During a TV Academy panel Tuesday, the stars and creators touched on Rachel’s botched audition, filming sex scenes and teased the upcoming body switch episode.

The Glee cast and creators were in high spirits Tuesday during a panel promoting the show for Emmy consideration at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, where they dished on everything from Rachel’s botched audition to an upcoming body switch episode.

Here are eight highlights from the funny and poignant session.

1. Co-creator Ryan Murphy revealed that the remaining four episodes of the season would explore what happens next for Rachel (Lea Michele) after the glee diva choked during her NYADA audition. “The next episodes after this really deal with the implications and complications,” he told the packed house. “The great thing about that character is that she just doesn’t give up. That’s a wonderful thing to write to, Rachel’s tenacity. I think people love that about her, that she has a dream, even now. It’s inspirational to a lot of kids to see a scene like that and not get what you want in the moment but to not give up. That’s the idea of what the show is about.”

2. For her part, Michele said filming the botched audition scene was truly heartbreaking — and came from something she worried about during the Glee concert tour. “Every night on the Glee tour when I’d sing ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade,’ I used to call [exec producer] Dante Di Loreto and say, ‘I’m going to mess up one night, I know it and I’m so scared to have that happen,’ “ she said. “To have that happen to her in such an important moment was so sad, which is why that scene came so easy to me — because it was actual nerves and something that I truly felt fearful about for her and for myself as a performer.”

3. Dot Marie-Jones noted Coach Beiste’s domestic violence story line isn’t over and drew from a friend’s experience to portray the emotional scenes in which her character is beaten by her husband. “It wasn’t hard to get there,” she says, noting she cried while reading what was happening to not only her character but Rachel as well. Meanwhile, look for Jones to cover Taylor Swift’s “Mean” in Episode 20, titled “Props.”

4. “She probably has more run-on sentences than I do,” Jane Lynch said of her on-screen nemesis, Roz Washington (Nene Leakes). Fun fact: Ian Brennan writes almost all of Sue Sylvester’s dialogue — as well as Leakes’ material. When crafting the character, Murphy revealed that he drew upon the Real Housewives star’s time on Celebrity Apprentice before he realized that he could call and offer her the part. Her first scene: a page-long monologue that was met with a round of applause from the cast and crew.

5. Looking back on the “First Time” episode, the cast praised the writers and directors for crafting a story for LGBT teens that didn’t exists for older generations and noted that the network worked with them on the intimate scenes between Rachel and Finn as well as Kurt and Blaine. Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith, meanwhile, offered different insights into filming the tender scenes. “I was really sweaty,” Monteith said, noting the couple’s close proximity to the fireplace in the scene. Added Colfer: “I was scared shitless.”

6. During the Christmas installment directed by Matthew Morrison, Kevin McHale’s Artie found what could be his calling when he directed the episode at the center of the hour and based his performance on someone close to the show: Ryan Murphy. “I was trying to [imitate him] but Ryan was like, ‘You can’t be mean, I’m writing you much too nice.’ ”

7. Amber Riley had perhaps the line of the night when asked to recall her favorite moment with on-screen love interest Chord Overstreet: “It’s always interesting when we kiss because both of our lips are so big,” she said to laughs. “We have to figure out whose lips are going to be on top!” The night’s other best zinger went to Colfer, addressing Kurt’s tight gold lamé pans from his NYADA audition: “I had two fittings and had no idea it would be a battle of the bulge.”

8. As for what’s ahead, spoilers were sparse but the cast did tease the upcoming “Props” episode in which Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) falls into a fountain and wakes up to find everybody is someone else. Set to swap: Tina becomes Rachel, Kurt is Finn, Puck becomes Blaine and Mike becomes Joe, with Santana as Artie. “Accessories I never had before,” Shum said of sporting dreadlocks for the episode.

What are you most looking forward to seeing? Glee airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

You will need tissues.

1. Rachel is not so easily defeated. Viewers shocked to see New Directions’ shiniest star choke during her NYADA audition, don’t be fooled. While series boss Ryan Murphy said it was a more interesting choice for Rachel (Lea Michele) not to go sailing through to her dream school, it’s not in the character’s DNA to accept defeat. “The great thing about her is that she does not give up,” Murphy said, adding that the writers had fun in the upcoming episodes writing to her defining “tenacity.” Michele said she was “really devastated” for Rachel, and identified with the “real fear” of failure that performers face regularly.

2. Oh yes, there will be tears. It’s still anyone’s guess who will be moving on from — and out of? — Glee when Graduation Day comes and Season 3 ends. But the cast is already all broken up about it because they began shooting the season’s last episode this week. “I definitely collapsed on to the ground the other day,” Michele said. All the actors ‘fessed up to crying at some point — and they had only been through two days of filming! Kleenex, gleeks. Kleenex!

3. Freaky Friday time. This is totally happening: Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) will fall into a fountain at the mall, and when she comes to, everyone will have switched bodies. Really. You want proof? Fine. Look for Tina to wake up as Rachel. Also, Kurt (Chris Colfer) will play Finn (Cory Monteith), Puck (Mark Salling) becomes Blaine (Darren Criss) and Santana (Naya Rivera) becomes… Artie (Kevin McHale)? “Naya as Kevin is hilarious,” executive producer Ian Brennan said. But perhaps topping even that is Mike Chang (Harry Shum) as Joe Hart (The Glee Project winner Samuel Larsen). “Harry with dreads… best thing ever,” Brennan said.

