Chapter 123
Bradley Adams adjusted his breathing, momentarily lifting his fingers off the shutter button. He glanced around at the actors on set. Neil Patrick Harris spread his arms wide to welcome the newly arrived Amy Poehler; not far away, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki who came together, were expressing their admiration for Steve Carell.
The Emmys were always like this—an overwhelming gathering of familiar faces from TV screens, making it hard to stand out. Stealing the spotlight here was far more challenging than the Golden Globes or the Oscars.
The red carpet in front of the Nokia Theatre had a distinctive setup. The theatre itself faced south, with the street in front running east to west. The red carpet began on the western side of the street, following the narrow sidewalk eastward. Upon reaching the theatre entrance, it turned north, opening up to a large plaza.
Journalists were stationed along the southern side of the sidewalk, perfectly positioned to interview actors or capture their photographs. While some fans stood behind the journalists, most of the crowd gathered in the plaza. Here, actors had the chance to interact closely with their fans.
Suddenly, a burst of screams erupted from the start of the red carpet. Bradley glanced over casually, spotting a group of fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girls screaming excitedly, their frenzied enthusiasm almost overwhelming the reporters at the entrance. Without needing to look further, he knew: the ‘Glee’ cast had arrived. The new TV series, which premiered last fall, had quickly become a cultural phenomenon, with every piece of news about it turning into a headline.
Reporters often joked that if ‘Twilight’ dominated film, then ‘Glee’ was its television counterpart.
Leaning forward slightly, Bradley confirmed his guess. Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, and the rest of the cast had arrived together. The teenage fans went wild, turning the narrow red carpet into a boiling cauldron of excitement. The energy was so intense it felt like the ground might give way beneath their feet.
Bradley wasn’t particularly interested. A teen-centric show like ‘Glee’ wouldn’t get much coverage in The New York Times. Still, he picked up his camera and snapped a few shots—just in case they’d come in handy later.
The ‘Glee’ cast, experiencing such attention for the first time, seemed both exhilarated and nervous. They enthusiastically shook hands with fans on both sides of the carpet, which only caused the crowd to erupt further. Although the fans here represented just a small fraction of the audience compared to the plaza, the commotion was so intense it triggered a ripple effect, drawing more fans toward the scene. The atmosphere became so lively it felt less like the Emmys and more like the Teen Choice Awards.