The season five premiere of Fox's hit musical comedy "Glee" isn't scheduled to return for a couple more weeks but fans are finally getting some scoop about the upcoming season. As previously reported, the cast got a bit of a shake up two weeks ago with some cast members downgraded to recurring roles and others getting promoted to series regulars. Now the cast is beefing up with some exciting new characters.

On Wednesday, showrunner and co-creator Ryan Murphy announced that "American Idol" alum Adam Lambert will be joining the cast. "I am thrilled to announce that the super talented Adam Lambert is joining the cast of Glee this fall," Murphy wrote on Twitter.

Lambert is just one of the latest "Idol" stars to take a role in the comedy series. "Idol" winner Jessica Sanchez had a multi-episode recurring role as a singer on a rival glee club on the Ohio-set side of the show last season, The Hollywood Reporter wrote.

Although Lambert has yet to comment on the new acting role, THR reported that the role comes as a dream come true. In a January 2012 interview with the publication, the singer said he'd love to be able to play himself in the series. He added, "'Glee' is really irresistible-it's charming."

In related "Glee" news, TVLine reported that the series is hoping to cast a few new female recurring characters for the upcoming season. TVLine's Michael Ausiello teased, "At least three new female recurring characters, including African-American McKinley newbie Ruby and twentysomethings Julie and Ryan. Interestingly, actresses auditioning for Ryan must be able to sing and play guitar. Potential portrayers of Julie just need to be cute and quirky."

"Glee" was renewed for both a fifth and sixth season in April. The show returns for its fifth season on Thursday, September 19 at 9 p.m. on FOX.