Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag from Chicago is featured in The Substitute, the seventh episode of Season Two. It is sung by Holly and Rachel.
During Glee Club, Rachel asked Will if they could sing a "show-tune with a nice dance beat," and he turned her down, saying that he found a Journey song they haven't done yet. Holly gets on Rachel's good side, when she suggests that Rachel should loosen up and asks if there's anything she's ever wanted to do that she hadn't been able to do before. Rachel talks about the number, and they perform the song in the way Rachel had wanted to do before. They then perform the number in front of the rest of the Glee Club.
Holly and Rachel:
You can like the life you're living
You can live the life you like
You can even marry Harry, but mess around with Ike
And that's good
Isn't it? Grand
Isn't it? Great
Isn't it? Swell
Isn't it? Fun
Isn't it? But nothing stays
In fifty years or so
It's gonna change, you know
But, oh, it's heaven
Nowadays
And all that
Jazz!
Trivia[]
The second song from the musical Chicago featured in the show. The first is Mr. Cellophane, the third being Cell Block Tango, and the fourth is All That Jazz. Interestingly, their respective seasons in which they were performed is One, Two, Three, and Four.
Since Nowadays is the closing number of the musical Chicago and All That Jazz (performed by Rachel and Cassandra in Swan Song, the ninth episode of Season Four) is the opening number, Rachel has sung both the opening and closing number from the musical Chicago.
Both songs were performed by Rachel and one of her female teachers.
Many aspects of the choreography, costumes, and decor used during their performance have a striking similarity to those used in the movie version of the musical Chicago.
