the school courtyard, hoping to pique the interest of their schoolmates. Foreign exchange student Sunshine Corazon (Charice) from the Philippines and transfer student Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
) take notice and are intrigued by the performance. Club co-captain Rachel (Lea Michele
) later encounters Sunshine in the girls' bathroom, and they sing an impromptu duet of "Telephone
" by Lady Gaga
and Beyoncé
. Rachel is intimidated by her performance, and directs Sunshine to a crack house
instead of the auditorium in an attempt to sabotage her glee club audition. Rachel is reprimanded by glee club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) when this is discovered. Sunshine later auditions successfully, impressing the club members with her rendition of "Listen" from Dreamgirls
.
Co-captain Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) encourages Sam to audition after overhearing him singing "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
" by Poison
. In the choir room, Sam, Finn, Mike
(Harry Shum Jr.), Artie
(Kevin McHale), and Puck
(Mark Salling) sing Travie McCoy
's "Billionaire
" together. However, Sam declines to audition due to the low social status of the glee club members.
Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) is appointed as the new coach of McKinley High's failing football team, resulting in reductions to the glee and cheerleading budgets in favor of the football team. Will and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
) team up, hoping to drive Beiste out of the school and have their budgets restored. Amidst her scheming with Will, Sue also demotes Santana
(Naya Rivera
) from her position as head cheerleader after learning she has had breast implants, replacing her with Quinn
(Dianna Agron
). Artie, who is disabled, asks Finn to help him join the football team. He hopes to win back his girlfriend Tina
(Jenna Ushkowitz), who has broken up with him to date Mike. Beiste believes that Finn is colluding against her by forcing her to reject a wheelchair-dependent student, and drops Finn from the team, appointing Sam as the new quarterback. Will is unable to convince her to take Finn back, but realizes that his hostile behavior is hurting his new colleague. Later, he defends Beiste from a Sue-driven sexual harassment
accusation by Brittany
(Heather Morris), and apologizes, re-earning Sue's enmity.
Acting on her refuelled rivalry with Will, Sue contacts Dustin Goolsby (Cheyenne Jackson
), the new director of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Dustin is able to secure permanent US residency for Sunshine and her mother on the proviso that she joins his club. Sunshine confesses that she felt driven out of New Directions by Rachel's hostile behavior. After admitting that she values herself above the other club members, Rachel sings "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line
alone in the auditorium, before heading to the choir room to apologize.
As of "Audition", formerly recurring cast members Heather Morris and Naya Rivera were promoted to series regulars as cheerleaders and glee club members Brittany Pierce
and Santana Lopez respectively. The episode introduced four new cast members. Chord Overstreet
plays Sam Evans
, a recurring character who is initially an athletic protégé of glee club member Finn, but becomes his rival. Charice appears as Sunshine Corazon, a foreign exchange student and rival to Rachel. Charice was a fan of the show during its first season, and had her manager approach Murphy about casting her in season two. Dot-Marie Jones
was cast as football coach Shannon Beiste, replacing season one
cast member Patrick Gallagher
as Ken Tanaka. Cheyenne Jackson appears as Dustin Goolsby, the new director of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, replacing Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
). Jackson was originally considered for the role of Will, and in 2009 was cast in the Glee episode "Acafellas
" as Vocal Adrenaline choreographer Dakota Stanley, however was unable to perform due to illness. Murphy described Dustin as "a complete villain", stating that he will "become very intertwined in Will's life".
s of "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga's "Telephone" featuring Beyoncé, "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars
and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison. "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line, "Getting to Know You
" from The King and I, and "Listen" from the film adaptation of Dreamgirls were also performed vocally, while "The Power
" by Snap!
featured as a dance performance. All of the songs performed in the episode except "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "Getting to Know You" and "The Power" were released as singles, available for download, and "Empire State of Mind" and "Billionaire" are included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 4
. Following their release, over 250,000 Glee tracks were downloaded digitally within the first forty-eight hours, and over 409,000 within the first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan
. Additionally, "Empire State of Mind" saw the largest first-day sales for any Glee cover released to that point.
Musical performances in the episode attracted mixed reviews. USA Today
Robert Bianco deemed the highlight "What I Did for Love", writing that Michele's performance "puts every amateur musical performance on every TV talent show this year to shame." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
agreed that it was the best song of the episode, "done with smart aplomb [and] heart." In contrast, Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
called it a "non-sequitur song" which "seemed shoehorned in by Michele's agent", Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone deemed it touching but unmemorable, and Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club stated that it was "well-performed", however "so poorly chosen that an emotional moment becomes unintentionally hilarious."
