‘Glee’ co-creator on cast’s skyrocket success: ‘I could not be more proud of them’

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With a performance at the White House, an appearance on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ a tour in the works -- not to mention the spring premiere of the second half of their freshman season a week away -- the ‘Glee’ kids are on the top of the world.

Now that Glee-mania has gone into extreme overdrive and it seems that the demands on the cast have gotten heavier, it’s easy to wonder if there is any pressure over the newfound fame.

Co-creator/executive producer Ian Brennan said Tuesday he’s impressed with how well the kids have adapted to the hype.

‘Speaking for everyone, we just got back from Chicago, where we filmed ‘Oprah,’ and then the White House. I was shocked at how poised and professional everyone has been. To see some of these kids, like Chris Colfer, who’s 19,’ Brennan said in a conference call with reporters. ‘It’s also good to see how well the kids get along. This has been a yearlong journey. It’s an interesting time for them. They seem to be handling it really well. I could not be more proud of them.’

Brennan said watching the kids perform at the White House during the annual Easter Egg Roll was surreal.

‘For me, it was one of the best moments of my life,’ Brennan said.

They performed a mini set of songs including ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ’ and ‘Sweet Caroline.’ Amber Riley (who portrays Mercedes) sang the national anthem, which apparently impressed President Obama.

‘Obama kept looking over to Michelle, kind of like ... eyes wide, ‘Damn, this girl is good!’ ‘ Brennan said. ‘It was absolutely, absolutely incredible.’

When asked if Obama was a fan of the show, as reported before in the media, co-creator/executive producer Brad Falchuk, who was also on the call, said the president told some of the cast he didn’t let his kids watch ‘Glee’ because daughters Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, were ‘too young.’
Brennan said he believed Sasha watched the show with First Lady Michelle Obama, but thought it was possibly Malia who didn’t watch the series.

Stay tuned for more with Brennan and Falchuk in the coming days.

-- Gerrick Kennedy (Follow me on Twitter @GerrickKennedy)

before they perform at the Easter Egg Roll on Monday. Pictured L-R: Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Dijon Talton, Harry Shum Jr. and Dianna Agron. Credit: Fox

Related:

Complete Showtracker coverage of ‘Glee’