Why Glee Needs Olivia Newton-John

"Glee" is the Fox musical dramatic series that premiered in the fall of 2009. Its covers of pop songs repeatedly top the charts on iTunes, and its talented cast members--including the unbeatable Jane Lynch--have become television stars in a short amount of time. Yet, having Olivia on the show for the May 4 episode upped its fan base, bringing in a slew of new fans that are hopelessly devoted to Olivia Newton-John.

About Olivia

Olivia, who turns 62 in September, has a career that has earned her the status of a diva, but she is never known as one, since she is always kind and considerate. Not exactly demanding on any level, Olivia is known for making time for fans and giving back. For example, she has been fund-raising for a cancer center in Australia for years, even walking the Great Wall of China in fund-raising efforts. However, the writers of "Glee" decided to have some fun with her "wholesome" reputation, and they made her character a real diva.

One example of Olivia playing a different version of Olivia on "Glee" is this: When she calls up the character of Sue Sylvester, Olivia introduces herself as the star of the most successful movie musical of all time. Yes, she is, but she has also been notoriously humble about the honor in real life.

Glee Producer and Cast on Olivia

Cast members, crew members and producers alike were gushing at the appearance of Olivia Newton-John on Glee. Although Olivia's scenes were filmed on their off days, cast members Dianna Agron and Chris Colfer showed up for a set visit to meet the great singer. She was thrilled to meet them as well, calling their visits lovely.

Jane Lynch gushed before and after Olivia's appearance about how thrilled she was and that it was a complete dream come true to work with her. She even told E! Online, "I'm so excited I can't see straight." She went on to say something I wholeheartedly agree with, "Olivia provided the soundtrack for my tortured adolescence. Her charitable work and commitment to making others' lives and the life of the planet better is so inspiring."

Adam Anders, the producer of "Glee," is a big Olivia Newton-John fan. He first approached her to do the show, and he waxed poetic about her to the media. "I totally geeked out when she started singing 'Physical,'" he told MTV.

The Episode with Olivia

Olivia's appearance on "Glee" fits perfectly into this quirky episode, which originally aired May 4, 2010. One of the students seeks revenge on Coach Sue Sylvester (played to perfection by Jane Lynch) by uploading a video of the coach jazzercizing to "Physical" on YouTube. After its initial embarrassment, it ends up working in the coach's favor, though. Word gets out to Olivia about the viral success, and she decides to re-record her 1980's hit with none another than Coach Sue Sylvester.

The set design is perfect for the recreation video of "Physical." The same tiling, design, look and feel of the original video is captured, and "Physical" was actually re-recorded for the show, allowing the two to sing together.

Since the episode aired, the remade version of "Physical" as soared on iTunes singles charts, making it yet another hit in the wildly successful career of Olivia Newton-John and another hit for the great TV Show, "Glee."

Olivia's Future with Glee

"Glee" knows a good thing when it sees it. Olivia has filmed scenes for the season finale of "Glee," reprising her role as herself, except a more diva-like version. She'll be a talent judge on the season ender that is set to air June 8, 2010 on Fox.

Sources cited:
E! Online [ http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b161414_glees_jane_lynch_on_guest_star_olivia.html ]
MTV: Glee [ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638408/20100504/newton_john_olivia.jhtml ]