Theatricality
Encyclopedia
"Theatricality" is the 20th episode of the American
television series Glee
. The episode was written and directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, and premiered on the Fox
network on May 25, 2010. In "Theatricality", glee club member Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz) has an identity crisis. The female club members and Kurt
(Chris Colfer
) pay tribute to Lady Gaga
, performing in a selection of her costumes, while the rest of the male club members perform as Kiss
. Rachel (Lea Michele
) meets her mother Shelby (Idina Menzel
), the coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, and Finn
(Cory Monteith
) and his mother move in with Kurt and his father, leading to a confrontation between Kurt and Finn. The episode features cover version
s of five songs, all of which were released as singles
, available for digital download
, and three of which are included on the soundtrack album
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
.
"Theatricality" was watched by 11.5 million American viewers and received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly deemed it one of his favorite episodes of the season, and both Terri Schwartz of MTV
and CNN
's Lisa Respers France compared it positively to the Madonna
tribute episode, "The Power of Madonna
". O'Malley's acting and the Kurt and Finn storyline attracted critical praise, although Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
felt that similar scenes between Kurt and Burt were becoming increasingly frequent, diminishing their impact. BuddyTV
's Henrik Batallones and Mary Hanrahan of Broadway World highlighted pacing issues with the Rachel storyline, and Hanrahan and Kevin Coll of Fused Film criticized the use of "Poker Face
" as a mother–daughter duet.
) telling Tina
that she can no longer dress as a goth, alarmed by a spate of pseudo-vampirism in the school, inspired by the Twilight series. She briefly changes her style, before dressing as a vampire and convincing Figgins that if he does not allow her to wear her preferred clothes, her vicious Asian vampire father will bite his face off.
When New Directions member Rachel Berry discovers that rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline are planning on performing a Lady Gaga
number at Regionals, Will
(Matthew Morrison
) sets the club a Gaga assignment. The girls and Kurt
create costumes inspired by Lady Gaga and perform "Bad Romance
". The rest of the male club members dress as Kiss
and perform "Shout It Out Loud
". Puck
(Mark Salling) suggests to Quinn
(Dianna Agron
) that they name their daughter Jackie Daniels, as in Jack Daniel's
. Later, in an attempt to show her he is serious about being a father, he has the other guys who dressed as Kiss sing "Beth
" with him, suggesting they give the name to their daughter. Quinn agrees that he can be present at her birth.
While spying on a Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal, Rachel realizes that their director, Shelby Corcoran, is her birth mother. She introduces herself, and Shelby makes her a better Lady Gaga costume. Will meets with Shelby, concerned that she is not as invested in forging a relationship as Rachel is. Shelby confesses that she can no longer have children, but wishes she could have her baby back, rather than the now fully grown Rachel, whom she feels does not need her. She tells Rachel that instead of trying to act like mother and daughter, they should just "be grateful for one another... from afar... for a while." Rachel hugs her goodbye, and they duet on an acoustic version of "Poker Face
".
Kurt's father Burt
(Mike O'Malley
) invites Finn
and his mother Carole (Romy Rosemont
) to move in with them. Finn feels awkward sharing a room with Kurt, who has a crush on him, and during an argument insults several items in his bedroom as being "faggy" after losing his temper. Burt overhears this and kicks Finn out for using the term, even if it costs Burt his relationship with Carole. Kurt is bullied for his Gaga costume by school athletes Karofsky
(Max Adler) and Azimio (James Earl). Finn creates his own costume out of a shower curtain, and tells them he will not let them hurt Kurt, backed by the rest of the glee club.
". The impetus for the Lady Gaga tribute comes from Tina's conflict, with Ushkowitz explaining that the storyline reflects Tina "slowly coming out of her box. Making her way out of her shell." As well as allowing Glee the rights to her songs, Lady Gaga also loaned the series her costume designer to recreate her signature looks. Series creator Ryan Murphy, who also directed the episode, stated that, because of the elaborate staging and costuming, the performance of "Bad Romance" was the show's most expensive number to date. "Bad Romance" took six hours to film, with Murphy describing it as "big and athletic and hard." Michele damaged her knee from exertion during the performance. In a statement released to Entertainment Weekly
, Gaga eagerly anticipated the covers of her songs: "I love Glee. I love the cast and the creativity of the writers. I went to a musical theatre school, and used to dream that someday the students would be singing my songs. Can’t wait for "Bad Romance" + "Poker Face" in Glee fashion!"
