Ushkowitz was born in Seoul, South Korea; she was adopted at the age of three months and raised in East Meadow, New York. Ushkowitz was raised Catholic and attended Parkway Elementary School and Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, a Catholic school in Hicksville, Long Island known for its strong theater department. During high school, Ushkowitz appeared in several musicals, including the first-ever high school production of Les Misérables. Her other roles included Penny in Honk!, Inez in The Baker's Wife, Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods, and Romaine Patterson in The Laramie Project. She graduated from high school in 2004 and moved on to attend Marymount Manhattan College, where she once again took the role of Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan in 2007 with a B.A. in Acting, with a concentration in Theater Performance and a minor in Musical Theater.
Ushkowitz has had a career in show business since the age of three. As a child, she appeared on Sesame Street and other children's television shows. Her first role in a Broadway musical was in a 1996 revival of The King and I.
Ushkowitz sang the American National Anthem at a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden when she was thirteen. Before joining the cast of Glee, she was an understudy for the roles of Anna, Martha, Thea and Ilse in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening.
In 2009, she landed the role of Tina Cohen-Chang on Fox's musical high school show Glee. Her character had a stutter for the first nine episodes until she revealed she had been faking one due to her extreme shyness. Her storylines have included dating fellow glee club members Artie Abrams and Mike Chang. Her solos have included the songs "Tonight" from West Side Story, "True Colors", and "ABC" by the Jackson 5.
Ushkowitz has performed live concert shows in the US, England, and Ireland with her castmates from Glee. She has known Glee co-star Lea Michele since they were eight years old; they also co-starred on Broadway in Spring Awakening. Ushkowitz was initially given little information about Tina's backstory, and believed that her stutter was real. She was pleased when the truth was revealed, however, explaining: "It would have been fun to keep it because that just gives her one more quirk, but this opens up a whole new set of doors for Tina." Ushkowitz has created her own backstory for Tina, and believes that she is rebelling against her mother rather than genuinely being a goth, explaining: "I don't think her room is filled with dark posters and heavy metal stuff—I just think this is a phase she's going through. There's definitely a lot of options for all the characters to evolve and change next year. I'm totally rooting for Tina to join The Cheerios [the school's cheerleading squad] or something crazy like that."
We Need a Little Christmas
Jenna Ushkowitz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stocking,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Right this very minute.
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry,
So climb down the chimney,
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
Slice up the fruitcake,
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For I've grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older,
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
Need a little Christmas now.
Haul out the holly,
Well, once I taught you all to live each living day.
Fill up the stocking,
Young Patrick:
But Auntie Man, it's one week from Thanksgiving Day now.
But we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry,
So climb down the chimney,
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
Slice up the fruitcake,
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now.
Need a little Christmas now.
The lyrics of Jenna Ushkowitz's song "We Need a Little Christmas" reflect the desperation of the singer, who feels worn down by life and in need of some holiday cheer. The repeated refrain of "we need a little Christmas" underscores this theme, as the singer exhorts listeners to join her in celebrating the season despite the fact that it hasn't even snowed yet. The singer is so desperate for holiday joy that she's willing to rush through the preparations to achieve it, putting up the tree and stockings "before her spirit falls again." She implores Santa to hurry down the chimney so they can "slice up the fruitcake" and "hang some tinsel on that evergreen bough."
The song's repeated references to specific holiday traditions, like carols and candles, help to create a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler time. The singer feels that she has become "leaner, colder, sadder, older" and needs to recapture a sense of joy and innocence. This is reinforced by the line "I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder," which suggests a desire for guidance and comfort in troubled times. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of urgency and desperation for the singer and an exhortation to embrace the holiday spirit despite any misgivings or obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
Haul out the holly,
Let's get out the decorations to brighten up the mood
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Setting up the Christmas tree is important to bring back the joy and happiness
Fill up the stocking,
Let's get ready for the arrival of Santa Claus
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
Even if it's a little early, let's decorate the house and create a festive ambiance
For we need a little Christmas
We need to celebrate Christmas with joy and enthusiasm to lift our spirits
Right this very minute,
Without any delay, let's start celebrating Christmas
Candles in the window,
Adding candles to the window displays can enhance the festive mood
Carols at the spinet.
Playing Christmas carols on the spinet can make the atmosphere more musical
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
It's not necessary to have snow to celebrate Christmas
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry,
We need to hurry up as Santa is on his way
So climb down the chimney,
Santa, please come through the chimney and deliver presents
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
Let's add bright and lively Christmas lights to make the decorations stand out
Slice up the fruitcake,
It's time to enjoy the delicious fruitcake
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
We should adorn the evergreen bough with some shiny tinsel
For I've grown a little leaner,
I have lost a bit of weight as days have passed
Grown a little colder,
The days have grown colder as we are approaching towards winter
Grown a little sadder,
Lately, I have been feeling a little sad and low
Grown a little older,
As time passes, we become a little older
And I need a little angel
I need a little inspiration or guidance to uplift my mood
Sitting on my shoulder,
I need it to be by my side to motivate me
Need a little Christmas now.
Christmas can bring happiness and fulfilment to my life
Well, once I taught you all to live each living day.
I once taught everyone to live every day to the fullest
Young Patrick:
A dialogue follows from this point on
But Auntie Man, it's one week from Thanksgiving Day now.
Patrick thinks it's too early to celebrate Christmas as Thanksgiving has not yet arrived
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
Jenna emphasizes the need for decorating the trees to celebrate Christmas
For we need a little music,
Music can make the atmosphere more joyful and lively
Need a little laughter,
Laughter can make us feel happy and stress-free
Need a little singing
The act of singing can bring positivity and joy to our lives
Ringing through the rafter,
Singing can create beautiful echoes within the building and uplift everyone's mood
And we need a little snappy
We need to add a little energy and excitement to the celebrations
"Happy ever after,"
We need to believe in a happy ending and a better future for ourselves and our loved ones
Need a little Christmas now.
Once again, Jenna emphasizes on celebrating Christmas to spread joy and happiness in our lives
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Herman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
oboh emma
Amber riley cory monteith jenna sakowitz and mark sailling were all amazing RIP cory mark and naya