Hannah is eliminated from The Glee Project
The Glee Project is down to 5 contestants: Damian, Hannah, Alex, Samuel and Lindsay. Glee star, Jenna Ushkowitz drops by to help the contestants Get Real.
This week’s music video is Paramore’s “Only Exception”
Oh by the way…These spoilers were CRAP.
This week on The Glee Project, the lesson is “Believability”. The five remaining contestants–Samuel, Hannah, Damian, Lindsay and Alex will be asked to display their acting chops this week.
The homework assignment is a full performance of “True Colors” and to help the kids find their inner truth is the gleekster who sang the Cyndi Lauper classic on Glee—Jenna Ushkowitz, who plays Tina! The first thing Jenna does is take off her fingerless gloves. “That’s Tina, ” she says, “it’s not me.” It’s pretty ironic, considering the kids personalities are evaluated by the judges each week as if they will be playing themselves if they win a part.
The song is broken up into individual solos. Jenna and casting director, Robert Ulrich evaluate each performance, judging each contestant on how much truth they bring to their performance. Jenna thought all 5 were amazing, but was especially impressed with Hannah’s sweet, joyful interpretation. She wins the mentoring session with Jenna.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIHF_8eX5mw
This week’s music video will, for the first time, have no choreography. Only Alex is disappointed by that development, which is a little surprising, because he typically zones out when he has to dance. This week’s video will be “The Only Exception” by Paramore. While the kids will get a break on the dancing, the lens will be merciless, as the production will be full of closeups. There will be no hiding or faking it this week.
Next, the kids record their vocals with Nikki. She’s expecting to have a rough time with the kids, and she does, but not in the way she expected. Hannah nails it on the second take. She’s happy with Samuel, but thinks he needs to sing with more confidence. Alex is using his unresolved feelings about the death of his father as his emotional connection to the song. He begins to cry, and is so upset, Nikki enters the booth to comfort him. Afterward, she gets, what she thinks, is a beautiful performance out of Alex–very simple and NOT over the top, as he’s wont to do.
Lindsay is next and is back to her old copycat ways. She cries in the booth too, but Nikki isn’t buying it, believing that she’s forcing emotional drama rather than really feeling. Lindsay is such a good actress, she almost gets away with it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdZoThppifM
The music video is set up like a round robin: Hannah longs for Alex, who longs for Sam, who longs for Lindsay, who longs for Damian… Jenna tells Hannah in their one-on-one that she needs to make every performance like it was her last. Sam is very unsure of his acting skills. During the homework assignment, Lindsay was rolling her eyes, noting that Sam has basically one look. Lindsay can be catty, but she’s got a point. Sam is a very intense and charismatic presence, but his performances lack nuance.
The producers feel Alex is coming off sad and depressed, rather than smitten. They talk to him, and his final performance gives them chills. Damian is skittish about his closeups, and it turns out he’s got this weird eyebrow thing going on, which the producers stop and tell him about. Lindsay’s performance is leaving them cold. She’s a great actress and singer, but she does not make them feel anything. Samuel is coming on too strong in a performance that lacks vulnerability. Subtly is not coming easy for some of the contenders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAvj0dEdPMY
Since there was no choreography, Nikki joins the Bottom 3 reveal instead of Zach. They were impressed with Damian’s acting, but were frustrated with Lindsay–they thought she was faking it. Nikki didn’t feel Sam’s romantic side on the shoot. They felt Alex’s performance was wrong at first, but when he was given a note, he was “breathtaking.”
Alex and Damian are called back (much to Damian’s shock). The bottom 3 are Samuel, Hannah and Lindsay.
The producers assignments: Lindsay is handed “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret which she says she’s never heard. Samuel has “Animal” by Neon Trees and Hannah is given, much to her delight, “Back to December” by Taylor Swift.
rev bel from MJ Santilli on Vimeo.
They scatter to the practice rooms to rehearse. Samuel isn’t ready to go home. This is his 1st time in the bottom 3, and he’s really nervous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ohPLkeTBk
Last Chance perforamnces with co-creator, Ryan Murphy: Ryan kind of rolls his eyes when he hears that Hannah is back. Robert says she’s struggled, but knows it. She sings a very pretty and pleasant version of the Taylor Swift tune, but it’s unremarkable. Ryan says she has a hard road, because the people up against her are better singers. She has heart, he says, but she needs to have more confidence. “I wish you saw what we see, ” says Ryan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUMKzOfXp4g
Lindsay is next. Robert explains that she’s a great actress with an amazing voice, but she wasn’t convincing in this piece. She is a sensational singer. For someone who didn’t know the song, she sure is comfortable performing it. Ryan says she could be the next Lea Michele, but unlike Lea’s character, he does not root for her. Lindsay tears up as she explains that she’s been brought up to be strong. Vulnerability is not an option. She’s adopted, and has spent her life proving to her family that she belongs. Ryan says he finally sees the girl he’s looking for.
lynd bel from MJ Santilli on Vimeo.
Samuel is next. He’s very entertaining. Great singer, works the stage. Not sure what the fake British accent is about. The whole performance seems contrived, which is the wrong thing for this particular assignment. Ryan says Samuel is special and rarefied, but not relatable. He’s looking for Sam’s soft side, but doesn’t see it. He would have preferred an emotional, swoonworthy performance, rather than a stage full of braggadocio. Apparently, Sam said he was afraid that Ryan would write him gay. Ryan wants to know what that’s about. Sam says he was afraid his Christian parents would be upset, but he had a talk with his mother, and she’s cool with it. Now, Ryan is thinking he could be the Christian character he’s been wanting to cast on Glee. Sam’s all “Hells ya I’m a Christian! I have JESUS tattooed on the back of my neck!” Whoa down boy. You’re trying just a leetle bit too hard.
sm bel from MJ Santilli on Vimeo.
Eliminations are next. The call back list is posted, and the three nervously leave the studio to learn their fate. Hannah is eliminated. Ryan has said every week, that he’s looking for people he can write to. But this week, he’s changed his mind. Although he calls Hannah “the show” he decides to keep Samuel and Lindsay, whom he called unrelatable and fake, respectively. Go figure. That mercurial Mr. Murphy. Still an asshat. I’m thinking the “fat girl” quotient might be filled on Glee, with Lauren (Ashley Fink) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) already members of New Directions.
elim bel from MJ Santilli on Vimeo.
