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

Outfest, “the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media,” is said to be presenting it’s 14th annual Achievement Award to Jane Lynch at the film festival’s opening night July 8 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.

Outfest’s highest honor, The Achievement Award is presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to LGBT film and media.

“As an actor, comedien and longtime activist for gay rights issues, Jane has had a profound impact on both mainstream and LGBT audiences,” Outfest exec director Kirsten Schaffer said. “Through her roles in both independent films and blockbuster hits, as well as television, she continually demonstrates her brilliant comedic timing. Jane is funny, fearless and we are proud to honor her this year for her incredible talent, passion and her enduring advocacy for equal rights.”

Last year’s Outfest Achievement Award went to Don Roos and previous recipients include: Jane Anderson, Gregg Araki, Bill Condon, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, Todd Haynes, Sir Ian McKellen and Gus Van Sant.

Lynch most recently received a Golden Globe nomination for herportrayal of Sue Sylvester on “Glee,” and won, along with her fellow cast members, a 2009 Screen Actors Guild award for best ensemble in a comedy. Her film credits include “Julie & Julia,” “Post Grad” and “Paul and Brownie Masters.”

Sources: BroadwayWorld: Outfest Honors GLEE’s Jane Lynch with Achievement Award, 7/8
Variety: Outfest to honor Jane Lynch
TheHollywoodReporter: Jane Lynch to receive Outfest Achievement Award

There will be a panel of Glee cast and crew at Outfest 2009 in order to screen a brand new Glee episode. For more info, go here.

OUTFEST 2009 ANNOUNCES
“GLEE” PANEL MEMBERS
Q&A WITH CAST & CREW FOLLOWING SCREENING OF NEVER-BEFORE-BROADCAST EPISODE
Saturday, July 18 at DGA 1

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 29, 2009) – Outfest 2009, the 27th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, has announced the participants of its Special Events panel for FOX’s highly anticipated new comedy series “Glee”: cast members Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch, as well as co-creator and writer Ian Brennan and executive producer Dante Di Loreto.

The Q&A will follow the screening of a never-before-broadcast episode on Saturday, July 18 at 1:30pm at the Director’s Guild of America (DGA 1).

From Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” comes “Glee,” a new comedy that critics have called “incredible, amazing, inspiring and remarkable” and “the hottest new show of the season.” The series follows an optimistic teacher who – against all odds and the wishes of his wife –attempts to restore his school’s glee club to its former glory, while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. ”Glee” premieres Wednesday, Sept. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
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