The TV Chick

My love for Glee knows no bounds, but tonight’s episode, entitled “Dream On,” really outdoes itself in terms of greatness. The episode is directed by Joss Whedon, and guest stars Neil Patrick Harris, but one of the characters that really shines is Artie. I don’t want to spoil everything (although anyone could probably find out if they looked hard enough), but let’s just say that you see Artie in a way you have never seen him before. And it’s fantastic! I recently had the chance to catch up with Kevin McHale, who plays Artie, about his biggest challenges filming the show, dancing in the wheelchair and even his dream guest star and song.

Congratulations on all the success of the show. You’ve definitely had a whirlwind couple of weeks. What was it like being on Oprah and visiting the White House?
Oprah itself was insane on its own, and then only to be trumped by the White House. (laughs) Oprah is big as it is, and then we get to go to the White House. And Amber sang from the White House balcony, and we got to meet the first family. It was so surreal. After that, we were like what are we going to do next week? (laughs)

I was about to ask what was your most surreal experience?
Yeah, it definitely was. I mean Oprah saying [In Oprah voice] “Keeevin” (laughs) and more than meeting the first family, was to see Amber standing next to him [President Obama] on the balcony singing the National Anthem.

Yeah, I watched the feed online. That was quite incredible.
Yeah, she was incredible.

And what has awards season been like for you?
Insane! It was just unreal. Growing up, I was a big awards show kind of person. Like I was the guy in the house who would make my family shut up so I could watch the Golden Globes.

I’m the same way!
And I brought my brother with me, just getting out of the car and seeing the sign of The Golden Globe Awards behind you. It was so surreal. Granted, it was raining, but nothing could have stopped me from being there.

Right, absolutely. And talk a little bit about the audition process and how you got the role of Artie.
It was just like any other audition. I’ve been to dancing auditions, I’ve been to acting auditions, it was kind of both of them combined. It was actually a pretty easy process in terms of the amount of auditions. There were four auditions, but I was one of the first ones to be put on hold to test for it. And so, I auditioned pretty early on, and my callback and first audition were within two days of each other. The worst part was waiting like 6 and a half weeks until I got [called] for it. And like “They’re probably trying to find somebody else for the part, what am I going to do?” And I was hoping I didn’t forget how to play the part. But luckily, it was all worth it.

Of course! What did you sing for your audition?
I sang “Let It Be,” by the Beatles.

Good choice. Do you know if they were looking for someone who was in a wheelchair?
Well the part was originally in a wheelchair, but they audition able-bodied and disabled people. I think it was just about who got part the part down, [and] what they saw that they liked. They’re all very, very creative, specific people: Brad, Ian and Ryan. So luckily, they saw something in me.

How has it been playing Artie? How do you relate to him?
We’re very different, but at the same time, we’re very, very similar. I mean, he’s definitely more confident with ladies than I am. Because, like last week, he was saying “If you want to get up on this.” I would never do that. (laughs)

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“You don’t deserve the power of Madonna,” are several words uttered by Sue Sylvester (who else?) to a fellow faculty member (it might surprise you which one) that epitomize the brilliance of this episode. Throughout my life, I have watched an incredible amount of TV. However, I can safely say I have not seen anything like the Power of Madonna episode of Glee. It is probably the most epic hour of television ever made from beginning to end. Every little detail you see on screen is perfection.

The whole foundation of the episode is Sue’s love of Madonna. She blackmails Figgins to blast Madonna’s music over the PA system all day. She of course still wants to take down the Glee club and won’t stop at anything. Remember those details I was talking about? Look in the background to see people walking the hallway dressed as Madonna at different points in her career.

Throughout the episode, we learn that the guys are not treating the girls very well. Mr. Schuester tries to fix this and encourage them to treat the girls with respect. This leads to a heartwarming rendition of “What It Feels Like For A Girl.” At the same time, Emma decides to step up and take control (by channeling her inner Madonna) and she decides she wants to ramp things up with Will.

Mercedes and Kurt decide to tackle Madonna in a multimedia project. They approach Sue and learn the deal behind that haircut (it’s actually touching in a weird messed up way but I don’t want to spoil). This leads to the amazing Vogue video, which by now you have all seen. Besides the fact that it proved that Jane Lynch can do anything and hit it completely out of the park, it also proves the same thing for the creative team of Glee. The video was absolutely breathtaking and almost an exact replica of the original video. The aforementioned Glee kids also decide they want more of a starring role and join the Cheerios. (I know this isn’t a huge spoiler since there are pictures and promos everywhere).

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How did you like Glee’s triumphant return? I know I loved it (even if the Madonna episode is leagues above), and the ratings agree with me. The Gleeks are truly a strong contingent, as Glee broke records with 13.6 million viewers. This show deserves so much success so I’m ecstatic it did so well. I hope the momentum continues to build through the back 9 episodes.

I wanted to share with you my favorite videos/songs from last night, as well as Sue Sylvester’s Vogue rendition. I will say I was a little surprised they released the video before it airs in the episode because the Madonna episode is so amazing and the context of the video is equally so. However, no one should be without the magic of Vogue, so I wanted to share it anyway.

Sue Sylvester does Vogue:

Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele sing Lionel Richie’s “Hello”

Glee cast sings “Hello, Goodbye”

It is GLEE week!! Can you feel it?? Only 6 days left! Are you as excited as I am?? I have seen the first 2 episodes (watching the 3rd very soon) and they are phenomenal. The Madonna episode blew my mind in so many ways. It was truly an amazing tribute to Madonna’s career. I will be posting advance reviews, interviews with Ian Brennan & Brad Falchuk, a 2 part interview with Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri) and much more in the next 6 days leading up to the finale. Be sure to check back often!

However, there are so many great videos I wanted to share with you. There’s a brand new promo, and the Glee cast performed at the White House Easter Egg Roll! It was fantastic. I’m hoping it’s a little preview for the actual tour. Today, the cast will be appearing on Oprah. Be sure to check your local listings and tune in. But for now, since I know you are wanting new episodes of Glee as much as I do, enjoy these videos. Hang in there, only 6 more days!!

New Back 9 Promo:

The Glee Cast Performs at The White House:

Lea Michele sings “Smile”

Mark Salling sings Sweet Caroline:

Matthew Morrison and Mark Salling sing Over The Rainbow:

Amber Riley sings Home: