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10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About "Glee"
April 12, 2010 | By: Marina Zogbi


As the nation -- well, a good chunk of the television-viewing public -- gears up for the April 13 premiere of the second half of the first season of "Glee", we at Inside TV are equally caught up in the anticipation.

To help celebrate the return of one of the most original, entertaining and hilarious shows on network TV, we bring you a list of things you probably didn't know about "Glee" and its cast members (though we realize that seriously hardcore Gleeks have vast stores of knowledge about everything "Glee"-related. We humbly ask them to indulge us).





1. The show is an international phenomenon.

In the past few months, flash mobs burst into dance routines to "Glee" cast recordings in Rome, Tel Aviv and Madrid to promote television premiere dates in Italy, Israel and Spain, respectively.

In Dublin, "Glee" flash mobs made up of students from Ireland's National Performing Arts School mobilized on two separate occasions to publicize a radiothon for children's hospitals.







2. Last year, the Parents Television Council pronounced "Glee" Worst TV Show of the Week "for marketing explicit sexual content to pre-adolescent youth."

The organization warned, "Don't let the singing and dancing and high school setting fool you. This is an edgy, sexually-charged adult series that is inappropriate for teenagers."







3. Long Beach, California's Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School is often used as a stand-in for the show's fictional William McKinley High (which is supposed to be located in Lima, Ohio).

Members of Cabrillo's steel drum band appeared in "Glee's" pilot.







4. After landing a Hollywood agent, Chris Colfer (Kurt) tried out for about 30 roles before being cast on "Glee".

At 19, the former community theater actor is the show's youngest cast member.

Another fun fact: Colfer originally auditioned for the role of Artie. The producers wrote the character of Kurt after meeting Colfer.







5. The dialogue from the scene in episode 4 ('Preggers') when Kurt comes out to his father was taken almost verbatim from show co-creator Ryan Murphy's own life

(minus references to the football team and the 'Single Ladies' dance routine).







6. According to a Q&A in Playbill, the one performer that Matthew Morrison (Will) would "drop everything to go see" is Ethan Hawke.

He also admitted to watching the movie The Goonies about once a month.







7. Celebrities who have professed their love for "Glee" include:

Julia Roberts
Teri Hatcher
Jennifer Lopez
Julianne Moore
and Lady Gaga.

Gaga/"Glee" fans were thrilled when it was recently announced that the cast will take on the songs 'Bad Romance' and 'Poker Face' In an upcoming episode.







8. According to an interview in the Washington Post, the first song that Lea Michele (Rachel) ever sang -- anywhere! -- was 'Angel of Music' from the musical 'Phantom of the Opera,' which she performed when auditioning for 'Les Miserables' at the age of eight.

She subsequently won the role of Young Cosette, her performing (and Broadway) debut.







9. Kevin McHale, who plays paraplegic singer/guitarist Artie, has a dance background and initially found it very difficult to keep from moving to the music.

In fact during filming he had to be told several times to stop tapping his feet.

Both McHale and Matthew Morrison have done time in boy bands (NLT and LMNT, respectively).







10. In 2009, the "Glee" cast had 25 singles chart on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any artist since

The Beatles had 31 songs on the chart in 1964.

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