I have never been comfortable in my skin.
TV shows that were supposed to model what teenagers looked always made me feel self-conscious. I would never look like the girls from Gossip Girl or The Vampire Diaries. So when Glee first premiered, I was so happy that there was a TV show that represented every archetype in high school. And the show itself was about the students that didn’t fit in with the popular crowd in high school but eventually became the underdogs that everyone rooted for.
Glee has really been an inspiration in my life. I own, like, every Glee CD that ever came out, I have the seasons on DVD, and I have become so invested in the lives of the Glee Club at McKinley High School.
When I heard that Glee was going on tour this summer, I tried so hard to buy tickets, but they sold out almost immediately. It would’ve been amazing to be in the same room as Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, but when tickets sold out in the first five seconds, I came to terms that I would have to wait another year before I could see them live. That was until I heard they were making a 3D concert movie (cue: happy dance).
Last night, I went to see Glee: The 3D Concert Movie with four of my best friends, and it was amazing. At first, I was annoyed that
they only showed the movie in 3D. Being a girl with no job, having to shell out $15 was heartbreaking when I could’ve used that money to pay my bills. But I soon realized that it was $15 well-spent.
When I walked into the theater, the first thing I thought was, “Why is it empty? Where are all the Gleeks?” But, the empty theater allowed me and my friends to sing and dance with every song that my favorite characters on TV performed.
Two of my friends were skeptic going into this movie. In fact, one of them told me they would rather see The Smurfs than watch Glee (really?) But when she walked out of the theater, she kept telling me, “That was amazing! I’m so glad that we went!”
The movie consisted mostly of the cast performing songs from the show, but there were times when we spoke to them backstage in
character. Rachel acted crazy, of course, and Brittney acted like her usual dumb self. We also met some die-hard fans that had their own obstacles to overcome. One fan was a dwarf who became a cheerleader and won Prom Princess. Another fan spoke of how he was outed by the kids at his school. Another fan talked about the challenge of living with Aspergers. The one thing they had in common was their love Glee and how the TV show helped them accept who they are.
That’s why I love the show. It’s not just a show where the students sing and dance. It also educates people on the challenges that teenagers face on a day-to-day basis. And I’m even more glad that the characters look like how people in high
school should look.
Glee 3D was an amazing concert experience. I was able to sing along with some of my favorite songs, including Don’t Rain on My Parade, Valerie, Teenage Dream, and Happy Days are Here Again/Get Happy. I can never get enough of Lea Michele’s voice. I personally think that she can do no wrong.
But my favorite performances were when the whole gang came together on stage. Songs like Don’t Stop Believin’, Loser Like Me, and Somebody to Love (not the Justin Bieber song) were the ones that got me up and out of my seat the most. It still amazes me how talented all of these performers are, and I was so happy to see them in concert, even if it was just on a movie screen.
The one to watch last night, besides Lea Michele, was Heather Morris. She is such a talented dancer, and we only get glimpses of that on Glee. In the movie, however, she performed Britney Spears’ I’m a Slave for You and she killed it. I loved the Britney Spears episode, so I was so happy that I got to see her dance on stage. It was so fun and energetic. She also did an amazing job dancing with Harry Shum Jr. in Valerie. I hope there is another episode where she and harry Shum Jr. just dance throughout the whole episode. That would be epic.
In my opinion, the movie ended way too early, and I’m a little disappointed they didn’t include Sue Sylvester or the dialogue that some of the cast members performed in between songs. Besides the fact that the 3D aspect was not necessary, it was a great
movie. It is a must see if you are a Glee fan.
Did you watch the movie? Let me know what you thought…
The World According to Stephanie 