VanDerWerff felt that there were "some odd song choices" throughout, particularly Overstreet's introductory number, which he called "adequate", observing however that it "doesn't do nearly as good a job at introducing his character" as Charice's "Listen". Entertainment Weekly Tim Stack graded the performance of "Listen" "A+", writing that he wanted to give it a standing ovation. Jacque Wilson of CNN
praised both of Charice's performances, hoping that she would reappear in the series, while Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star
discussed kababayan
reception of her role, writing that her singing was "drop-dead stunning" and that she "really made Filipinos proud."
MTV
's Kyle Anderson commented that the songs overall were "sharp and well-presented", highlighting the two hip-hop numbers for particular praise. Anderson felt that the choreography of "Empire State of Mind" compensated for any awkwardness in its delivery, and lauded McHale's "unusual swagger" during "Billionaire". Lisa de Moraes of the Washington Post deemed "Billionaire" the best performance of the episode, however felt that the "Empire State of Mind" performance was "maybe-trying-too-hard". Aly Semigran, also writing for MTV, felt it was lacking the gravitas of the original version, but reported that Keys had deemed the Glee cover "amazing".
, its closest competitor in the 8 pm timeslot, by 170 percent in the 18–49 demographic. In Australia, the episode drew 1.23 million viewers and was the seventh most-watched programme of the night. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.999 million viewers (2.486 million on E4, and 513,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the second most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as hitting a series high for the show.
praised the episode's musical numbers and Sue's lines, while Stack and Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post deemed the episode to have assuaged their worries about Glee experiencing a "sophomore slump", commenting positively on the opening scene which directly addressed criticism of the first season. Vanity Fair Brett Berk received the episode positively, despite having been disappointed with the second half of the first season, a sentiment shared by Futterman, who deemed "Audition" a "fresh start" after "a first season that devolved into a frenzy of too many songs and not enough long-term plot".
TV Guide
Matt Roush wrote that "Audition" was "far from [his] favorite episode", disliking the "cruelty and dirty tricks" employed by the characters, however commented "the moments that soar remind us why this is a genuine pop-culture phenom." James Poniewozik of Time
called it a "solid" episode, one which was "neither awful nor amazing", but set up promising storylines for the season ahead. He felt there were no stand out musical performances, but commented, "it gave the season some emotional grounding [...] It showed us a Glee that's not working double-time to give us everything we want all at once, and that's pretty much what I want from it." John Doyle of The Globe and Mail
wrote that, with "Audition", Glee had become formulaic, assessing that "Glee fanatics won't be disappointed. The rest of us are."
In an overall positive review of the episode, Hollywood News opined that the opening scenes which addressed fan criticisms were a little too harsh on the show's fictional characters, having gone overboard to the point of offensiveness. Writer Fred Topel highlighted as a concern the "downright racist" scene ten minutes into the show between Rachel and Sunshine which he could have "done without". Meghan Carlson of BuddyTV
also described Rachel's behaviour in the aforementioned scene as "totally, patronizingly racist". Writing for The Stir, Brittany Drye asked "Is Glee racist?", citing several moments in "Audition" which could be perceived as racist. She found the scene with Rachel screaming at Sunshine in the bathroom in broken English to be distasteful, and also highlighted the pairing of Tina and Mike (noting their shared surname, 'Chang') and the joke of Jacob assuming they are a couple because they are both Asian. However, Drye speculates that in attempting "self-aware racism" the show was intentionally trying to point out the inanity of racist beliefs, concluding that Glees self-awareness in this matter was its saving grace.
Glee (season 2)
The second season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
premiere
Season premiere
In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:...
and 23rd episode overall of the American television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. The episode was written by Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
, directed by Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
, and premiered on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on September 21, 2010. In "Audition", the glee club members attempt to attract new recruits, including foreign exchange student
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
Sunshine Corazon (Charice) and transfer student Sam Evans
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
(Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
). A new football coach, Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones
Dot Jones
Dorothy-Marie "Dot" Jones is an athlete and actress who has had multiple roles in television. She attended California State University, Fresno, where she set records for shot put. Jones is also a 15-time world arm wrestling champion...
), arrives at McKinley High, and school blogger Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman is an American actor, best known for his role as Hugh Normous in Wizards of Waverly Place and his role as Jacob Ben Israel in Glee.-Biography:Sussman grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey...
) provides updates on the glee club's summer break.
