MANILA, Philippines - The iconic Glee TV series is now a major motion picture in 3D. Dubbed as Glee: The Concert 3D Movie, the movie is filmed during the recent concert tour of the hit singing teens and revolves around McKinley High School’s singing and dancing Glee Club, a diverse group of charismatic and talented teenagers, all underdogs with high wattage star power.
In the following Q&A, Chris Colfer and Lea Michele who play their characters Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry talk about the movie and the show that has changed their lives.
What can fans expect from the movie?
Lea: “The movie is a documentation of our stage performance in which we are singing live and dancing to the popular songs, mainly from the second season of Glee. We are really proud of the movie, I think that fans should definitely expect the heart and the truth of Glee, but live on stage.”
How exciting is it doing the concert when you know it is being filmed for the big screen?
Chris: “I tried to treat the concert that they were shooting for the movie like any other concert. But it was nerve-racking and there was more pressure than usual because they were filming everything. It is challenging to do things live honestly, but there is a great sense of freedom to get out there and have fun and just do what you want with it.”
How thrilling is it performing live on tour?
Lea: “Coming from my theater background, to be back on the live stage is fantastic. It has been thrilling but pretty exhausting. But I think honestly, and I know it sounds really cheesy, what gets us through it all and what refuels us every night is getting that energy from our audience.”
Chris: “I love doing the concerts. Doing the show is fantastic but I used to do community theater and I definitely miss the instant gratification of a live audience. So it is great to go out and do the concerts and physically see the fans, the kids that we represent on the show.”
What is it about your characters and the show do you think that has struck such a powerful chord around the world?
Chris: “I think the world is now more willing to admit that there are more Kurts and more Rachels out there than people previously wanted to admit and I think our characters have a very strong vulnerability. That is what anyone with aspirations can relate to.”
Can you discuss your own high school experience and do you have any advice to offer your teenage fans?
Lea: “I got through high school pretty unscathed. I was in a high school that was very Glee-like. But I think that the most important advice I could give and we definitely show this on our show, is to know who you are. Don’t let what other people think is cool or right influence you or change how you look or who you are or what you do. I think that is how I survived high school.”
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie opens Sept. 21 in theaters.