Wicked’s Idina Menzel Joins the Cast of ‘Glee’

Will Schuester has a new rival.

Idina Menzel, Broadway star, is currently in negotiations for joining “Glee,” the series on Fox, to be a recurring character.

The character of Menzel will be the glee club coach for Vocal Adrenaline, the main competitor to the glee club of McKinley High. Menzel is expected to have appearances in all the nine remaining episodes this season.

Menzel is a big “Glee” fan and also of Lea Michele, Glee’s young star who is a Broadway pro as well.

Michele and Menzel have a strong resemblance to each other as well as similar background in musical theater. In fact, fans have lobbied for Menzel to play in the role of biological mother to Rachel Berry, Michele’s character.

Menzel earned a Tony award for her role in the musical “Wicked.” Kristin Chenoweth, her co-star in Wicked, earlier this season made a guest star appearance on “Glee.”

Menzel is Broadway’s second name this spring to land one of the recurring roles on “Glee.”

Jonathan Groff, co-star with Michele in “Spring Awakening” on Broadway, will be involved in a five or six episode story line. He will play Vocal Adrenaline’s lead male vocalist as well as a potential Rachel Berry love interest.

“Glee” tells the story of the glee club of McKinley High, a bunch of misfits who are led by Schuester (played by Matthew Morrison), a Spanish teacher, on their journey to make it to national championships. So far the biggest nemesis for Schuester has been Sue Sylvester, coach of McKinley High’s cheerleading squad. Jane Lynch plays Sylvester.

The fall run for “Glee” will wrap up with the episode “Sectionals” on Wednesday.

By Julie Harmon On December 10, 2009

All photos made available via creative commons licensing courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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