The episode features eight musical and dance performances, five of which were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. Musical performances attracted mixed reviews from critics. Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
's rendition of "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
was described by Robert Bianco of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
as putting "every amateur musical performance on every TV talent show this year to shame", however Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and ToddVanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
both found it incongruous in context. Charice's performances were well received by American and Filipino critics, and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
expressed approval of the Glee cast cover of "Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...
".
"Audition" was watched by 12.45 million American viewers, and attained Glee series high Nielsen rating in the 18–34 demographic. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Tim Stack and Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
stating it had assuaged their fears of the show declining in quality in its second season. Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Erica Futterman both felt the show had returned to form following an increasingly disappointing first season. Several critics highlighted racial issues with the episode, with Fred Topel of Hollywood News describing a scene involving Sunshine as "downright racist", and Brittany Drye of The Stir additionally questioning the pairing of Asian characters Mike Chang
Mike Chang
Michael "Mike" Chang, Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum, Jr., and has appeared on Glee since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
(Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr. is an American dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the FOX television show Glee. He has appeared in dance films such as Stomp the Yard, You Got Served, Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D...
) and Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz).
Plot
Following New Directions' loss at Regionals, the glee club members attempt to recruit new students to bolster their competition performances. Upon learning that Nationals will be held in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
this year, they decide to perform "Empire State of Mind" (originally by Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
featuring Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
) in the school courtyard, hoping to pique the interest of their schoolmates. Foreign exchange student Sunshine Corazon (Charice) from the Philippines and transfer student Sam Evans
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
(Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
) take notice and are intrigued by the performance. Club co-captain Rachel (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) later encounters Sunshine in the girls' bathroom, and they sing an impromptu duet of "Telephone
Telephone (song)
"Telephone" is a song written and performed by Lady Gaga. It was released from her third extended play and second major release The Fame Monster . The song, featuring American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, was written by Gaga and Rodney Jerkins...
" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. Rachel is intimidated by her performance, and directs Sunshine to a crack house
Crack house
Crack house is a term mainly used in the United States used to describe an old, often abandoned or burnt-out building often in an inner-city neighborhood where drug dealers and drug users buy, sell, produce, and use illegal drugs, including, but not limited to, crack cocaine.In the 1980s, inner...
instead of the auditorium in an attempt to sabotage her glee club audition. Rachel is reprimanded by glee club director Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) when this is discovered. Sunshine later auditions successfully, impressing the club members with her rendition of "Listen" from Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
.
Co-captain Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) encourages Sam to audition after overhearing him singing "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks . It was...
" by Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
. In the choir room, Sam, Finn, Mike
Mike Chang
Michael "Mike" Chang, Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum, Jr., and has appeared on Glee since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
(Harry Shum Jr.), Artie
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale), and Puck
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling) sing Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
's "Billionaire
Billionaire (song)
"Billionaire" is the debut single by American recording artist Travie McCoy, featuring guest vocals from Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from McCoy's debut studio album Lazarus. The song was produced by The Smeezingtons, which consists of Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine...
" together. However, Sam declines to audition due to the low social status of the glee club members.
Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) is appointed as the new coach of McKinley High's failing football team, resulting in reductions to the glee and cheerleading budgets in favor of the football team. Will and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
(Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
) team up, hoping to drive Beiste out of the school and have their budgets restored. Amidst her scheming with Will, Sue also demotes Santana
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) from her position as head cheerleader after learning she has had breast implants, replacing her with Quinn
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
). Artie, who is disabled, asks Finn to help him join the football team. He hopes to win back his girlfriend Tina
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz), who has broken up with him to date Mike. Beiste believes that Finn is colluding against her by forcing her to reject a wheelchair-dependent student, and drops Finn from the team, appointing Sam as the new quarterback. Will is unable to convince her to take Finn back, but realizes that his hostile behavior is hurting his new colleague. Later, he defends Beiste from a Sue-driven sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
accusation by Brittany
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris), and apologizes, re-earning Sue's enmity.
Acting on her refuelled rivalry with Will, Sue contacts Dustin Goolsby (Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
), the new director of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Dustin is able to secure permanent US residency for Sunshine and her mother on the proviso that she joins his club. Sunshine confesses that she felt driven out of New Directions by Rachel's hostile behavior. After admitting that she values herself above the other club members, Rachel sings "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
alone in the auditorium, before heading to the choir room to apologize.
