Recovering Gleeks never stood a chance. Most hit TV shows that end poorly slink off into the darkness with a few standout performers developing careers that make you say, “Oh yeah, that person was on that.†Not Glee. The stages of New York are infested with former Glee stars at the moment, and post–Lea Michele, the boy crushes are getting their moment. Straight-men-who-played-gay Grant Gustin and Darren Criss are currently in Water for Elephants and Little Shop of Horrors, respectively, while gay-man-who-played-straight Jonathan Groff stars in Merrily We Roll Along. Groff is no stranger to the stage (he’s got two Tony noms under his belt already), and Criss was on Broadway in How to Succeed … and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. But the real surprise is Gustin, making his Broadway debut and creating a new un-Holy Trinity. He showed off approximately two lines of live vocal chops while on Good Morning America on March 12 — wearing impressively high-waisted pants and pontificating about the ethics of lying circuses, which is honestly a weird hill to die on. Either way, if he can get some of that “Smooth Criminal†juice out for the romantic scenes, he’ll be worth the price of admission. (And even if he can’t, there’s still an elephant puppet.)
While three separate Glee heartthrobs performing musicals at the same time is notable for sheer coincidence, the literal stage was set by a bevy of Glee stars before them. Glee and Glee Project alumni Alex Newell and Ali Stroker are both Tony Award winners (for Shucked and Oklahoma! that fucks, respectively). Plus, Lea Michele showcased the lasting audience fascination with Glee when she turned Funny Girl into a hit in 2022. Now all we need is for an Amber Riley–starring production of Dreamgirls to finally land in New York. Seriously, why do the Londoners get all the fun?