Gleeks Invade NYC

Fox's Glee has been not-so-secretly filming around Manhattan this past week and the Gleeks have come out in droves. Some came from as close as the Lower West Side while others traveled for hours just to get the chance to see one of the stars of the popular show.

The crowds were somewhat smaller as the week began. On Monday evening, only the in the know fans seemed to be at the taping. I arrived in Central Park on Tuesday to see the crowd in the photo and it was evident that word had begun to spread.
I don't really get starstruck anymore. Living in New York, you see them everywhere. Being a writer I don't really interact with them on an everyday level though. However, I must admit that when I began to see the stars of Glee, I got a little twinge and felt like a teenager again. Of course nothing compared to what I witnessed from the sidelines as I watched the teenage fans completely go insane.

Hardcore fans told me that after watching everyday, they began to pick up on certain habits to better help them meet the stars. Some fans had spotted a certain security guard that only appeared to usher the stars on and off the set. And when he came out to welcome a new cast member, the kids ran like the wind. Talking to the fans to see what kind of mind set they have proved to be intriguing. Most admitted that while they were huge fans, the only reason they were stalking the set was due to the fact that Glee tapes across the country. On Thursday the entire cast was at Intercontinental Hotel in Midtown and about 300 fans polluted the sidewalks.

Those are the fans that I talked to and learned that they really aren't all crazy. To hear the screams when Corey Monteith arrived back to the set after going to appear on a NHL show was entertaining. As he stopped and met the screaming people, security was the one to put a stop to it. Most cast members always came out to the camping fans and took pictures and signed autographs. There were one or two that really wanted nothing to do with the process it seemed. But you better believe that the fans took that to heart. When they were asked which Glee cast member avoided them the most, they all answered with the same name.

Can you guess who?