The Elephant Project is currently auctioning off nearly 50 different items for their holiday round of auctions to help benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Included in the round are pictures of members of the Glee cast holding Elephant Project’s beanie baby mascot (because “elephants never forget”), and signed elephants from all of them. Among the Glee cast members are: Cory Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, Jonathan Groff, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Dijon Talton and creator Ryan Murphy. Jenna even wants to send you a thank you Tweet if you win her auction!

On her Facebook page, Dianna Agron wrote, “I don’t know if you’ve ever lost someone to Alzheimer’s, but I have. Both of my grandmothers. If you feel compelled, and have the money to share… As my Nana used to say, ‘The sun WILL come out tomorrow.’ And then she’d sing the song to me. She couldn’t carry a tune, but it made me smile every time and I love that we will always have our song.”

We want to help raise awareness of the Elephant Project’s amazing charity auctions, so we are giving away a pack of 5×7 pictures of all 10 of the Glee participants. You can view the watermarked pictures of the Glee cast on the pages of their eBay auctions, but our prize pack will include the un-watermarked versions of the photos.

All you have to do to enter to win is:

1) Tweet the following for an entry:
I just entered to win photos of the Glee cast from @ElephantProject & @GleekRob here: http://bit.ly/tDA8oi
2) Get an entry by leaving a comment telling us why you love Glee.
3) Both send out a Tweet and leave a comment, getting you two entries and doubling your chance to win!

Our contest will end Thursday, December 8th at 11:59pm. Be sure to use your real email address if you leave a comment, and be sure to be following the @ElephantProject & me (@GleekRob) on Twitter so that we can contact you directly if you win!

Now check out the auctions, and help support a great cause!

A long time ago, in a galaxy state far, far away…

Chewbacca visits Lima, Ohio?

As a huge Star Wars fan, I was excited to check my GLEEonFOX Twitter list and find a Twitpic from Chord Overstreet revealing Chewbacca as the special guest for Season 3′s Christmas episode. Soon after Chord’s twitpic of Chewie in the middle of the Choir Room hit the web, the rest of the cast took to their Twitter’s to broadcast their excitement.

For Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron, and Jenna Ushkowitz the visit greatly impacted their lives.

Kevin tweeted:

So far this has been the best day ever.

Dianna, on the other hand, tweeted:

OK. Day made. Week made, actually.

Jenna took it one step further by saying it:

made my life!

Damian McGinty was equally excited and showed his geekier side:

Just had a serious fan boy moment this morning with @chordoverstreet …can’t believe who i just met!! @druidDUDE is in heaven!!

Check out Chewbacca’s photos with Kevin, Harry, Dianna, Chris, Jenna, and Mark as well as this awesome group photo.

What do you think Chewie is doing in the choir room? How are the writers going to be able to pull it off? Post your theories below!

Source: GLEEonFOX Twitter List

He’s baaack! Cory Monteith went to the recording studio today to record some songs for an upcoming episode, and he was greeted by a familiar face, non other than Trouty Mouth himself, Chord Overstreet! He tweeted the photo on the left, welcoming the star back.

As we previously posted, Michael Ausiello of TV Line recently reported that Sam will be back in December, just in time for Sectionals!

Are you excited for Trouty Mouth’s return and his upcoming song!? We definitely are!

Seems like Rory’s getting into some trouble upon his entry into McKinley! Damien McGinty’s character will not be welcomed to the halls of McKinley, according to a new photo released by Entertainment Weekly.

The photo shows McGinty’s character being shoved into a locker by the hockey players and judging by his face, he is certainly scared.

In August, McGinty spoke of his character saying that he will play a foreign exchange student that Brittany mistakes as a leprechaun.

What do you think about Rory?  Are you excited for his arc on Glee?

Source: ‘Glee Project’ winner Damian McGinty gets roughed up on ‘Glee’ – EW.com

The first pictures of Glee Project winner Damian McGinty‘s character, an Irish exchange student named Rory Flanagan, have popped up on TV Guide! This will be the first of his seven-episode arc, beginning November 1st.

“I am having the time of my life,” he reports. “Rory is living with Brittany, who thinks he is her own personal leprechaun only she can see. “ Sounds like Brittany alright!

Although he will receive an overall warm welcome, not everyone will be pleased with this newbie. “He does a little falsetto in his first song, and Kurt did not like that because Kurt’s the soprano of the group and doesn’t want that taken from him,” says Chris Colfer. At least they’ll still have a soprano when Kurt graduates, right?