Production
On January 11, 2010, Fox President Kevin Reilly announced that Glee had been picked up for a second season, and would be holding nationwide, open casting calls to fill three new roles. The auditions were intended to be the subject of a multi-part television special, which would air in the lead-in to the second season premiere, with the new cast members revealed in the first episode. Series creator Ryan Murphy stated that Glee aimed to become "the first interactive musical comedy on television." Ultimately, the reality show did not go ahead, due to Murphy's desire to concentrate on the main series and fear that the distraction of the reality show might damage Glee.As of "Audition", formerly recurring cast members Heather Morris and Naya Rivera were promoted to series regulars as cheerleaders and glee club members Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
and Santana Lopez respectively. The episode introduced four new cast members. Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
plays Sam Evans
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
, a recurring character who is initially an athletic protégé of glee club member Finn, but becomes his rival. Charice appears as Sunshine Corazon, a foreign exchange student and rival to Rachel. Charice was a fan of the show during its first season, and had her manager approach Murphy about casting her in season two. Dot-Marie Jones
Dot Jones
Dorothy-Marie "Dot" Jones is an athlete and actress who has had multiple roles in television. She attended California State University, Fresno, where she set records for shot put. Jones is also a 15-time world arm wrestling champion...
was cast as football coach Shannon Beiste, replacing season one
Glee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
cast member Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher (actor)
-Career:Gallagher is best known for his television roles as Det. Joe Finn in Da Vinci's Inquest, the alcohol salesman in Entourage, Leon in The Line, Farhod the Fierce in Pair of Kings, and Ken Tanaka in Glee, and his film roles as Awkward Davies in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World...
as Ken Tanaka. Cheyenne Jackson appears as Dustin Goolsby, the new director of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, replacing Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
). Jackson was originally considered for the role of Will, and in 2009 was cast in the Glee episode "Acafellas
Acafellas
"Acafellas" is the third episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on September 16, 2009. It was directed by John Scott and written by series creator Ryan Murphy...
" as Vocal Adrenaline choreographer Dakota Stanley, however was unable to perform due to illness. Murphy described Dustin as "a complete villain", stating that he will "become very intertwined in Will's life".
Music
The episode featured cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga's "Telephone" featuring Beyoncé, "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison. "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line, "Getting to Know You
Getting to Know You (song)
"Getting to Know You" is a show tune from the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. It was first sung by Gertrude Lawrence in the original Broadway production and later by Marni Nixon who dubbed for Deborah Kerr in the 1956 film adaptation...
" from The King and I, and "Listen" from the film adaptation of Dreamgirls were also performed vocally, while "The Power
The Power (Snap! song)
"The Power" is an electronic pop hit song by the German music group Snap! from their album World Power. It was released as a single in 1990 and reached No. 1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, as well as the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts...
" by Snap!
Snap!
Snap! is a German Eurodance project formed in 1989 by Frankfurt-based producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of line-up changes over the years, but was most successful when fronted by rapper Turbo B, who performed on the UK number 1 singles "The Power" and...
featured as a dance performance. All of the songs performed in the episode except "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "Getting to Know You" and "The Power" were released as singles, available for download, and "Empire State of Mind" and "Billionaire" are included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 4
Glee: The Music, Volume 4
Glee: The Music, Volume 4 is the fifth soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It was released on November 26, 2010, by Columbia Records and features cover version performances from the first half of the second season...
. Following their release, over 250,000 Glee tracks were downloaded digitally within the first forty-eight hours, and over 409,000 within the first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. Additionally, "Empire State of Mind" saw the largest first-day sales for any Glee cover released to that point.
Musical performances in the episode attracted mixed reviews. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Robert Bianco deemed the highlight "What I Did for Love", writing that Michele's performance "puts every amateur musical performance on every TV talent show this year to shame." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
agreed that it was the best song of the episode, "done with smart aplomb [and] heart." In contrast, Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called it a "non-sequitur song" which "seemed shoehorned in by Michele's agent", Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone deemed it touching but unmemorable, and Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club stated that it was "well-performed", however "so poorly chosen that an emotional moment becomes unintentionally hilarious."
VanDerWerff felt that there were "some odd song choices" throughout, particularly Overstreet's introductory number, which he called "adequate", observing however that it "doesn't do nearly as good a job at introducing his character" as Charice's "Listen". Entertainment Weekly Tim Stack graded the performance of "Listen" "A+", writing that he wanted to give it a standing ovation. Jacque Wilson of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
praised both of Charice's performances, hoping that she would reappear in the series, while Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star
The Philippine Star
The Philippine Star is a daily English-language broadsheet newspaper based in Manila and circulated nationwide in the Philippines. Owned and published by PhilSTAR Daily, Inc, it was founded on July 28, 1986 by veteran journalists Max Soliven, Betty Go-Belmonte and Art Borjal...
discussed kababayan
Kababayan
Kababayan is a Tagalog word that means fellow Filipino, countryman, or townmate. It is used throughout the Philippines and throughout the various Philippine languages....
reception of her role, writing that her singing was "drop-dead stunning" and that she "really made Filipinos proud."
MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Kyle Anderson commented that the songs overall were "sharp and well-presented", highlighting the two hip-hop numbers for particular praise. Anderson felt that the choreography of "Empire State of Mind" compensated for any awkwardness in its delivery, and lauded McHale's "unusual swagger" during "Billionaire". Lisa de Moraes of the Washington Post deemed "Billionaire" the best performance of the episode, however felt that the "Empire State of Mind" performance was "maybe-trying-too-hard". Aly Semigran, also writing for MTV, felt it was lacking the gravitas of the original version, but reported that Keys had deemed the Glee cover "amazing".
Ratings
In its original broadcast, "Audition" was watched by 12.45 million American viewers. The episode led in the 18–49 demographic for the night, attaining a 5.6/16 Nielsen rating/share, up 50 percent on the first season premiere, "Showmance", in September 2009. It was Glee second-highest rated telecast ever among adults 18–49, and its series high among adults 18–34, attaining a 6.4/20 rating/share. In Canada, "Audition" was watched by 2.24 million viewers. It was the most-watched programme of the night, and beat Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
, its closest competitor in the 8 pm timeslot, by 170 percent in the 18–49 demographic. In Australia, the episode drew 1.23 million viewers and was the seventh most-watched programme of the night. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.999 million viewers (2.486 million on E4, and 513,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the second most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as hitting a series high for the show.
Critical response
The episode received generally favorable reviews from critics. VanDerWerff graded the episode "A-". He felt it was imperfect, but that "Audition" demonstrated the Glee executives had learned "a surprising amount about what does and doesn't work within its format." VanDerWerff concluded "as a season premiere and promise for what's to come? "Audition" is very good indeed." David Hinckley of the Daily News rated "Audition" 4/5. He felt that the episode was "a little self-indulgent" with "a dizzying series of cross-plots", but hoped that it was setting the foundations for an "interesting, evolving story" in the season to come. Bianco called the episode a "heady, sometimes-too-rich mix of song-and-dance magic, high school musical spoof and overall excess", summarising: "It's a mess, but it's the kind of joyous mess that makes you think order can be overrated." Both Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times and Jessica Derschwitz of CBS NewsCBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
praised the episode's musical numbers and Sue's lines, while Stack and Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post deemed the episode to have assuaged their worries about Glee experiencing a "sophomore slump", commenting positively on the opening scene which directly addressed criticism of the first season. Vanity Fair Brett Berk received the episode positively, despite having been disappointed with the second half of the first season, a sentiment shared by Futterman, who deemed "Audition" a "fresh start" after "a first season that devolved into a frenzy of too many songs and not enough long-term plot".
TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Matt Roush wrote that "Audition" was "far from [his] favorite episode", disliking the "cruelty and dirty tricks" employed by the characters, however commented "the moments that soar remind us why this is a genuine pop-culture phenom." James Poniewozik of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
called it a "solid" episode, one which was "neither awful nor amazing", but set up promising storylines for the season ahead. He felt there were no stand out musical performances, but commented, "it gave the season some emotional grounding [...] It showed us a Glee that's not working double-time to give us everything we want all at once, and that's pretty much what I want from it." John Doyle of The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
wrote that, with "Audition", Glee had become formulaic, assessing that "Glee fanatics won't be disappointed. The rest of us are."
In an overall positive review of the episode, Hollywood News opined that the opening scenes which addressed fan criticisms were a little too harsh on the show's fictional characters, having gone overboard to the point of offensiveness. Writer Fred Topel highlighted as a concern the "downright racist" scene ten minutes into the show between Rachel and Sunshine which he could have "done without". Meghan Carlson of BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
also described Rachel's behaviour in the aforementioned scene as "totally, patronizingly racist". Writing for The Stir, Brittany Drye asked "Is Glee racist?", citing several moments in "Audition" which could be perceived as racist. She found the scene with Rachel screaming at Sunshine in the bathroom in broken English to be distasteful, and also highlighted the pairing of Tina and Mike (noting their shared surname, 'Chang') and the joke of Jacob assuming they are a couple because they are both Asian. However, Drye speculates that in attempting "self-aware racism" the show was intentionally trying to point out the inanity of racist beliefs, concluding that Glees self-awareness in this matter was its saving grace.
External links
- "Audition" at Fox.comFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...