Glee costume designer Lou Eyrich deemed the episode a tribute to Lady Gaga's "genius", explaining that the costumes the characters wear are not exact replicas of Gaga's, giving the impression the glee club members made them themselves. Rachel wears two dresses, the first inspired by Gaga's Kermit the Frog
dress and the second based on Gaga's silver mirrored triangle dress. Murphy selected Tina to wear the Hussein Chalayan
–inspired bubble dress, which Eyrich adapted into a vest to make it easier to take on and off. Kurt's costume is inspired by the Alexander McQueen
outfit Gaga wears in the "Bad Romance" video, described by Colfer as "George Washington
meets an Oceanic whale disco ball type thing". Eyrich strove for authenticity in replicating McQueen's ten-inch 'Armadillo' platforms. She was unable to buy a pair to fit Colfer, as they were not made in large enough sizes. Quinn wears the Armani Privé orbit dress Gaga wore to the 52nd Grammy Awards
, fitted around her pregnant stomach. The most complicated costume was the Philip Treacy
lobster hat, worn by Brittany (Heather Morris), as to get it to stay in place during the "Bad Romance" dance, Eyrich had to build a Buckram
orb which could be safety–pinned on her head, then solder steel tentacles onto the sphere. It took 45 minutes to get the hat on and off Morris each day, and restricted her vision to what was directly in front of her. In solidarity with Kurt, Finn wears a vinyl floor–length red dress, based on the latex Atsuko Kudo dress Gaga wore to meet Elizabeth II. Mercedes wears a glittery bodysuit and a purple hair bow and wig, and Santana wears the Jeffrey Bryant lace bodysuit, and black rose Charlie Le Mindu hat, with lace airbrushed onto her face. As mentioned in the episode, members of Vocal Adrenaline wear red Chantilly lace
full-body outfits and headpieces (as well as blonde wigs) inspired by the Fall 1998 Alexander McQueen dress Gaga wore whilst accepting her award for Best New Artist
at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
.
The episode includes an acoustic
performance of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", performed by Rachel and her mother Shelby. Menzel explained that the sexual meaning of the song is different in the context of the show, calling it "actually very simple and truthful." The male glee club members, except Kurt, perform "Beth" and "Shout It Out Loud" by Kiss, while Shelby also sings "Funny Girl" from the film of the same name. "Speechless
" was featured as background music in the scene where Finn wiped off his Kiss makeup while Kurt fixes his outfit. All of the songs performed in the episode were released as singles
, available for digital download
. "Poker Face" and "Beth" are included on the deluxe edition of the soundtrack album
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
, while "Bad Romance" is included on both the deluxe and standard editions of the album. "Bad Romance" charted at number 91 in Australia, 46 in Canada, 10 in Ireland, 59 in the United Kingdom, and 54 in the United States, while "Poker Face" charted at number 26 in Canada, 16 in Ireland, 70 in the United Kingdom, and 20 in the United States.
Recurring guest star Mike O'Malley appears in the episode as Kurt's father Burt, sharing a scene with Colfer and Monteith which Colfer has described as the most emotional scene of the series thus far, explaining: "Reading it on paper I had no idea it was going to be that intense. Once I got into it, then I kind of realised, 'Oh, there's such a bigger meaning behind this. Oh my God, this is so dramatic'." Colfer called "Theatricality" his favorite episode of the whole series. Other recurring characters who appear in "Theatricality" are glee club members Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris), Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton, who gets his first lines in this episode), school reporter Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
), school athletes and bullies Karofsky and Azimio, Principal Figgins, Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran and Finn's mother Carole Hudson.
