Phoebe Strole Going From Broadway To ‘Glee’

Phoebe Strole is joining the cast of Glee this season, but it won’t be too big a jump for the actress.

Strole has starred in Broadway’s Spring Awakening, which also features Glee stars Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff.

Reports said that Strole will join Glee in the recurring role as Penny Owen, a college sophomore and love interests for Sam (Chord Overstreet).

Phoebe Strole is the second big star to join the cast of Glee in recent days. Earlier this week producer announced that actress and singer Demi Lovato will be joining Season 5 as a friend of Rachel and Santana. Lovato will play a struggling artist, and will be featured in at least six episodes starting with the show’s Beatles tribute on October 3.

Lea Michele tweeted about the news this week, saying she was excited to have both actresses joining the show.

“Such amazing news that two of my very best friends are going to be on #Glee this year! [Demi Lovato] & [Phoebe Strole],” she tweeted.

The new additions have shown that Glee is moving forward after the sudden death of star Cory Monteith in July. Producers have planned a tribute to the actor who played main character Finn Hudson. This week actress Jane Lynch said the tributed planned for Monteith is “the most beautiful thing” and Michele also shared a picture of herself with a necklace reading “Finn.”

After Monteith’s death, there had been talk that the show may be in its final season. This year saw a number of original cast members leave, and Jayma Mays has also announced that she will leave at the end of the upcoming season.

The 30-year-old Phoebe Strole has an acting resume that includes appearances on 30 Rock and Law & Order, as well as her work on Broadway.