‘Places’ Artist Lea Michele Heads Back To The Stage, Where She Feels ‘Most Home And Alive’

Lea Michele has had a wonderful time starring on Glee and in Scream Queens, but acting isn’t her only interest and, as she reveals with the launch of a new album and tour, making music really is her greatest love. Promising fans that she hasn’t given up on acting, Lea takes to the road to promote the new record, Places, and to spend time in theaters, where she feels most comfortable. Michele took the time to talk about her acting departure, her feelings about making music, and her experience in creating Places.

Places Brings Lea Michele Home

Actress and stage performer Lea Michele tells Philly.com that she has been an entertainer since she was 8-years-old and adds that she was fortunate enough to get her start on Broadway at that young age. From there, Ms. Michele transitioned to television and film, but she never lost her love for the theater.

“That’s where I’m most home and alive,” Lea says of the theater. “So my main goal with this new record is — though I am still doing a television show regularly — to utilize the free time that I have in my life to get on the road and perform this.”

That new album, of course, is Places, but Ms. Michele reveals that her concert tour will also feature songs from her time on Glee and songs from her previous album, 2014’s Louder. Lea says the collection of performances will be as close as she can get to sharing a complete version of herself on stage, which is something she’s been wanting to do for years.

Places draws its title from a common term used in theater to announce the beginning of a scene and, as Ms. Michele shares her reason for adopting the word for her album title, she reinforces the feeling that the theater will always be her family.

“I wanted the album to show where I come from — the stage — where I got my education. ‘Places’ in theater is where they put you, where you have to go at the top of the show. It is my version of yelling ‘show time!'”

Speaking of Places, Lea Michele offered a few teasers about some of her favorite new songs. She says “Getaway Car” is about the feelings stirred by first love, and the experience of driving with that first love with the open road ahead and the radio turned up. She compares the song to “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman.

Another one of Lea’s new favorites is “Hey You,” a song which she says is a very personal exploration of a past relationship.

“I can’t tell you who it’s about but people will interpret it for themselves and make of it what they like,” says Lea. “I’ll talk about that during the show. You should come. I walk down memory lane and talk about the future.”

Lea Michele Looks Back At Glee

During her recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Lea reminisced about her glory days on Glee and, as Digital Spy reports, the conversation revealed Ms. Michele’s least favorite performance. Glee represented a variety of styles and musical tastes, so there was bound to be something that the actress and singer disliked. Asked if “Gangnam Style” was her least favorite, the Places artist said there was one song she found even more cringeworthy.

While Glee showrunner Ryan Murphy felt that song was the most “mortifying” in the show’s history, Michele insists that honor was reserved for another.

“I think the worst was the ‘What Does The Fox Say’ song, it was like an internet sensation song that we did with puppets,” says Lea. “That was definitely my least favorite song that we ever did.”

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Ms. Michele adds that her favorite numbers on Glee were “Somebody to Love” and “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Even accepting there were bad times along with the good, Lea Michele looks back on her Glee days with fondness.

She says playing Rachel Berry was “the most incredible time of my life.”

[Featured Image by Charley Gallay/Getty Images]