One only needs to visit my blog for 5 minutes, and you can tell that I am a Gleek. I LOVE the show Glee and in particular, Lea Michele. So when Glee decided to air a reality show about searching America for a new cast member…was I going to watch it?! OF. COURSE.
I HAD to check it out…see what it’s all about:
Basically there are 12 contestants that were picked by Glee‘s casting director (not sure if only him or others as well) to vie for a 7-episode stint on the show. They will be given tasks where they need to…just like the current cast…SING, DANCE & ACT. Not a small feat.
Verdict on the contestants?
Credit: EW
Well, let’s just start by saying that…like Glee, the group of contestants is JUST as varied. All shapes, sizes and colors. 
First thing I thought when I saw all of them tho…UMM, do you REALLY think any of you are just as good as ANYONE on the current cast?! I know that’s mean, but…COME ON. I mean, I KNOW that whoever wins this show is only going to be a temporary cast member, but…still. There’s no way I was going to watch this show and NOT compare with the current cast.
Actually, seeing these contestants really makes me appreciate the current cast. No matter how much I knock Cory Monteith for not being a good dancer and for being a so-so singer…gotta give it to him. He DOES have some type of charisma and really fits his role SO WELL. 
These contestants ARE talented to a certain extent…but they just AREN’T them. You know?
What’s kinda of weird…and cool (because I’m a fan and I LOVE all the music they do on the show) is that the show makes the contestans perform the SAME SONGS that have been performed on the show. In this first episode, the whole group of 12 had to perform a group number to Katy Perry’s Firework, which is the song Lea Michele/Rachel performed in the Valentine’s episode. They actually made their own music video with that song and everything. Kinda weird (and a bit dorky) to see these contestants trying to make a Glee music video.
Another cool thing is that the contestants get to work with the ACTUAL producers/choreographers that currently work on the show. They basically are doing the same things that the current cast do…dance rehearsals, studio recordings of the songs they sing, etc. Zach Woodlee (Glee‘s choreographer) and Robert Ulrich (Glee‘s casting director) in particular have big roles and work with the contestants a lot. They decide which 3 contestants did not perform up to par are put in danger/the Bottom 3.
Probably the best part of this show is that every week, one of the current cast members makes a surprise guest appearance on the show!
The guest for this first episode was Darren Criss (Blaine), which in itself made the days of the contestants! Darren gives them feedback on their performances and actually gives one-on-one time/advice to the contestant that did the best in one of the tasks they were given.
The scary and most intimidating thing is that the Bottom 3 have to peform in front of RYAN MURPHY (Glee‘s creator) to try to win a “callback” and thus save themselves from elimination. Man…talk about pressure! I mean…Ryan Murphy is the BIG HONCHO of this show! Wow. And not only that, but when they perform, they DON’T get to pick the song they sing…the producers pick it for them. Even MORE pressure!
So overall the show is pretty interesting…It’s actually pretty cool to see what goes into making an episode…and you get to see just HOW MUCH this current cast has to deal with for every episode! I think I’m gonna have a hard time embracing ANY of these contestants, as I KNOW they’re casting to try to bring in FRESH BLOOD for the show. I’m still in denial and hoping that they WON’T graduate this current cast any time soon (altho Ryan Murphy KEEPS saying how they’re going to be leaving/graduating). I CANNOT IMAGINE ANY OTHER people being able to REPLACE this current cast. It’s just not gonna work, in my opinion. But I will keep watching this show…mainly for the Glee guest stars and for the entertainment of comparing it to the real show.
If you’re a fan of Glee, I think you’ll appreciate this show and enjoy it! Give it a try!
THE GLEE PROJECT
SUNDAYS
OXYGEN NETWORK
