“Glee’’ cast members (from left) Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, and Dianna Agron were in town for a meet and greet yesterday at Hot Topic in Natick.
(Gretchen Ertl for The Boston Globe)
Names
Visiting Boston with ‘Glee’
“Glee’’ cast members (from left) Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, and Dianna Agron were in town for a meet and greet yesterday at Hot Topic in Natick.
(Gretchen Ertl for The Boston Globe)
About 300 young fans mobbed Hot Topic in the Natick Collection yesterday to meet the cast of “Glee,’’ the “High School Musical’’-esque show about a glee club airing on Fox this fall. Just about every young actor on the show came for the visit, which was the first stop on a promotional tour to hype the series before it starts in September. Actress Lea Michele, who plays Rachel on the show, told us yesterday that she and castmate Dianna Agron, who plays Quinn, arrived in Boston a few days early for some sightseeing. “I think we literally got every single thing done you can imagine,’’ Michele said of her Boston trip. When we asked Michele to be more specific, she added, “We went to Quincy Market, which was amazing.’’ Apparently, our public transportation was also amazing. “We took the T,’’ Michele said, excitedly. “I actually feel really cool [that] I was perfectly fine. I got my map and I took the T. It was great.’’ A note to theater buffs: Michele, 22, starred as Wendla in “Spring Awakening’’ on Broadway.
Filling in
At the exact moment Steven Tyler was having a most unfortunate stage fall in Sturgis, N.D., Massachusetts Aerosmith tribute band Draw the Line was playing its own show nearby as part of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Neill Byrnes, frontman of the Hingham cover band, said his own audience grew when the Aerosmith crowd realized Tyler was down for the count. “Halfway through the show, people started coming over to our show,’’ Byrnes told us. “We were like, ‘What?’ That’s how we found out.’’ Byrnes, whose band claims to be the only tribute act endorsed by Aerosmith, said he has faith that this is not the end of Aerosmith, despite the band’s many injuries, its tour cancellation, and a photo of Tyler that ran in yesterday’s Globe that showed Tyler looking frail and sickly. “You can never count this band out,’’ Byrnes said, full of optimism. “How many times have they gone to the depths of hell and come out of it?’’ By our count: at least 12.Where’s the action?
Wondering what’s become of the movie based on “Black Mass,’’ the book about Whitey Bulger by former Globies Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill? We are, too. In March, Jim Sheridan, the celebrated Irish director of such Oscar-nominated films as “In the Name of the Father’’ and “My Left Foot,’’ was in town to scout locations, and there was talk of a summer shoot. But since then, there’s been no word. Yesterday, blogger Sam Baltrusis of LoadedGunBoston.com reported that Sheridan may be pulling out of the project. Not so, says one of the film’s backers, who told us Sheridan still has a hand in it, but will likely direct “Dream House,’’ starring Daniel Craig, before coming to Boston to make “Black Mass.’’ In other movie news, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz will be in town soon to begin shooting a big-budget action comedy with director James Mangold. Previously titled “Wichita,’’ the film is about an undercover agent who hooks up with a woman who’s had only bad luck with men. Producers are in town now prepping for the shoot, which will include at least a few high-octane action sequences that will necessitate the closure of certain roads and bridges.Around town
With “Grown Ups’’ continuing to film through Friday - some of the cast and crew have been at Water Wizz in Wareham in recent days - Adam Sandler and at least a few of his costars are still around. Sandler and his wife, Jacqueline, dined Sunday at Morton’s the Steakhouse in the Back Bay.It’s a circus out there
McFadden's creeped out bargoers in the Financial District over the weekend by hiring members of the Boston Circus Guild to perform in and around the venue. After a few stilt-walkers (including Mark Alexander, above) took a stroll down State Street, the bar welcomed other circus types with odd talents, including a man who staples money to himself.Wahlberg set to pahty
Donnie Wahlberg, who turned the big 4-0 yesterday, says he’ll be celebrating his birthday next week in Connecticut. The Boston boy/New Kid on the Block, who was recently added to the cast of the locally shot Kevin James movie “The Zookeeper,’’ tweeted to fans yesterday that he’ll be partying at Mohegan Sun on Tuesday. To be more specific, his message was, “Donnie Wahlberg OFFICIAL B-DAY PARTY #1- NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT. MOHEGAN SUN CASINO in Connecticut - ULTRA 88 Night Club!!! 9PM.’’ We hear Rob Lewis, of P. Diddy’s new show “Making His Band,’’ is already on the guest list. Lewis has produced music for Christina Aguilera, Babyface, Jessica Simpson, and, of course, New Kids on the Block. To make Wahlberg feel just a little bit older, we’ll remind him that his movie “The Sixth Sense’’ came out 10 years ago this month.Hitting the links
Former Sox pitcher Dennis Eckersley joined Jimmy Fund chairman Mike Andrews (above right, with Eck) at yesterday’s Tame the Tigers golf tourney, a fund-raiser for the Jimmy Fund at the International in Bolton. . . . While the Sox were taking it on the chin in Texas, CEO Larry Lucchino and wife Stacey relaxed at Chatham Bars Inn.They’re hot stuff
Brothers Peter and Robert DePesa, owners of Focaccia Restaurant in Wilmington, are ready for their close-up. The DePesas are featured on Friday’s episode of the new Food Network show “Chefs vs. City,’’ and to celebrate, they’re having a little get-together that night. The shindig, to be hosted by WCVB’s Susan Wornick and Bianca De la Garza, will benefit the Mark Wahlberg Foundation. (We’re told the actor, who’s in Lowell filming “The Fighter,’’ may show.) “Chefs vs. City’’ requires contestants to races against the clock, creating tasty dishes in different cities.Scouting ‘The Town’
Here’s a nice paparazzi shot of Celtics fan Ben Affleck (right) walking the city to find locations for his new movie “The Town.’’ The film is an adaptation of the Chuck Hogan thriller “Prince of Thieves,’’ which is about a bank robber in love. Affleck has already checked out the Charles Hotel and parts of the North End as possible locations for the film. He’s set to shoot a scene at Fenway Park next month. We only hope that Affleck’s “Town’’ costar Jon Hamm, a.k.a. Don Draper of “Mad Men,’’ will be this visible when he arrives in Boston to start shooting the movie.Read the Names Blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
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