You guys, we have such mixed feelings about Lea Michele! One minute she’s blowing us away with her talent and adorableness, and the next she’s being kind of awkward and socially challenged and we don’t know what to even do with her! But. It is her birthday. So we thought we’d pay tribue to Ms. Michele, in all of her vast complexity, by showing you some of our favorite YouTubery in which she factors large. Enjoy!
1. Lea Michele and Gavin Creel singing “The Word of Your Body” from Spring Awakening
BECAUSE THIS ISN’T WEIRD AT ALL. Lea deffers isn’t like, a decade younger, or child size compared to the very 6’2 Gavin Creel. We totally believe that they’re both hormonal teenagers in 1890s Germany who are about to do the dirty together. But really. Though it is difficult to imagine anyone could suspend their disbelief enough to buy these two as a star-crossed teenage couple, this song marks the beginning of Lea’s journey with Spring Awakening–one that would ultimately lead her to Jonathan Groff, and eventually Glee.
2. Lea Michele tells People.com about her first Glee audition, with clips for illustrative purposes
Holy shit, she really IS Rachel Berry, yo! No wonder she’s so convincing. We appreciate Michele’s own sense of humor as she shares a video that we can only think to describe as Classic Lea. Hilarious. After that we’re not shocked she landed the gig, are you?
3. Lea Michele performs “The Wizard and I” from Wicked at Feinstein’s in 2008
Sure, in person she seems kind of more like a Galinda, but as a performer, Michele is clearly an Elphaba. Feinstein’s is a pretty small room for a voice this big, but we’re not gonna lie, we’d kind of love to hear her blow some vocal chords belting this shit out in a tiny room.
4. Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff perform “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeny Todd
Okay. You got us. We just wanted to ensure there was a least a little Groffinator in here. Also, we were at this cabaret, watching from pretty much the same angle this video was shot at, so its a fun little trip down memory lane. Plus who doesn’t love a little Sondheim duet, right? Or that amazing moment around 3:04 where Groffalicious is CRYING and Lea reaches out to wipe a tear from his angelic cheek.
5. Lea Michele Belts “Don’t Rain on my Parade” to the Rafters at the 2010 Tony Awards
Well. This is it, isn’t it? Lea’s big moment. Sure, she’d performed at the Tonys before–as part of the ensemble piece from Spring Awakening 3 years earlier–but she’d never been the star of the number, or for that matter, such a star of the broadcast itself. Another perk of starring in the year’s biggest TV show, we suppose–you get to use the Tony Awards to audition for your dream role in Funny Girl.
{ 2 comments… add one }
I definitely refer to the True Colors Cabaret video as “the one where Groffles cries”.
It still boggles the mind how the whole 13 year old Lea and 23 year old Gavin thing happened. Did no one at any point go “well, yeah, they’re awesome, but this is really effing creepy and weird”? It’s one of life’s great mysteries for me.
I hope the make the movie version of Wicked soon, before Lea is too old to play Elphaba on screen.