Glee-cap: Gleeks and Idina Menzel Hit By Gaga Fever

"Rah rah, ah ah ah, Roma roma-ma, Gaga ooh la la." That's the sound of Lady Gaga bouncing through the halls of McKinley High, along with Kurt's absurd platform booties. Following in the footsteps of Glee’s Madonna-themed  episode, the show tipped a space-age cap to the white-hot pop star in an episode appropriately titled "Theatricality." Our story begins when Principal Higgins, fearful of Twilight’s popularity, threatens Tina with suspension unless she tones down her "goth" look. Inspired by a spy mission to Vocal Adrenaline's rehearsal of "Bad Romance," the Glee kids decide that they, too, will look to Lady Gaga for inspiration. Along the way, one parent stands up for his kid while parent-child relationship ends in heartbreak. Read on for our favorite moments from the episode.

Groovy Gaga Get-ups:
As Kurt notes, Lady Gaga changes “her look faster than Britt changes sexual partners,” so there are plenty of crazy costumes for the gang to replicate. Tina rocks Gaga’s signature bubble dress, Kurt recreates her Alexander McQueen “Bad Romance” get-up, Quinn sports some seriously lengthy pink faux eyelashes (from her 2010 Grammy dress), and Brittany goes nautical with a silver lobster hat. Our favorite? It's a tie between Rachel and Santana. Poor Rach assembles a make-shift version of Gaga’s infamous Kermit the Frog dress by stapling together a slew of stuffed animals, noting that her dads can’t sew. (She gets an A for effort). Santana, on the other hand, looks as if she stepped out of the pages of Vogue in a fierce black rose headdress and lace bodysuit. The cheerleader even vamps up her performance as the crew “rah rah rahs” through their version of “Bad Romance.”

Sadie, Sadie, Related Ladies:
While spying on Vocal Adrenaline, Rachel discovers what viewers already know: Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel) is her mother. Showing off their shared affinity for the one and only Barbra Joan, Shelby tears into the title song from Streissand’s signature show (and Rachel’s favorite), Funny Girl. There’s nothing to laugh at here, as the always amazing Tony winner (who performed at a special 2002 Funny Girl concert) gives a perfect performance. Recognizing the voice from the tape recording she received last week, Rachel puts the pieces together…more like "Mama, Can you hear me?”

Surprise Inner-Rock Stars:
In an unexpected twist, Gaga’s music ends up sharing the episode with another iconic group prone to theatrics. The guys are not thrilled with the prospect of getting dolled up as Gaga monsters—so they don tight leather and black-and-white face paint instead, while jamming to KISS's “Shout It Out Loud.” The girls and Kurt are impressed: “Finn kept sticking his tongue out and licking himself; it was disturbing!” Tina shrieks. Puck goes on to perform the band’s ballad “Beth” as a sincere plea to Quinn, asking for permission to be present for their baby’s birth.

Father Knows Best:
Kurt and Finn’s relationship remains complicated, as their parents move in together and the guys find themselves roommates. Finn doesn’t react well to Kurt’s flamboyant transformation of their living quarters…calling the room “faggy.” In a powerful scene, Kurt’s dad overhears Finn’s hateful slur and steps in to defend his son. “I thought you were different, Finn,” he says, before asking the football star to leave. “My family comes first, and we can’t have that kind of poison around.”

Dueling Divas:
A happy mother-daughter ending isn't in the cards for Shelby and Rachel. Shelby, who can't have more children, is crushed to realize that Rachel is no longer the little girl she hoped to nurture. “I’m your mother, not your mom. Let’s just be grateful for each other from afar,” she tells her daughter. Thankfully the power of song helps alleviate the sadness, as the duo agree to sing together before parting. Last week, Lea and Idina went Broadway in an “I Dreamed a Dream” fantasy sequence. This time, they go head to head in a unique rendition of Lady Gaga's “Poker Face.” It’s nothing short of spectacular…and we’re not bluffing!