Those still harboring warm feelings for "Glee" may assume the series' jockstrap-busting gym instructor would hurl a dodgeball at anyone arranging a medley of musical numbers that made them cry as a child.
Not so, according to Jane Lynch, the actress who brought sexy back to track suits in her Emmy-winning role as coach Sue Sylvester.
"She comes across as someone quite cynical, but when nobody was looking, she'd probably burst into tears," said Lynch, who will prove that sad songs say so much during "See Jane Sing," a cabaret-style concert she'll bring to Orchestra Hall on Sunday as part of her attempt to show there's life after relentlessly tormenting high school misfits.
So far, so good.
In addition to a national tour, which also features a five-piece band and the vocal stylings of Kate Flannery ("The Office"), Lynch has won two Emmys as host of the loosey-goosey summer series "Hollywood Game Night," a popular game show that, as she describes it, also gives celebrities an opportunity to promote their latest projects without the artificial trappings of late-night talk shows.
She also penned the autobiography "Happy Accidents," which chronicles her openly gay lifestyle, battle with alcoholism and a long gestating career that didn't get a jump start until Christopher Guest cast her in 2000 as a driven dog handler in the mockumentary "Best in Show." She is expected to rejoin Guest's regular cast of crazies for his feature-film spoof on the world of competitive sports mascots.
"I've lived a life without apologies — not that there was ever an opportunity to apologize," said Lynch, 55. "I've never hidden the kind of person that I am, and maybe that's kind of inspirational to some people."
Speaking by phone from Los Angeles this week, Lynch was polite, but rushed — and for good reason. She was taking a break from shooting Episode 7 of "Angel From Hell," an upcoming CBS series in which she portrays either a guardian angel or an escapee from a mental institution who enjoys a nip of creme de menthe before lunch and belches in mid-conversation. Despite her holy intentions, she believes the best way to watch over her charge — a workaholic doctor played with a frozen look of bewilderment by Maggie Lawson — is through a form of tough love familiar to anyone who has ever survived boot camp.
"She's the most loving person in the world, but extremely flawed, a slob, and hangs out with underworld types," said Lynch of her new role. The series' premiere date recently was moved from November to February, in part so the network can fill the airwaves with on-air promotions during Super Bowl season. "She pushes people out of their comfort zone, which gives me some hilarious opportunities as an actress."
See Jane sleep
Lynch will be displaying her more soothing nature Sunday with personally selected favorites, including Irving Berlin's "Mr. Monotony" and Dave Frishberg's "Slapping the Cakes on Me."
"The songs have nothing in common, except that we love them," said Lynch, who earned rave reviews for her 2013 Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in "Annie." "They're all designed to make you feel good."
Of course, starring on a new network comedy while hop-scotching across the country can take its toll, even on someone who is still in Sue Sylvester-like shape. One stop on the tour was already postponed due to the hectic TV shooting schedule, and Lynch will fly out of the Twin Cities almost immediately after her one-night performance to make call time Monday on the studio set.
"To tell you the truth, I booked this tour before I had the TV show," she said. "I wouldn't have chosen to be this busy. I've been kind of exhausted, but we're having the greatest time."
Neal Justin • Twitter: @nealjustin
