Darren Criss began a familiar Christmas duet at London’s Royal Albert Hall with one seemingly obvious problem: there was only one singer onstage.
Then Chris Colfer appeared, and a concert became a reunion that Glee fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate.
The former co-stars performed Baby, It’s Cold Outside together on October 18, nearly 16 years after their characters, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson, sang it in the show’s 2010 Christmas episode.
The moment brought a familiar piece of their fictional romance into a very different setting, with an enthusiastic live audience welcoming them back together.
A Surprise Worth Waiting For
As Variety reports, Criss introduced the number by suggesting he would handle both sides of the duet himself.
Colfer soon supplied the missing voice — and a perfectly timed joke.
“The only thing inappropriate about doing this song is doing it without me,” he said.
For anyone who remembers the original performance, the choice of song made the surprise especially effective.
This was a return to a specific scene, a specific pairing and the memories viewers associate with both.
Why Kurt and Blaine Still Matter
The characters became known to fans as Klaine, with their relationship developing across the series and eventually leading to marriage in its final season.
For many gay viewers, the appeal went beyond the songs.
A mainstream television series was giving two young men room for attraction, affection, complications and a future together.
Some viewers were watching while navigating their own first crushes or decisions about coming out.
Others were older, enjoying the romance while thinking about how different their own teenage television landscape had been.
That helps explain why a familiar duet can carry more emotional weight than its few minutes onstage might suggest.
The reunion is between the actors who brought those fictional partners to life, and the affection audiences have for their characters remains part of its appeal.
A Concert Reunion to Enjoy
BroadwayWorld has shared footage of the performance, giving fans beyond the concert hall a chance to enjoy the surprise.
The appearance also comes amid discussion of a possible Glee revival, but the duet itself was not an announcement of a returning series.
For now, the pleasure is in the performance: two former co-stars revisiting a song that still means something to the people who watched them sing it the first time.
Christmas arrived a little early for Glee fans in London.
📷 @darrencriss
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