, in reference to Tina's storyline. Lady Gaga praised the episode, calling it "amazing". Entertainment Weekly Tim Stack deemed "Theatricality" one of his favorite episodes of the season, writing: "it does what Glee does best which is combining comedy, music, and emotional truths." Stack praised the Kurt and Finn plotline, calling the scene between them and Burt "one of Glee greatest moments ever." Terri Schwartz of MTV
also reviewed the episode positively, writing that it topped the previous episode, "Dream On
", and rivalled the grandeur of the Madonna
tribute episode "The Power of Madonna
". CNN
's Lisa Respers France deemed "Theatricality" even better than the Madonna episode, calling it "the perfect, over-the-top homage to an artist who is pretty over-the-top herself", and writing that Glee "just keeps getting better and better." Eric Goldman of IGN
rated the episode 8.3/10 for "Impressive", and felt that there was "a lot to enjoy", with "some very fun material mixed in with one of the heaviest scenes Glee has delved into."
Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
called the episode "pretty great", also praising O'Malley's acting and noting: "I was impressed with how visceral the confrontation between Kurt's dad and Finn got and how the writers kept the language as raw as the emotions." The A.V. Club
Todd VanDerWerff graded the episode B+. He called the Rachel and Shelby storyline "very well-handled, another emotional story that the series is mostly nailing the execution of", and opined: "Chris Colfer and Mike O'Malley (always good together) brought out the best in Cory Monteith, who sometimes struggles with the weightier stuff." Overall, VanDerWerff felt that "Theatricality" was not as good as the preceding episode, but contained some well-executed moments and many funny lines. James Poniewozik of Time
was "pleasantly surprised" by the episode, praising the Kurt/Finn and Rachel/Shelby storylines; however, he found the Tina, Quinn and Puck subplots "ridiculous and dispensible."
Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
enjoyed the episode, but observed: "every time they write a scene where Burt stands up for Kurt, it diminishes the impact. [...] it's only the first season and we've already had a handful of these increasingly identical scenes." Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV
felt that "Theatricality" was a "pretty strong, albeit not perfect, episode", deeming O'Malley the star of the show. Batallones criticized the Rachel and Shelby storyline, however, suggesting that it was rushed and would have been better stretched out across the remainder of the season. Mary Hanrahan of Broadway World also felt that the Rachel and Shelby plot was rushed, calling it "sloppily handled". She criticized the performance of "Bad Romance", additionally noting that "Poker Face" did not work in the context of a mother–daughter duet. Hanrahan commented that she was tired of "themed episodes" of Glee, concluding that the episode: "fails on a lot of levels, and has actually made the episodes preceding it look better as a result." Kevin Coll of Fused Film criticized the selection of "Poker Face", noting that it was well done, but badly matched with the scene and storyline.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 and directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, 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 May 25, 2010. In "Theatricality", glee club member 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) has an identity crisis. The female club members and Kurt
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
) pay tribute to 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...
, performing in a selection of her costumes, while the rest of the male club members perform as Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
. 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...
) meets her mother Shelby (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:...
), the coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, and Finn
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:...
) and his mother move in with Kurt and his father, leading to a confrontation between Kurt and Finn. The episode features cover version
Cover 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 five songs, all 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 digital 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...
, and three of which are included on the soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
.
"Theatricality" was watched by 11.5 million American viewers and received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly deemed it one of his favorite episodes of the season, and both Terri Schwartz of 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....
and 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...
's Lisa Respers France compared it positively to the Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
tribute episode, "The Power of Madonna
The Power of Madonna
"The Power of Madonna" is the 15th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 20, 2010...
". O'Malley's acting and the Kurt and Finn storyline attracted critical praise, although 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...
felt that similar scenes between Kurt and Burt were becoming increasingly frequent, diminishing their impact. 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...
's Henrik Batallones and Mary Hanrahan of Broadway World highlighted pacing issues with the Rachel storyline, and Hanrahan and Kevin Coll of Fused Film criticized the use of "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
" as a mother–daughter duet.
Plot
The episode begins with Principal Figgins (Iqbal ThebaIqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba currently has a recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.-Life and career:Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States....
) telling 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...
that she can no longer dress as a goth, alarmed by a spate of pseudo-vampirism in the school, inspired by the Twilight series. She briefly changes her style, before dressing as a vampire and convincing Figgins that if he does not allow her to wear her preferred clothes, her vicious Asian vampire father will bite his face off.
When New Directions member Rachel Berry discovers that rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline are planning on performing a 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...
number at Regionals, Will
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...
