The too-big-to-miss spring premiere of Glee airs at a special time Tuesday, April 13 @ 9:28-10:30 PM ET/PT following American Idol on FOX.

With its group dance numbers and earnest covers of songs like Journey’s buoyant “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Glee seems like the sunniest show on TV. But darkness lurks just barely below the surface — the series also seamlessly weaves in plots about teen pregnancy, scheming wives and the most hard-hearted cheerleading coach to ever grip a whistle. Rolling Stone’s Erik Hedegaard ventures into the Fox hit’s most controversial corners, uncovering the stories behind stolen car stereos, illegal substances, Facebook-revenge fantasies and more in our new issue, on sale at newsstands today.

Glee creator Ryan Murphy, who previously helmed Nip/Tuck, explains the show’s double-edged appeal: “It’s about there being great joy to being different, and great pain.” Twenty-three-year-old Lea Michele, the Broadway talent who plays Rachel, tells Hedegaard about her tattoos, and Cory Monteith, who portrays jock Finn, owns up to a few childhood arrests for offenses that “didn’t hurt people.” Dianna Argon (slippery cheerleader Quinn) describes what it was like joining the cast late and falling victim to Monteith’s fart pranks, and 19-year-old Chris Colfer, who bravely plays gay teen Kurt, opens up about his own painful youth and his never-changing voice. “You know that forget-and-forgive bullshit? No, no, no, no, not for me,” he says of channeling childhood traumas into creative energy. “You take that grudge and let that grudge fester, and then you use it.”

The only Glee cast member who threatens to traumatize Hedegaard is Jane Lynch, who channels her ferocious character Sue Sylvester to warn him against asking “stupid questions” (guess nobody wanted to chat about peeing in the shower!). Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers saw a softer side of Lynch when she stopped by the office recently for an Off the Cuff chat — watch it here. Grab the issue for the full story, and to check out the cast’s amazing high school yearbook photos.

Lea and Cory were all smiles as they took to the stage to present their category. They presented Dylan Sprouse with the award for Favorite TV Actor. Dylan is best known for his starring role on the Disney Channel sitcoms The Suite Life of Zack.

Get Lea’s look here!

Can you say – awwww!

Lea Michele’s deep navy Romona Keveza cocktail dress, smoldering smoky eye makeup and sophisticated side-swept bangs had Grammy glamour written all over it.

Her hair stylist Mark Townsend shares his secret to making her brunet locks shine.

“The Grammys are the biggest night in music and I really wanted to give her a little bit of an edge.” says Townsend, who is the same stylist who twisted that beautiful braid into Diane Kruger’s hair at last week’s SAG awards.

He ran some Moroccanoil treatment into the actresses hair while still damp, blew it dry and hit it with a straightening iron. “I still wanted it to have some movement, even though it was down and straight, so I put a little bend into the ends.” Townsend also cut the front of Michele’s hair into a little side-swept bang, giving her a sultry and more grown-up look.

Source: LA Times