The ‘Abbott Elementary’ cast was filming at Thursday’s Phillies game as Kyle Schwarber made history
The cast was filming at Citizens Bank Park as Kyle Schwarber made history hitting four home runs.
The crowd at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday cheered for many reasons: Fans came decked out in costumes for Star Wars night, Kyle Schwarber made history by hitting four home runs, the Phillies beat the Braves by a whopping 15 runs — and the cast of Abbott Elementary appeared on the Jumbotron, cheering along in the stands, too.
Barricaded in section 114, eight actors from the beloved ABC sitcom, including creator and star Quinta Brunson, sat together amid dozens of extras while multiple cameras captured the action. Next to Brunson, who plays second-grade teacher Janine, sat Tyler James Williams (Gregory), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Barbara), Chris Perfetti (Jacob), Lisa Ann Walter (Melissa), Matthew Law (O’Shon), Janelle James (Ava), and William Stanford Davis (Mr. Johnson).
But why were they there?
A few weeks ago at San Diego Comic-Con, Brunson announced plans to film at a “live event” in Philadelphia, but she didn’t elaborate much. “I do think that Philly sports fans will be very happy …and sports fans in general,” she said.
Last night’s game was that live event and, yes, Phillies fans are definitely happy.
Especially Brunson, who shared a photo with her and Schwarber on her Instagram story on Friday morning.
Even before PhanaVision spotlighted the cast, word of the TV production spread on social media. But at the ballpark, it mostly felt like a normal night for the 41,293 attendees.
Some fans seated nearby strained the zoom on their phone cameras to snap blurry photos of the celebs. They also joked that the Phillies’ victory was a sign that Abbott should attend every game. Others caught glimpses of the cast at the makeshift studio that the crew set up with a few tents near the First Base Gate entrance, where they had film and sound equipment, coffee, chips, and other snacks.
Avid followers of the Emmy-winning show likely already knew that the cast was in town as Walter appeared at the Phillies-Nationals game on Sunday to throw the first pitch. Ralph — who celebrated her vow renewal with husband Sen. Vincent Hughes at the Art Museum last month — spoke at an event at the Free Library with Hughes and Davis last weekend as well.
A lifelong Phillies fan from West Philly, Brunson grew up going to games at Veterans Stadium and knows just how important sports are to the city — and to any show striving to portray Philly authentically. Gritty appeared in the Season 2 premiere of Abbott Elementary in 2022, and Eagles stars Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, and Brandon Graham have been featured as guest stars.
Brunson has made it her mission to showcase Philadelphia fully, both the glory and the mess, not only highlighting the fun sports culture but underscoring the struggles of underfunded public schools.
In May, the comedian received a key to the city from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, recognizing her efforts to represent the city nationwide.
Though the L.A.-based production rarely travels to Philly, Brunson always keeps her hometown front of mind. She knew in the spring that they would “absolutely” film locally again after they filmed at the Please Touch Museum for the Season 4 finale, in which Eagles player Jordan Mailata made a brief cameo. (Fresh off the Super Bowl win, the Eagle stopped by the set with the Lombardi Trophy, and Brunson and her mom, Norma Jean Brunson, took selfies with it in the Rocket Room.)
Filming at the Bank was an even bigger operation than the Please Touch Museum or the Franklin Institute, where they shot in 2023 for the Season 2 finale.
Abbott Elementary shot on site for two days leading up to Thursday’s game.
The production crew brought 200 extras clad in Phillies gear on Tuesday and 400 on Wednesday as they took over the ballpark while the team played the Mets in New York.
For Aramark staff, that meant calling in about 100 employees to cater food for the cast and crew, with a handful of vendors getting a special chance to appear on camera, too.
“It’s like we’re talking about the World Series right now — the amount of production, TV trucks, the compound, all the staff that’s here, all the extras that are here,” said Kevin Tedesco, general manager at Citizens Bank Park for Aramark. “This is probably the biggest production we’ve had from a TV show on site in the 20-plus years we’ve been here.”
Also on site were another hundred Phillies staffers ensuring the operation went smoothly, including security, grounds crew, union labor, PhanaVision staff, and housekeeping. Of course, the Phanatic was called upon, too.
Major League Baseball first put the idea into motion, according to a statement from MLB Studios:
“As big fans of the series, MLB Studios initiated outreach to Warner Bros. and subsequently the Phillies to get the shooting process started. Collaboration between MLB Studios, the Phillies, and the show commenced to shoot a bottle episode on location at a Phillies game, with a goal of ensuring authenticity and access to the field.”
Season 5 of Abbott Elementary — which is up for six Emmy Awards this year — will premiere on ABC on Oct. 1. The Phillies episode will air later the same month.
The article has been updated to reflect the correct number of Emmy nominations for Abbott Elementary. It is six.