Glee Project Contestants Shine in Premiere

During Sunday night's premi¨re, Glee Project contestants geared up for a tough competition. The Oxygen Channel singing contest pits a dozen talented performers against each other in hopes of finding a new cast member for hit show Glee. These singers have already survived the grueling auditions, during which over 40,000 other contestants got the axe.

The premiere's theme is individuality. Casting director Robert Ulrich believes that the ideal Glee actor will inspire writers to craft storylines around them. As a test of individuality, each contestant received lines from Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed and Delivered . Matheus won the challenge, earning the opportunity to work one-on-one with guest star Darren Criss .

The next challenge on Glee Project was a video shoot of Firework by Katy Perry, choreographed by Zach Woodlee and directed by Eric White. Each contestant chose a yearbook title to build a character around. After an entertaining and impressivelyGlee -like performance, the bottom three sang for their lives. Ultimately, the rather forgettable Bryce went home.

Although a tad gimmicky, the Glee Project may be enough to ease withdrawal symptoms for devoted Gleeks . And who knows, there might be a breakout star hidden among the talented contenders.