How could I possibly put into words what it was like to spend the day with the cast and crew of America’s hottest TV show?
You know, “Glee!”
OK, here’s some context for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about. Tuesday night, Gap had a starring role in “Glee’s” Valentine’s Day episode.
For all the Gleeks out there, our part of the story revolved around Blaine and his interest in a Gap employee named Jeremiah. He convinces Kurt and his fellow Warblers to visit Gap to woo Jeremiah to the tune of Robin Thicke’s "When I Get You Alone."
Now to the good stuff -- what happened behind the scenes!
It all began in the wee hours of the morning on a December day in Los Angeles. My partner in crime, in-store experience marketing manager Dan Pelosi, had pulled an all-nighter with some of our L.A.-based employees to make sure The Grove store was looking its best for the shoot.
It was completely transformed into a set. There were lights, cables, monitors, sound equipment, cameras, craft services and people everywhere. Blaine, Kurt and the Warblers, dressed in street clothes, were already hard at work learning the choreography for “When I Get You Alone.” Of course they’re just as good-looking in real life, and unbelievably talented.
After rehearsal, the actors went off to hair and makeup — including 10 of our Grove store associates who were extras. While it was still somewhat early in the morning, some die-hard shoppers were already out and about and the commotion quickly drew a crowd, including the paparazzi who, true to form, firmly planted themselves right outside our front door for the rest of the day.
The crew shot an outside scene and then moved back inside to shoot “When I Get You Alone,” which, as you can imagine, took the rest of the day (and most of the evening) to capture from every angle.
Over and over again — and with just as much energy as they had during rehearsal — the actors danced around the room, jumping on tables, flipping from tables, moving mannequins around, pretending to browse and try on product, and of course, sang their hearts out.
During lunch, we opened the registers so the cast and crew could shop. I won’t tell you how much they spent or what they bought, but let’s just say there were still a few people in line when the cameras started rolling again an hour later.
I can’t end this blog without mentioning how genuinely kind and considerate the cast and crew were — even the security guard couldn’t have been nicer to the fans who were trying to sweet talk their way past him.
Ironically, the camaraderie reminded me of being in high school — the good side of it, that is. Then, a swarm of screaming teenage girls quickly reminded me that I’m now a 35-year-old in a different part of her life – with the right frame of mind to fully appreciate what an amazing moment this was, both for Gap and for me.