4. The next formidable pairing: Coache Bieste (Dot Marie Jones) and Puck! You read that right. No clue as to why they’re teaming up, but consider this: They’ll be singing Taylor’s Swift’s banjo-driven “Mean,” which the country star wrote in response to her critics. (She’s a fragile flower, people!) Let’s read into these lyrics together: “Someday I’ll be livin’ in a big ol’ city and all you’re ever gonna be is mean. Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me and all you’re ever gonna be is mean. Why you gotta be so mean?” Wait, who’s picking on Puck?!

5. Official: Brittany’s a senior. If you’re wondering if McKinley’s senior class president had magically reverted back to junior status just because Heather Morris’ face isn’t on the cover of the Glee graduation soundtrack, think again. What kind of grades she’s pulling is a bit murkier…

Source: TVGuide

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As we get closer to the May 22 season finale of Glee, the stakes are getting higher, which is evident in next week’s episode, “Choke.” EW got an early look at the hilarious, but also emotional hour, which finds Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) auditioning for NYADA (in the form of guest star Whoopi Goldberg, who does a great, subdued turn). For Gleeks, this episode is a pivotal one since this is what the high schoolers, especially Rachel, have been working towards for the last three years. It does not disappoint. Both actors, especially Michele, deliver stellar performances. I don’t want to give away too much but — SPOILER ALERT — here are a few other teases…

• Beiste (Dot Marie Jones) returns but has her own domestic drama to deal with; Jones is totally heartbreaking.
• Sue (Jane Lynch) and Roz (Nene Leakes) have a sit-down meeting in which Sue refers to Roz and Beiste as “Black Sue” and “John Goodman,” respectively.
• Kurt covers “The Boy Next Door” from The Boy From Oz while wearing tight, gold lamé pants. That boy can kick!
• Puck (Mark Salling) has a big storyline about whether or not he’ll be able to graduate (turns out he’s not the best student), which leads to a cover of “School’s Out” that culminates on the McKinley football field.
• To help tutor Puck in geography, the New Direction boys perform a rocking version of “The Rain in Spain” from My Fair Lady.
• Santana (Naya Rivera), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Brittany (Heather Morris), and Sugar (Vanessa Lengies) do covers of both “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago and a stripped down version of Florence + the Machine’s “Shake It Out.”
• Blaine (Darren Criss) gives Mike (Harry Shum, Jr.) hair tips.
• Sam (Chord Overstreet) is in a tank top.
• Rachel caps the episode with a soaring take on Kelly Clarkson’s “Cry.”

Source: EW.com

Welcome back, Rachel Berry (Lea Michele)!

With her NYADA audition rapidly approaching, Rachel is reverting to her pilot ways on Glee this Tuesday, meaning she’s at her neurotic best, and we couldn’t be happier.

So how is Rachel preparing for the biggest audition of her life? And why is she refusing to kiss fiancé Finn (Cory Monteith)?! We’ve got an exclusive sneak peek at “Choke,” which will answer those questions—plus you’ll finally find out what Rachel’s “presidential” face looks like.

How ah-mah-zing is Rachel’s inner monologue throughout the scene?!

In typical Rachel fashion, she’s super focused and regimented before the NYADA audition to ensure that she’s in tip-top shape.

Some of the precautions she’s taking? No doorknobs (don’t worry, Finn’s more than happy to play her personal door-opener) and no kisses (sorry, Finn, you win some, you lose some!), as well as no stepping on cracks. Oh, and walking backward down the hallway. Can’t forget about that! Glee fans should probably be preparing themselves for a cloudy day on Wednesday, as Rachel is determined to shine so bright during her audition that “the sun is going to cry with envy.”

We’re thinking Finchel fans will particularly love the moment when Finn helps Rachel practice her many faces in the mirror. (How cute is Finn with the timer?!) Our favorite? Presidential! Plus, there’s a little wink—literally—to fans of Rachel and Puck (Mark Salling) (remember those days?!) thrown in the clip for good measure!

Still, Rachel’s intense and makeout-less preparations may all be for nothing considering the episode is titled “Choke” and the synopsis says Rachel and Kurt (Chris Colfer) will receive news that could possibly send their well-laid plans into a tailspin. Yikes!

Glee airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

Who do you think will choke during their NYADA audition, Rachel or Kurt? Which of Rachel’s faces is your favorite? Sound off in the comments!

Source: E!Online

Glee‘s latest trip to Nationals is shaping up to be a real monster ball. TVLine has obtained the set list for the May 15 singoff, and it includes Lady Gaga‘s smash, “Edge of Glory.”

But who’ll be stepping into the pop star’s platform boots? And, for that matter, what other numbers are up?

The all-female Troubletones will be belting out “Glory,” thus fanning the flames of the Fox hit’s obsession with Gaga. And the erstwhile Stefani Germanotti won’t be the only diva getting her due during the two-hour episode: Rachel will perform a cover of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” and New Directions are serving Meat Loaf’s “Paradise By the Dashboard Light.” (Fun fact: Loaf also covered “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”)

As previously reported, Lindsay Lohan will play one of the judges at Nationals.

Source: TVLine

Screencaptures > Specials > BIO special – Glee: Don’t Stop Believing (April 10, 2012)