) sets the club a Gaga assignment. The girls and Kurt
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
create costumes inspired by Lady Gaga and perform "Bad Romance
Bad Romance
"Bad Romance" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the lead single from her third extended play , and second major release The Fame Monster . Written by Lady Gaga and produced by RedOne, the track was inspired by Gaga's fear of negative love relationships and the...
". The rest of the male club members dress as Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and perform "Shout It Out Loud
Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
"Shout It Out Loud" is a song by the American hard rock group Kiss originally released on their 1976 album, Destroyer.-Overview:Released as a single in 1976, the band and their record company, Casablanca Records, were trying to cash in on the success of their previous single, the live version of...
". 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) suggests to 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...
) that they name their daughter Jackie Daniels, as in Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
. Later, in an attempt to show her he is serious about being a father, he has the other guys who dressed as Kiss sing "Beth
Beth (song)
"Beth" is a song by Kiss, originally released on their 1976 album, Destroyer. To date, it is their highest-charting single, reaching #7 on Billboard's American charts. It is one of only two Gold selling singles for the band , and their first of two Top Ten singles...
" with him, suggesting they give the name to their daughter. Quinn agrees that he can be present at her birth.
While spying on a Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal, Rachel realizes that their director, Shelby Corcoran, is her birth mother. She introduces herself, and Shelby makes her a better Lady Gaga costume. Will meets with Shelby, concerned that she is not as invested in forging a relationship as Rachel is. Shelby confesses that she can no longer have children, but wishes she could have her baby back, rather than the now fully grown Rachel, whom she feels does not need her. She tells Rachel that instead of trying to act like mother and daughter, they should just "be grateful for one another... from afar... for a while." Rachel hugs her goodbye, and they duet on an acoustic version of "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
".
Kurt's father Burt
Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mike O'Malley, and first appeared on Glee in the fourth episode of the first season, "Preggers". Burt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Mike O'Malley
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward "Mike" O'Malley is an American actor and playwright who has appeared in films and television series. He hosted Nickelodeon GUTS, and he starred in the CBS comedy Yes, Dear...
) invites Finn
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...
and his mother Carole (Romy Rosemont
Romy Rosemont
Romy Rosemont is a television actress who has appeared in multiple TV series, including Shark, Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Prison Break and Private Practice. She got her break in 2010, playing Carole Hudson in the musical series Glee...
) to move in with them. Finn feels awkward sharing a room with Kurt, who has a crush on him, and during an argument insults several items in his bedroom as being "faggy" after losing his temper. Burt overhears this and kicks Finn out for using the term, even if it costs Burt his relationship with Carole. Kurt is bullied for his Gaga costume by school athletes Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as Karofsky, is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in Glee since its first season episode "Mash-Up", first broadcast on October 21, 2009...
(Max Adler) and Azimio (James Earl). Finn creates his own costume out of a shower curtain, and tells them he will not let them hurt Kurt, backed by the rest of the glee club.
Production
"Theatricality" was originally intended to air on June 1, 2010, but was switched in the schedule with the episode "FunkFunk (Glee)
"Funk" is the 21st episode of the American television series Glee. The episode was written by series creator Ian Brennan and directed by Elodie Keene. It premiered on the Fox network on June 1, 2010 and was watched by 9 million viewers. In "Funk", New Directions is intimidated by rival glee club...
". The impetus for the Lady Gaga tribute comes from Tina's conflict, with Ushkowitz explaining that the storyline reflects Tina "slowly coming out of her box. Making her way out of her shell." As well as allowing Glee the rights to her songs, Lady Gaga also loaned the series her costume designer to recreate her signature looks. Series creator Ryan Murphy, who also directed the episode, stated that, because of the elaborate staging and costuming, the performance of "Bad Romance" was the show's most expensive number to date. "Bad Romance" took six hours to film, with Murphy describing it as "big and athletic and hard." Michele damaged her knee from exertion during the performance. In a statement released to 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...
, Gaga eagerly anticipated the covers of her songs: "I love Glee. I love the cast and the creativity of the writers. I went to a musical theatre school, and used to dream that someday the students would be singing my songs. Can’t wait for "Bad Romance" + "Poker Face" in Glee fashion!"
