Content warning: The second subsection of this article includes discussion of real-life deaths and the charges againstGleestar Mark Salling.
Two of the stars ofGleehave discussed the possibility of a reboot. The musical comedy TV series, which was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan and was such a smash hit that the cast landed more than 200 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2014. TheGleecast, who primarily played the students and faculty involved in the glee club at the fictional William McKinley High School, included Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Jayma Mays, Dianna Agron, Amber Riley, and Matthew Morrison.
Jenna Ushkowitz, who played Tina on the show, and Kevin McHale, who played Artie, discussed the possibility of a reboot during a Q&A episode of theirGleerewatch podcastAnd That’s What You REALLY Missed. Ushkowitz revealed thatshe would love to see a Broadway musical adaptation of the show “even more than a reboot, right now"and McHale agreed. Ushkowitz described the potential project as something “like a concert, but with more of like a story throughline,” and McHale compared it to the British stage musicalSix. Read a transcript of their conversation below:
Jenna Ushkowitz:Somebody asked, ‘Could Glee be adapted to a Broadway musical, and if so, what’s the premise?’ We’ve kind of talked about this before, but I think that could be a cool adaptation, because… it’s like a concert, but with more of like a story throughline.
[…]
Kevin McHale:Well, like, Six, I think, is a really great example of… it feels like a concert, but you’re still learning— There’s a storyline through it, but it’s not a traditional storytelling format… It’s similar to the Glee concert, and it’s so entertaining.
Jenna Ushkowitz:I think it would be great. I would love to see that, actually… You know what? Dare I say, even more than a reboot, right now.
Kevin McHale:Oh, for sure.
Jenna Ushkowitz:I would almost prefer to see just a Broadway show that’s a totally different story.
What This Means For Glee
The Reboot Is In A Complicated Position
A Broadway production could very well be the right way to reboot the popular show, because mounting a proper television reboot is complicated in the wake of multipledeaths ofGleecast members. Cory Monteith, who played the hapless jock Finn, was the only main cast member to die during the production of the show, in 2013. However, the 2018 death of Mark Salling, who portrayed football player Puck, and the 2020 death of Naya Rivera, who played the acid-tongued cheerleader Santana,leaves a dark cloud hanging over any attempt to put the show back on television.
TheGleecast paid onscreen tribute to Cory Monteith in season 5, episode 3, “The Quarterback,” in which it was revealed that Finn had died.
Mark Salling’s legacy is made even more complicated by the fact that his death by suicide took place shortly after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. As any attempt to putGleeback on the air would likely involve referencing legacy characters,a reboot might best be avoided in the wake of the real-life tragedies and controversiessurrounding the cast of the original series.
Our Take On A Glee Broadway Reboot
Broadway Is A Good Home In More Ways Than One
AGleeBroadway show would be perfect both because of the minefield involved in a television reboot and the fact that the show is inherently about teenagers staging musical performances. However, the upcoming Broadway season also shows that such a show could thrive, asmany upcoming musicals are already based on pre-existing IP, both musical and otherwise. In fact, the upcoming slate of Broadway musical productions already includes adaptations of the cartoonBetty Boopand NBC’s backstage Broadway dramaSmash, with other projects in the works including stage mountings of2017’sThe Greatest Showmanand 2009’s17 Again.
Glee
Cast
In order to escape the stressful reality of high school, a group of misfits decides to join William McKinley’s glee club. Fox’sGleewas created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk,and Ryan Murphy, with Leah Michele, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison leading the cast. The series ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015 and won six Primetime Emmys.
