Meet the Special Guests Singing on Season Two of ‘Glee’
Role: A Filipino foreign exchange student whose killer pipes challenge New Directions' brightest star, Rachel Berry (Lea Michele).
Résumé: This Filipino pop star — she placed third in the 2005 installment of the Philippines' equivalent of American Idol and has two albums under her belt — began making waves stateside last year. After playing President Obama's pre-inauguration festivities, the 2009 Oscars and appearing in last year's Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, Charice got a big lift this May when she performed on Oprah a week after her U.S. debut hit stores.
Hear Her Now: Charice's single "Pyramid," an R&B pop song remniscent of Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's "No Air," is streaming on her Myspace.
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Chord Overstreet
Role: Sam, who becomes a rival for New Directions lead guy Finn (Corey Monteith) after Finn takes the fellow athlete under his wing. This role was originally rumored to be a love interest for Chris Colfer's Kurt Hummel.
Résumé: Overstreet's biggest role to date is a stint on Nickelodeon's hit show iCarly.Hear Him Now: Sample Overstreet's vocals in a country-tinged tune titled "Death Row Paul Vocal" on his MySpace.
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John Stamos
Role: A dentist-turned-love interest for sweet guidance counselor Emma Pilsbury (Jayma Mays), who spent much of Season One infatuated with glee club advisor Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison).
Résumé: Best known for playing Uncle Jesse on Full House, Stamos has legit musical cred, including an ongoing gig drumming for the Beach Boys (catch him on tour with them now). Like much of Glee's cast, Stamos also starred on Broadway — he was both the risqué emcee in Cabaret and uptight Albert in Bye Bye Birdie.Hear Him Now: Check out Stamos fronting the Beach Boys in "Forever" in this classic Full House-era clip.
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Cheyenne Jackson
Role: The new coach of Vocal Adreneline.
Résumé: Broadway fans know Jackson best — he made his debut in the Tony-winning Thoroughly Modern Millie and starred in the musical adaptation of Xanadu, the movie that featured fellow Glee guest Olivia Newton-John — but TV addicts will recognize him from guest spots on 30 Rock, Ugly Betty and Curb Your Enthusiasm.Hear Him Now: Jackson and co-star Kate Baldwin perform "Old Devil Moon" from the recent revival of Finian's Rainbow in this clip.
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Idina Menzel
Role: Glee creator Ryan Murphy has said Menzel will return as Shelby Corcoran, Rachel Berry's biological mother. This time, though, she won't be coaching New Directions' rival glee club, Vocal Adrenaline.
Résumé: Long before Menzel's Season One appearance on Glee was confirmed, fans were vocally campaigning for her to play Rachel's mom due to the duo's resemblence to one another. She's best known for her time on Broadway, where she starred as Maureen in the original cast of Rent and originated the role of the green witch Elphaba in Wicked (alongside fellow Glee guest Kristin Chenowith).Hear Her Now: Menzel performs "Defying Gravity" from Wicked with co-star Chenowith on the 2004 Tony awards in this clip.
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Kristin Chenoweth
ole: The boozy April Rhodes, who enjoyed glory as a member of New Directions when current director Will Schuester was in high school. Things went downhill after that, and Rhodes' two appearances in Season One dealt with her attempting to rediscover her former glory. Creator Ryan Murphy has said Chenoweth will reprise her role in Season Two.
Résumé: Chenoweth was previously on TV in The West Wing and Pushing Daisies. A former opera singer, she has starred in a host of Broadway Shows including You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Wicked and the current revival of Promises, Promises with Will and Grace's Sean Hayes.Hear Her Now: Chenoweth sings "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret on Glee in this clip.
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The Britney Spears Episode
What We Know: Following last season's Madonna and Lady Gaga tributes, Glee will honor Britney Spears with fan favorite Brittany (Heather Morris) taking on two as-of-yet unnamed tunes from Spears' catalog.
What We Don't Know: Will Britney make a cameo? Which tracks will get Glee'd — and which scandalous costumes will get recreated? And will the boys tackle "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" like they sang Madonna's "What It Feels Like For a Girl"? Ryan Murphy, in addition to promising Glee will revisit Madonna's music and offer a fresh take on Rocky Horror Picture Show, says he's talking to Spears about the episode now. — By Erica Futterman