Meanwhile, in lesbi-land, Santana (Naya Rivera) “quietly is in love with Brittany,” says Damian, “so she doesn’t like Rory because he also has a thing for Brittany.” Sounds like trouble for Brittana! “We just did a fun scene in Brittany’s bedroom,” says Damian.

So, what do you think of Damian’s character? Are you excited to see his arc? Post in the comments!

Source: Keck’s Exclusives – First Look at Glee’s Lucky Charmer

First Mike Chang, now Emma. It seems to be a parent parade over at Glee this season, with the announcement that the Changs are not the only family members that will be making an appearance. Don Most and Valerie Mahaffey have been cast as Rose and Rusty Pillsbury, parents of our favourite, quirky, guidance counselor, Emma Pillsbury.

Many of you may recognise Mahaffey from her stint on ABC’s Desperate Housewives where she played Orson’s estranged wife, Alma and any Happy Days fans will no doubt remember Most for his role as practical joker, Ralph Malph.

Hopefully these new parental casting revelations are just the first of many to come.

The real question now is, what brings the Pillsburys to town? Any guesses?

Source: Glee Exclusive: Meet Emma’s Parents

The stars were out on Saturday night to celebrate and honor the best among the Latino entertainment community at the 2011 ALMA Awards, hosted by Eva Longoria and George Lopez.

Glee‘s Naya Rivera was nominated for 2 awards, Favorite TV Actress and Favorite Female Music Artist. Unfortunately Naya lost out to the very talented, Demi Lovato for Favourite Leading Actress in a TV Comedy but did manage to swipe the award for Favourite Female Music Artist.

This is a huge success for Naya, being the only nominee in the category that has yet to release a solo album and beating out seasoned artists, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez and Shakira, for the coveted award.

The win is Naya’s first award outside of the Glee ensemble and will no doubt be the first of many to come.

Below is an interview with Naya for E! Entertainment before the ceremony.

The ALMA Awards will be aired on NBC on Friday, September 16th 2011, at 8/7C.

Source: Demi Lovato, ‘Glee’s’ Naya Rivera win 2011 ALMA Awards

The first of The Glee Project winners to appear on Glee, Damian McGinty hit the studio today with director, Adam Shankman and music producer Alex Anders, who earlier tweeted this picture of the Irish singer.

Damian is set to play an exchange student named Rory, who moves in with Brittany’s family in episode 4, entitled ‘Pot O’ Gold’.

Any guesses as to what song the glee club will have Rory audition with?

It has today been revealed that Keong Sim and Tamlyn Tamito, who viewers may recognize from her role as Miwako Nishizawa on Law and Order: Los Angeles, are the two actors set to play Mr. and Mrs. Chang.

We already know the pair to be conservative after not allowing their son to adopt the role of Frank-N-Furter in the Glee club’s rendition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but what do you think their appearance this season will mean for Mike?

Source: ‘Glee’ casting exclusive: Meet Mike Chang’s Parents! – EW

Stars of Glee have partnered with Vogue to promote the third annual ‘Fashion’s Night Out’, a global fashion event that combines the fashion of top designers with the star power of celebrities with the excitement of reinventing yourself with unique takes on the latest trend. “For the third year in a row, celebrities, designers, and stars will perform and mingle with shoppers as they take part in FNO-exclusive events and snap up special designs.”

FNO will feature designers and brands frequently seen on Glee characters and Glee stars alike, including Anthopologie, Betsey Johnson, J. Crew, and Juicy Couture, among others, during the September 8th event. But before that, Glee stars released a similarly stylish PSA. The PSA, which aired August 23, featured Lea Michele covering David Bowie’s song ‘Fashion’ along with the rest of the cast, in a video designed by Vogue editor Tabitha Simmons.

Follow Fashion’s Night Out on Twitter (@FNOnyc) or check out their homepage (fashionsnightout.com) for more information about the event, or check out the Glee cast’s music video below, and be sure to stay tuned for more from Fashion’s Night Out!

Source: Show Stoppers: Glee Comes to Fashion’s Night Out – Vogue

It looks like Dianna’s gone pink! She was spotted in LA today, walking to her Audi, sporting a new hot pink hairdo.

What does this mean for Quinn? Does this have anything to do with the “completely diff outfit” that Iqbal Theba tweeted about? Post your speculation below!

