Glee-Cap: A Dream of an Episode with Neil Patrick Harris and Idina Menzel

Even by Glee standards, the “Dream On” episode was heavy on Broadway love…and we wouldn’t have it any other way. With Assassins vet Neil Patrick Harris in a sing-off with South Pacific vet Matthew Morrison (standing on a Les Miz barricade, no less—but we're getting ahead of ourselves), Jonathan Groff invoking Patti and Mandy, Idina Menzel being revealed as Lea Michele's birth mom... it's almost too much to process in one sitting! Let’s take a look at the biggest moments from the episode.

Blast From the Past
When Will’s awesomely named former high school enemy turned school board member Bryan Ryan (Harris) turns up, a flashback shows a shy, teenage Mr. Schuester rocking a horribly patterned sweater and braces during his early '90s high school career. Bryan Ryan sports a brutal mullet as he belts out a campy rendition of “Daydream Believer”…with magic tricks included!

Mamma Mia!
Rachel and Jesse are reunited after he watches her re-enact Laurey's dream ballet from Oklahoma! (revealed to be one of her three dream roles, along with Evita and Funny Girl). Speaking of Evita, Rachel's yearning to meet her birth mother leads to an elaborate theory: She's the daughter of Patti LuPone—who just happened to be touring Ohio with Mandy Patinkin at a crucial moment in 1994. This notion leads Jesse to utter a line we never expected to hear on network TV: “Are you saying that your fathers impregnated Patti LuPone in the Marriott in Akron? Was Mandy Patinkin in on this?” Crestfallen, Rachel ponders whether Bernadette Peters might actually be her mom. (All right, Glee, can we get Patti or Bernadette to guest star soon?)

Horrible Intentions
Hell-bent on slashing the Glee budget, Ryan lashes out at the students' musical dreams. “Unless [your dream] is to work for a mid-market health insurance provider or find an entry level job in an elderly care facility, you’re going to be very disappointed,” Ryan yells. Leave it up to the always optimistic Mr. Shuester to reignite Ryan’s show biz sparks by reminding him of his glory days as soloist in a prize-winning version of “Piano Man.” Yes, Ryan admits, "I have a box of Playbills in my basement, like porn." Bryan and Will end up auditioning for the role of Jean Valjean in a local production of Les Miserables, rocking out to Aerosmith’s “Dream On” atop the famous French barracks. We hear the people sing, and we love it!

Playing It Safe-ty
Artie and Tina’s relationship continues to blossom, but Artie’s handicap holds him back from his dream: dancing. In an elaborately staged fantasy dance number Artie leaves his wheelchair behind to lead a mall-full of dancers in a flash mob-esque number to “The Safety Dance.” Kevin McHale gets to show off some impressive moves, though in the end, Artie remains in the chair to sing "Dream a Little Dream," accompanying Tina and another Glee member in a bittersweet soft-shoe routine.

Dream Come True
Glee fans' dreams come true when Rachel’s mother is revealed to be Tony winner Idina Menzel. Returning as Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran, Menzel confides in Jesse how, 17 years earlier, she signed up as a surrogate for Rachel’s fathers in hopes of earning some cash to head to New York. Given the Les Miz foreshadowing and the episode's overall theme, we shouldn't have been surprised at what followed: a thrilling fantasy duet between Idina and Lea (er, Shelby and Rachel) of one of the most haunting laments ever sung by a stage mother, Fantine's “I Dreamed a Dream.” Talk about layers of subtext: The song was originated in the London production of Les Miz by Patti LuPone—and Lea played Fantine's beloved daughter, Cosette, in the Broadway production of the show. As we said before, too much to process in one sitting!