In this episode, Kurt worries that he won't get the role of Tony in West Side Story because he is not "masculine-acting" enough. Larry Kert, the actor who played the role of Tony in the original Broadway production of West Side Story, was (like Kurt) gay, and according to Arthur Laurents' autobiography, the show's director/choreographer Jerome Robbins frequently derided Kert in front of the whole cast and crew for being too effeminate (despite the fact that Robbins, along with West Side's book writer Laurents, composer Leonard Bernstein, and lyricist Stephen Sondheim were also all gay).
Matthew Morrison has a small tattoo in the small of his back briefly seen during him dancing. Seen at 11:05-11:12 during this episode.
Kurt worries that he is too feminine to be an actor and mentions starring in a romcom with Kate Hudson. Kate Hudson later becomes a regular in later seasons as a NYADA instructor.
The song sung by Idina Menzel and Lea Michelle, "Somewhere" from "West Side Story", was the lead single from the much anticipated 1985 Barbra Streisand CD, "The Broadway Album" and reached #5 on Billboard's "Adult Contemporary" chart. The song also earned David Foster a Grammy Award for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)/Best Background Arrangement". The CD itself also resulted in a Grammy Award for Barbra Streisand in the category "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".