April 27, 2010
Latest News

Story: Get Your 'Glee' On

The cast and creators behind the wildly-popular Fox series Glee visited with Television Academy members for a packed-house panel discussion at Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. Read more and watch the exclusive webcast right here, right now, at Emmys.com.

By Libby Slate


Watch Webcast

Ryan Murphy does a pretty fair imitation of Oprah Winfrey. The creator and executive producer of Glee, the Fox musical comedy-drama series about a high school glee club, is on stage at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood describing his cast’s appearance on Winfrey’s show and how she “called your name the way you want her to” — in the familiar singsong-cum-cheer delivery: “Mat-thew MORR-i-son!”

No doubt about it, Glee is a phenomenon. The April Saturday Oprah taping was followed Sunday by a performance for President and Mrs. Obama at the annual White House Easter Egg Hunt. Its midseason return the next week set a new ratings record for the show and was the highest-rated episode of any scripted series of the season to date. In only the first season, it’s already won a Peabody, Golden Globe and People’s Choice Award. And when the Television Academy presented its own “An Evening with Glee,” April 26 at the Goldenson, the audience line for the sold-out program stretched around the building three hours before showtime.

Joining Murphy on the Academy panel were fellow creator-executive producer Brad Falchuk, co-creator-co-executive producer Ian Brennan and executive producer Dante Di Loreto; cast/glee club members Dianna Agron (Quinn), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Mark Salling (Puck) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina); Matthew Morrison as glee club director Will Schuester, Jessalyn Gilsig as his ex-wife Terri and Jane Lynch as nemesis Sue Sylvester, coach of the cheerleading squad. Kristin Dos Santos, Resident TV Insider for E! Entertainment Television and E! Online, moderated.

Originally written by Brennan as a feature film, Glee came to television after Murphy saw its series potential. “I was in a show choir in high school, and it stuck with me,” Brennan recalled. “I thought, ‘God, this is such a strange world. Why hasn’t anyone written about it?’” Murphy, a college show choir alum, was drawn to the material because, after the darkness of his plastic surgery-themed Nip/Tuck, “I wanted to do something joyful and life-affirming. I actively looked for that. I wanted to send something hopeful and joyful into the world.”

The show, Murphy added, “is about two things: the power and need of the arts in our country, and the power of inclusion, how the most different thing about you is often the most beautiful thing about you. We draw from our personal lives. [Gay teen Kurt] and his father are drawn from my own life growing up.”

Murphy, Brennan and Falchuk write all the episodes; they did the first thirteen before any had aired, so had no way of knowing whether they were on track. “We had such a great belief in it. We did it for each other,” Murphy noted.

The show was cast over a four-month period, through auditions and Murphy’s observing performers, including Michele, Morrison and Ushkowitz, on Broadway. “Matthew and I have moments where we turn to each other and say, ‘Oh, my God, we’re on this show, doing what we love,’” Michele said. “We thank Ryan for opening up that door.”

Morrison noted that with his character being newly divorced, “He has to get to know who he is as a person. I like getting to know this new Will Schuester.”
Lynch’s take on her character Sue, whom Brennan said provides, “the weird, the darkness, the cutting,” is that, “She’s a warrior. She always needs a battle. If there isn’t one before her, she’ll create it; she’s focused on the glee club.” Later in the season, viewers will finally see Sue’s home, which contains wall-to-wall trophies.

There are various high school couples and crushes on the show. Tina and Artie’s chemistry, Ushkowitz said, “is rooted in our friendship. It’s great to have the relationship build and grow.” Agron had filmed her character’s giving birth just that day. Teased Salling as baby-daddy Puck, “He wants to step up and be a decent father. If he gets the opportunity to do so — you’ll have to tune in and find out.”

The musical numbers, choreographed by Zach Woodlee, have resulted in broken toes and other aches and pains. It’s all worth it, the cast agreed. “We’re so honored to be doing what we’re doing,” Michele said. “It’s fun, but we really feel we’re doing something important.” Songs are available digitally and on DVD; artists such as Billy Joel and Paul McCartney have expressed interest in being on the show, though Murphy prefers to keep big names to a minimum to focus on his talented cast. Indeed, the cast will be embarking on a four-city tour in May, as a thank-you to the fans, Murphy said.

The cast has received their own thanks from fans, such as the mother who wrote to McHale, whose character Artie uses a wheelchair, saying that Artie was the first TV character her own wheelchair-using son had seen being portrayed as normal.

As for the media and industry attention Glee has received, “It’s kind of overwhelming,” Murphy said. “We’re all humbled by it. It’s a vote for the arts. We stepped in where there was a void, and clearly, there was a need.”

Ray Proscia is co-chair of the Activities Committee entertainment division. Rocci Chatfield is executive producer, entertainment. Robert O’Donnell is director of activities for the Academy; Melissa Brown is activities manager.

Browser Requirements
The TelevisionAcademy.com sites look and perform best when using a modern browser.

We suggest you use the latest version of any of these browsers:

Chrome
Firefox
Safari


Visiting the site with Internet Explorer or other browsers may not provide the best viewing experience.

Close Window