Galleria still seeing stars

Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, President Bill Clinton and last week, Supermodel Cindy Crawford.

They and many other celebrities time and again choose the Glendale Galleria for high-profile promotional appearances. The Los Angeles metropolitan area has plenty of shopping malls, but Glendale's 200-plus-store center — anchored by Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney and Target — keep drawing the star power.

"We're one of the largest-volume stores in the western region, but we also are in a great location," said Dean Carey, general manager of JCPenney at the Galleria.

His store was the center of the storm during Crawford's evening visit last week to the Sephora store inside JCPenney to promote her Meaningful Beauty skin care products.

Earlier this year, JCPenney hosted an appearance by gold-medal-winning Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin. Dean Carey noted that Liukin's "Supergirl by Nastia" line of active wear is a product of Warner Bros., whose Burbank headquarters is just a few miles from the Galleria.

The Macy's at the Galleria is also a popular spot. Mariah Carey and Aguilera appeared there when launching products in recent years.

"Glendale is a convenient location for celebrities and the media, close to the TV networks, and an easy drive for celebrity talent," said Rosemarie Robles, manager of media relations for Macy's. "The mall management at the Galleria is very easy to work with, and often partners with us on events. They understand the logistics of big events, and are willing to go the extra mile to help us be successful."

The Galleria has hosted concerts by rocker Avril Lavigne and Disney Channel star Demi Lovato, as well as a get-out-the-vote appearance by another young Disney star, Selena Gomez. Paris Hilton appeared at the Macy's in 2009.

Fernando Valenzuela, the former superstar pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed autographs at the Galleria in 2006. And Dodgers Luis Gonzalez and Wilson Betemit made appearances a year later.

Familiar faces from the shows "Glee," "DeGrassi," "Days of Our Lives" and "General Hospital" also have appeared at the Galleria.

JCPenney's Dean Carey remembers when Clinton arrived in 1991, just weeks after winning the presidential election and before moving into the White House. Clinton wasn't hawking a particular product. He was hawking every product.

"The president was showing support for seasonal shopping," Dean Carey said.