While there is simply no denying the Glee gang’s infectious charm for rebranding classic soft rock, contemporary pop and big-ballad show tunes into a flashy up-tempo package, for many viewers the main attraction remains Jane Lynch’s acerbic cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. This makes her absence from the 3D concert movie all the greater, with a purveying sense that all that’s on offer here is some very upscale karaoke attempting to cash in on fan favour and residual interest in the concert shenanigans of Cyrus, Bieber and Jonas, Inc.
The cast of the show, a hodgepodge ethnic mix of Ohioan high-schoolers united by a love of music and some serious vocal talent, come together here, some contractually bound, to perform as McKinley High’s New Directions Glee Club, performing a number of popular songs and dance routines from the first two seasons of creator Ryan Murphy’s contemporary twist on the Fame formula. And who better to take the helm from Murphy on directing duties than Kevin Tancharoen, the man behind the 2009 reboot of the leg-warmer antics of the New York Academy of Performing Arts.