Glee costume designer Lou Eyrich deemed the episode a tribute to Lady Gaga's "genius", explaining that the costumes the characters wear are not exact replicas of Gaga's, giving the impression the glee club members made them themselves. Rachel wears two dresses, the first inspired by Gaga's Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
dress and the second based on Gaga's silver mirrored triangle dress. Murphy selected Tina to wear the Hussein Chalayan
Hussein Chalayan
Hussein Chalayan MBE is a British/Turkish Cypriot fashion designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1993.- Biography :...
–inspired bubble dress, which Eyrich adapted into a vest to make it easier to take on and off. Kurt's costume is inspired by the Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows...
outfit Gaga wears in the "Bad Romance" video, described by Colfer as "George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
meets an Oceanic whale disco ball type thing". Eyrich strove for authenticity in replicating McQueen's ten-inch 'Armadillo' platforms. She was unable to buy a pair to fit Colfer, as they were not made in large enough sizes. Quinn wears the Armani Privé orbit dress Gaga wore to the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
, fitted around her pregnant stomach. The most complicated costume was the Philip Treacy
Philip Treacy
Philip Treacy OBE is an Irish milliner.Born in Ahascragh,in the West of Ireland, he lived with his parents, seven brothers and sister across the road from the village church...
lobster hat, worn by Brittany (Heather Morris), as to get it to stay in place during the "Bad Romance" dance, Eyrich had to build a Buckram
Buckram
Buckram is a stiff cloth, made of cotton, and still occasionally linen, which is used to cover and protect books. Buckram can also be used to stiffen clothes. Modern buckrams have been stiffened by soaking in a substance, usually now pyroxylin, to fill the gaps between the fibres.In the Middle...
orb which could be safety–pinned on her head, then solder steel tentacles onto the sphere. It took 45 minutes to get the hat on and off Morris each day, and restricted her vision to what was directly in front of her. In solidarity with Kurt, Finn wears a vinyl floor–length red dress, based on the latex Atsuko Kudo dress Gaga wore to meet Elizabeth II. Mercedes wears a glittery bodysuit and a purple hair bow and wig, and Santana wears the Jeffrey Bryant lace bodysuit, and black rose Charlie Le Mindu hat, with lace airbrushed onto her face. As mentioned in the episode, members of Vocal Adrenaline wear red Chantilly lace
Chantilly lace
Chantilly lace is a handmade bobbin lace named after the city of Chantilly, France, in a tradition dating from the 17th century, though the most famous are silk laces introduced in the 18th century...
full-body outfits and headpieces (as well as blonde wigs) inspired by the Fall 1998 Alexander McQueen dress Gaga wore whilst accepting her award for Best New Artist
MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
The MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist is one of the four original general categories that have been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984...
at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
.
The episode includes an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
performance of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", performed by Rachel and her mother Shelby. Menzel explained that the sexual meaning of the song is different in the context of the show, calling it "actually very simple and truthful." The male glee club members, except Kurt, perform "Beth" and "Shout It Out Loud" by Kiss, while Shelby also sings "Funny Girl" from the film of the same name. "Speechless
Speechless (Lady Gaga song)
"Speechless" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her third EP The Fame Monster. The song was written by Gaga to convince her father, Joseph Germanotta, to undergo open-heart surgery, in order to repair his malfunctioning aortic valve, and as a reminder for...
" was featured as background music in the scene where Finn wiped off his Kiss makeup while Kurt fixes his outfit. All of the songs performed in the episode 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 digital 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...
. "Poker Face" and "Beth" are included on the deluxe edition of the soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
, while "Bad Romance" is included on both the deluxe and standard editions of the album. "Bad Romance" charted at number 91 in Australia, 46 in Canada, 10 in Ireland, 59 in the United Kingdom, and 54 in the United States, while "Poker Face" charted at number 26 in Canada, 16 in Ireland, 70 in the United Kingdom, and 20 in the United States.
Recurring guest star Mike O'Malley appears in the episode as Kurt's father Burt, sharing a scene with Colfer and Monteith which Colfer has described as the most emotional scene of the series thus far, explaining: "Reading it on paper I had no idea it was going to be that intense. Once I got into it, then I kind of realised, 'Oh, there's such a bigger meaning behind this. Oh my God, this is so dramatic'." Colfer called "Theatricality" his favorite episode of the whole series. Other recurring characters who appear in "Theatricality" are glee club members Santana Lopez
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:...
), Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris), 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 Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton, who gets his first lines in this episode), school reporter 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...
), school athletes and bullies Karofsky and Azimio, Principal Figgins, Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran and Finn's mother Carole Hudson.
Ratings
In its original broadcast, "Theatricality" was watched by 11.5 million American viewers, and led in the 18–49 demographic in its timeslot, attaining a 4.8 Nielsen rating. It was the fifth most-watched show of the week in the 18-49 demographic, and the twelfth amongst all viewers. In the United Kingdom, the episode was watched by 862,000 viewers, its lowest audience of the season. "Theatricality" was watched by 1.91 million Canadian viewers, and was the eleventh most-watched program of the week in Canada. In Australia, the episode drew Glee highest ever overnight ratings, watched by 1.41 million viewers and leading in all key demographics in its timeslot.Critical response
Following the episode's original broadcast, "Asian Vampires" became the fifth most discussed topic on the social networking website TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, in reference to Tina's storyline. Lady Gaga praised the episode, calling it "amazing". Entertainment Weekly Tim Stack deemed "Theatricality" one of his favorite episodes of the season, writing: "it does what Glee does best which is combining comedy, music, and emotional truths." Stack praised the Kurt and Finn plotline, calling the scene between them and Burt "one of Glee greatest moments ever." Terri Schwartz of 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....
also reviewed the episode positively, writing that it topped the previous episode, "Dream On
Dream On (Glee)
"Dream On" is the 19th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 18, 2010. It was directed by Joss Whedon and written by series creator Brad Falchuk. Neil Patrick Harris guest-stars as former glee club star Bryan Ryan...
", and rivalled the grandeur of the Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
tribute episode "The Power of Madonna
The Power of Madonna
"The Power of Madonna" is the 15th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 20, 2010...
". 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...
's Lisa Respers France deemed "Theatricality" even better than the Madonna episode, calling it "the perfect, over-the-top homage to an artist who is pretty over-the-top herself", and writing that Glee "just keeps getting better and better." Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the episode 8.3/10 for "Impressive", and felt that there was "a lot to enjoy", with "some very fun material mixed in with one of the heaviest scenes Glee has delved into."
Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
called the episode "pretty great", also praising O'Malley's acting and noting: "I was impressed with how visceral the confrontation between Kurt's dad and Finn got and how the writers kept the language as raw as the emotions." 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...
Todd VanDerWerff graded the episode B+. He called the Rachel and Shelby storyline "very well-handled, another emotional story that the series is mostly nailing the execution of", and opined: "Chris Colfer and Mike O'Malley (always good together) brought out the best in Cory Monteith, who sometimes struggles with the weightier stuff." Overall, VanDerWerff felt that "Theatricality" was not as good as the preceding episode, but contained some well-executed moments and many funny lines. 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...
was "pleasantly surprised" by the episode, praising the Kurt/Finn and Rachel/Shelby storylines; however, he found the Tina, Quinn and Puck subplots "ridiculous and dispensible."
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...
enjoyed the episode, but observed: "every time they write a scene where Burt stands up for Kurt, it diminishes the impact. [...] it's only the first season and we've already had a handful of these increasingly identical scenes." Henrik Batallones 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...
felt that "Theatricality" was a "pretty strong, albeit not perfect, episode", deeming O'Malley the star of the show. Batallones criticized the Rachel and Shelby storyline, however, suggesting that it was rushed and would have been better stretched out across the remainder of the season. Mary Hanrahan of Broadway World also felt that the Rachel and Shelby plot was rushed, calling it "sloppily handled". She criticized the performance of "Bad Romance", additionally noting that "Poker Face" did not work in the context of a mother–daughter duet. Hanrahan commented that she was tired of "themed episodes" of Glee, concluding that the episode: "fails on a lot of levels, and has actually made the episodes preceding it look better as a result." Kevin Coll of Fused Film criticized the selection of "Poker Face", noting that it was well done, but badly matched with the scene and storyline.
External links
- "Theatricality" 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...