Darren Criss & Chris Colfer connect with fans in Glee 3D
All Darren Criss wanted to do was go use the bathroom. There was, though, something in his way - a camera. In this case, it was one filming the backstage goings-on during the two Glee Live concerts held in East Rutherford, New Jersey earlier this year. All the actors/singers from "Glee" were supposed to stay in character during the concert and the backstage filming; but at this point, Criss didn't feel like his character Blaine. He just was himself and wanted some Darren relief. Nonetheless, he stayed in the game. "I did an interview en route to the bathroom...," he recalled during a recent press conference in Los Angeles. "It was a very surprising thing -- I think I was supposed to be Blaine, but I was just Darren trying to get to the bathroom."
In the concert film, "Glee 3D: The Movie," which opens this Friday, songs from the hit Fox series are performed by the entire cast including Emmy nominee Chris Colfer (Kurt), Naya Rivera (Santana), Mark Salling (Puck), Harry Shum Jr (Mike), Chord Overstreet (Sam) Dianna Agron (Quinn), Cory Monteith (Finn), Kevin McHale (Artie), Ashley Finke (Lauren), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Lea Michele (Rachel), Heather Morris (Brittney) and Criss, who burst onto the show last season as Blaine. (It can be said that the romance between Blaine and Kurt is surely one of the more anticipated stories this fall as Criss has been bumped to full-time series regular.)
Pure concert film
However, fans should not rush to "Glee 3D: The Movie" hoping to see the next chapter with Blaine and Kurt or any of the other character storylines. The Glee 3D movie is purely a concert film. The performers may be in character, their respective stories are not the focus and are barely referenced. The closest we get to Blaine and Kurt, for example, is when Brittney asks Blaine to make out with her and Kurt steps in and tells her to get away from his man. It's just a humorous moment and is used only to launch into another musical performance.
Besides the music (which includes the landmark hit "Don't Stop Believin'," "I'm a Slave 4 U," and Criss and the Warblers (in their Dalton Academy suits) singing "Teenage Dream" and "Raise Your Glass"), there are textured throughout the film inspirational stories from some real-life "Glee" fans about their experiences relating the characters and the series. For example, one thread focuses on Trent, a young gay teen in Southern California who was bullied when his personal journal (where he wrote letters that he never planned to send to a boy in his class on whom he had a crush) was taken and distributed around the school. One way he overcame that hard situation was by switching schools, but he also found inspiration in watching and learning from Kurt's coming out on "Glee."
Brave fans
During the press conference, Colfer said, "I have some choice words for the kids that did that to him (Trent): I hope I never meet them." That said, he added that while he and his co-stars are always glad to be thanked for inspiring the show's fans, he also hopes they give themselves credit for their newfound strength. "The stories we hear are so heartbreaking and inspiring, but what's crazy about all of this is they (the fans) always thank us so much not realizing that it's really themselves who are brave."
Criss said that the expression of thanks showered on them also influences what they do on the show and during the concert tour. "We're part of something that's so much greater than just the characters. It's a greater story and a greater ideal. I think they (the fans) are greater than they think they are because what they bring comes right back to us and goes into every performance. It's not just a job anymore. I've been given this superhero's costume to play everyday and it's a privilege."
The biggest difference between doing weekly episodes of "Glee" and going on tour - one that included 40 shows across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and continually broke merchandise sale records in every venue - was the direct interaction with the fans, which, Criss pointed out, is a little different than the interacting that might be done via social media staples Facebook and Twitter.
"There's this huge fan presence that's undeniable, but when it's on social media it isn't as immediately tangible because we're inherently disconnected via computer screen or what have you. To experience all these people in real time is a pretty cathartic moment. You have all these people from all over the world [and] to have them cheering and dancing... it's a very symbiotic thing. They're celebrating the show with you and we're celebrating what they're celebrating. It is an incredible experience and it is different because on a set it's closed off and I think the concert crowd is a little more forgiving than the script supervisor."
Source for inspiration
Despite the incredibly busy schedule during the tour, Criss was one who made sure to make the most of his down time between the Warbler sets and he regularly watched his fellow cast members perform.
"The Warblers had time in between the New Directions set and I would go offstage every night to watch some of my favorite numbers. I went out every night and I didn't miss a single Amber Riley performance of 'Ain't No Way.'" However, An unrecognizable Criss tried to watch incognito from the audience and was manhandled by security guards. Laughing as he retold the story, Criss said, "I put on a hoodie and sat in the audience. The security guards are like ninjas... I went to hug Amber backstage and beelined towards her and I got slammed down."
With the show - and now the movie - being not only pure entertainment but also a source of inspiration for kids and adults alike, what does Criss think one should do if their dream is to sing and dance? Just do it, he and his co-stars agreed; but he did offer some advice even for those who don't have the money or facilities to get a proper education in the performing arts.
"I would say utilize a lot of the technology that's available to kids now. We live in a country where the facility to be able to perform isn't as available. I was very blessed with an arts education and it's not so easy for everybody in parts of our country and elsewhere and there are ways to find things and ways to perform. Obviously, YouTube is the forefront for a lot of performers we find, myself included, and there are ways to meet people and surround yourself with like-minded people who will support you and it's a small world now and I would embrace that to nurture your own love of performing."
For more on "Glee 3D: The Movie," visit its Facebook page. The new season of "Glee" kicks off September 20th on FOX.