Lea Michele, Amber Riley and Dianna Agron take on the May issue of Marie Claire magazine with four different covers — one for each actress and one with all three ladies looking stunning and posing in matching navy dresses:

Watch a video from the photoshoot where the girls share what they can’t leave the house without, what they’d take with them on a desert island and their worst fashion period:

Visit the Marie Claire website to see how you can win a VIP trip to see the Glee Tour in Los Angeles this summer as well as other awesome Glee prizes!

As the coach to Vocal Adrenaline and Rachel’s mom, Shelby Corcoran, played by film and stage veteran Idina Menzel, is a little harsh and not exactly what you would call warm and fuzzy, quite the opposite of Idina herself. As she prepares for another stint of her tour with symphonies across the US, Idina flew in to New York City for a ‘tweet up’ where she revealed what it took to take off the green make up, how she balances work and motherhood, that she is “dying to get back to musical theater,” and, of course, lots on Glee.

Having seen her in concert twice, I can assure that her concerts are an amazing evening of music ranging from her Broadway hits to some songs from her CD “I Stand,” and, of course, some additions from her Glee repertoire. Becoming somewhat comedic, Idina says singing “Poker Face” with an orchestra gives it a whole new vibe. Check out the schedule and be sure not to miss her if she is coming to a city near you. And for fans in the UK, plans are in the work to hopefully bring the tour across the pond soon!

It was, in part, the fans Idina said that got her onto Glee initially and also guided her story line to include being Rachel’s mom. She said she didn’t think that was what Ryan Murphy first had planned for the Shelby, that she was just the coach, but he “wanted to make the fans happy,” so he wrapped the two story lines together. As for whether Idina will be back for season two, she hopes to be!

Although she admits she is dying to get back into musical theater, Idina jokes, “I just don’t think I am the revival girl,” but she is working on a couple of projects in the beginning stages. Idina said, “I’ve made my career on originating roles and those kind of things take a lot of nurturing and years and they don’t come often.” Having originated two roles, Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked, she is looking for another opportunity to work on a project from its early stages, like with Jonathan Larson and Stephen Schwartz, which is a process she really enjoys. “I’ve done it twice and they have both been such magical and life changing experiences for me I wonder I’m I going to have another one like that? But you can’t think like that, you just have to keep doing the stuff that you love,” Idina said.

With an amazing episode of duets on Glee, Idina said if she could record duets with anyone it would include Bono, Jeff Buckley (if he were still alive), Annie Lenox, Barbara Streisand, Michael Buble, Christina Aguilera and of course Taye Diggs.

And what about Wicked the movie? Idina said that both she and Kristin Chenoweth have been told they would be “too long in the tooth” to play the roles they originated on Broadway, although she joked she might could play the witches mom. She thought this was absurd until she was asked to play Rachel’s mom on Glee! Her idea, “I tell the producers just do it like Avatar. I’ll be this amazing, gorgeous, exotic green women and it can be the essence of me and my voice and my movement… just less crows feet.” But don’t get too excited, the movie is still a ways away but fans might expect to see it in 3D and talks have begun with Ryan Murphy, among others, to possible direct the film.

Watch the entire interview with Idina to find out what she thinks of her character Shelby, what she watched this week instead of Private Practice and where she keeps her Tony.

For me what I love about New York is that when you are lonely or when you’re feeling depressed you can get out and walk it off and see other people that might feel the same way. In California, in L.A. you are stuck in a car all by yourself …the last thing I need to do is sit in a car by myself listening to sad music, in traffic… you know you go on an audition or important meeting you obsess. Here (NYC) that happens but then you get out and walk and see people from all walks of life and you get perspective, you don’t see a big billboard of the show you didn’t get.

For me as an artists I feel like I am always trying to be as authentic and as transparent as possible; and, if you can’t see my soul whether I am in green make up or on stage doing an original song your not going to get goose bumps or feel that connection to me so it is always the same adrenaline, the same nerves because it is me up there.

So far, the casting directors have done a great job of finding younger versions of the Glee characters. Their young Finn and even young Rachel from the pilot were spot on, and they’ve done it again! Thirteen year old Adam Kolkin will be playing a young Kurt Hummel for a flashback montage in this Tuesday’s episode. Here is an excerpt from an article in The Orange County Register talking about how Kolkin landed the role:

The role called for an 8-year-old but Adam Kolkin went anyway.

The Los Alamitos High School freshman says he can look young but, more than that, he perfectly looks the part.

Kolkin, 13, will appear on “Glee” on Tuesday as a young Kurt Hummel in a series of vignettes flashing back to Kurt as an 8-year-old at his mother’s funeral.

The resemblance Kolkin has with Chris Colfer (Kurt) is so uncanny even the casting directors were taken aback when Kolkin walked in the room for his screen test.

“They all kept saying, ‘Oh my God, oh my God,” Kolkin recalled.

Source: O.C. teen to play younger Kurt on ‘Glee’ – The Orange County Register

Take a look at these snapshots of Adam with Chris Colfer and Mike O’Malley. He makes a great Kurt!

Shelly, one of our LA reps, definitely had a busy summer. Make sure that you’re following her on Twitter (@GleekShelly) as she regularly live Tweets from Glee events. Here is her recap of all the Glee events she got to go to over the summer:

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to attend several Glee events in the LA area. Here are some brief recaps and photos/videos from my adventures. Enjoy!

May 31st – 4th annual Art4Life benefit show at Club Level 3, Hollywood. Art4Life was founded in 2007 by Gina Starbuck, who created the organization to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society in honor of her father. You can find out more about it here: www.Art4LifeLA.com. This was my second Art4Life event (Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, and Dianna Agron hosted last year’s show), and I’ve always been impressed with not only the amazing performances, but also the amount of talented actors and musicians who donate their time and effort to such a wonderful cause. This year’s hosts were comedian Ryan Hill, actress Francia Raisa (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and our very own Heather Morris. The trio did a great job of running the show, which included performances by cast members of Wicked, So You Think You Can Dance, and America’s Best Dance Crew. Check out my pictures below:

Flickr -- Photoset -- 4th Annual Art4Life with Heather Horris

July 10th – A Conversation with Jane Lynch, hosted by Outfest (the LA Gay and Lesbian Film Festival). For almost two hours, Jane talked to a sold out auditorium about her personal life, her career leading up to Glee, and everything in between. She was, as always, hilarious, charismatic, and engaging. I’ll let the video highlights speak for themselves:

Flickr -- Photoset -- A Conversation with Jane Lynch
at Outfest 2010

August 4th – Sue Sylvester wax figure launch at Madame Tassauds Hollywood. Jane Lynch, Ian Brennan, and Iqbal Theba were present at the unveiling of Glee’s first ever wax figure. The John Burroughs High School Powerhouse (the real-life inspiration for the show, and the group that was featured on the Glee episode of Oprah) opened the event with a few performances of songs from Glee. They were followed by Ian Brennan, who introduced Jane, and finally by Jane herself, who, like all of us in the press and audience, was seeing the figure for the first time. Here’s a video of Ian’s introduction, the unveiling, and Jane’s reaction:

After posing for photos and doing several interviews with the press, Jane was kind enough to come out and sign autographs and take pictures with the hundreds of fans who had come out to Hollywood to see her.

Flickr -- Photoset -- Sue Sylvester Wax Figure Launch
at Madame Tussauds

August 14th – 826LA’s “A Spelling Bee for Cheaters,” Lincoln Middle School, Santa Monica. Dianna Agron and many others were present at this fundraiser for 826LA, an organization dedicated to putting on tutoring and writing programs for children in the LA area. For those of you who are unclear about what exactly the event was, you can read the description and rules here. In addition to being hilariously adorable, Dianna was also the overall top fundraiser. Go Dianna! Here’s a video of her highlights, and some photos I took:

Flickr -- Photoset -- 826LA’s “A Spelling Bee for Cheaters”
Featuring Dianna Agron

August 21st – Glee Clothing Line Launch at Macy’s, Beverly Center. Heather Morris, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale were there to sign autographs for every Gleek who showed up and spent at least $50 on Glee merchandise. The new clothes look awesome, and it was fun watching the cast interact with their fans. I can say with confidence that they’re some of the nicest, most genuine people in the business. Towards the end of the event, I got a chance to talk to Jenna, and when I told her that I was from GleeFan.com, she gave Rob a shout out and recognized me as “GleekShelly!” That definitely made my day and was a great end to an amazing summer of Glee. :)

Flickr -- Photoset -- Clothing Line Launch at Macy’s
Featuring Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale & Heather Horris