Lauren Alaina Performs Despite Sprain – VIDEOS

Lauren is a trouper! My husband just got his boot off from an injury; those things are pretty clunky and not fun to wear. I hope she’s resting it as much as she can.

Someone uploaded Lauren’s whole set, including the crowd banter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mVedrvDtN0&feature=BFa&list=ULuW_9X5YcKW8&index=24

I was really amazed at Lauren watching “Born This Way”. I am really proud of how the rest of the girls have really gone out of their way to look after Lauren’s safety while she is on that stage.

I’ve worn an ace bandage on my leg before but never a boot and it amazes me to see what a trooper Lauren is and how well she is adapting under these difficult circumstances.

Get well soon Lauren! :)

Good for Lauren. I know that she’s in a lot of pain right now and she doesn’t have to do this, but she can look back with pride later on.

She could probably take it easier on the choreo, though. Let the other women move around (not that they can do much more than her given that they are tottering around on ridiculous heels) and she can stay at the top. She shouldn’t risk falling again. Maybe when the pain dies down a bit and she gets more used to that big boot she can start again.

Stupid stylists and their stupid useless shoes.

LOL that guy at the end. “What happened to her ankle?” Keep up, dude!

Lauren is a trooper but the tour director should change things to let Lauren stay stationary and not have to move around so much. It can’t be good for the healing process having her walking on that ankle so much so soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVUw5_gewgk

I just watched the finale, and is it just me, or is Lauren crying at the end. You can see her wiping her face, and she seems like she’s not enjoying herself as much.

high heels plus stupid narrow stairs with no railings to hold on = major safety hazard

Some people are just wired “to entertain” and come hell or high water they are going to do it. Lauren could have cut back her stage time and just rested on her laurels but she seems to absolutely LOVE performing and wasn’t about to disappoint her fans…and I don’t think she did it to be self-serving at all.

Her attitude reminds me a lot of Kelly Clarkson…it seems, for them, that performing is as natural as breathing and as necessary. Kudos, Lauren, and from the vids you sounded as great as ever….if you were hurting it sure didn’t manifest itself in your singing.

Lauren was reportedly in a lot of pain and crying.

I know that Lauren is trying to gut it out, but I think that she really shouldn’t be hobbling around so soon after such a serious injury. No one would blame her for sitting out a few shows or cutting back on her appearances.

ETA:

Lauren is a trooper but the tour director should change things to let Lauren stay stationary and not have to move around so much. It can’t be good for the healing process having her walking on that ankle so much so soon.

I agree. Perhaps, Lauren wanted to try it for one night and see how it went, but it sounds like it may have been too much for her.

It’s utterly amazing the girl can sing through the pain of a sprained ankle. I am appalled that the tour director and her mother put her through such horrific agony. For what?? The entertainment of others?! I was going to suggest that this borders on child abuse but I think it lands smack dab in the middle of abuse. Unbelievable.

I just watched the finale, and is it just me, or is Lauren crying at the end.

Poor kid- she probably started out not feeling that bad, but that boot is cumbersome and she must have been in pain and exhausted by the end of the night.

I’m not convinced she’s going to be able to keep this up night after night.

I just watched the finale, and is it just me, or is Lauren crying at the end.

Oh dear. I hadn’t seen that. Poor thing. That’s too much. She looks totally wiped. They need to make some changes. They could just have her wheel in from the side riser if she still wants to perform. The choreo isn’t all that and a bag of chips so who cares if it is messed up a little. Nobody is coming to these shows for the dancing (well, except for cheesy bad dancing because who doesn’t love that?)

I’m not convinced she’s going to be able to keep this up night after night.

They have a concert tonight and tomorrow. Too much too soon. At least get the kid sitting down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVUw5_gewgk
I just watched the finale, and is it just me, or is Lauren crying at the end.

I’m not convinced she’s going to be able to keep this up night after night.

She looked like she was in so much pain during the final curtain call and crying. Then James, he said once when he sees a girl cry it makes him cry. Looked like he could have been close, Casey was even patten him on the back or it could have been something else.

TPTB please give lauren a stool or have her sit on the stairs and look cute… she could do it.
This was the first run with her in this condition, so now maybe they will make tweaks for tonight.

I too am not sure she can keep this up. I figure she tried to do it all tonight not knowing what she will have to go through but she seemed in too much pain in the final number to do it night after night.

I am appalled that the tour director and her mother put her through such horrific agony.

I believe her mother tweeted that there was no holding her back and she wanted to perform- and I think that’s a highly admirable quality, because work ethic seems to have gone out the window these days. BUT- having said that- she’s 16- and I know when I was that age a) I thought I was invincible and b) I knew it all and my mother knew nothing. Isn’t it the adults’ job to say no? (or at least make changes so she’s not on her feet the entire show?)

I agree, if she wants to continue to perform, give her a chair to sit on. She doesn’t need to be moving around. Audiences will understand.

Awwww…what a trooper. She sounded amazing…but you can see the pain in her eyes when they showed close ups of her on the big screen. I don’t think she’ll be able to keep this up night after night while she is in this much pain. For the Scotty duet, they should have two stools planted in the middle of the stage and have them facing each other and singing to each other during that song so she doesn’t have to be on her feet. If she insists on performing her set, the group #s will survive without Lauren for a few shows. Minimize her time. Get better soon, Lauren!!

Lauren is a trooper but the tour director should change things to let Lauren stay stationary and not have to move around so much. It can’t be good for the healing process having her walking on that ankle so much so soon.

She shouldn’t be doing so much so soon. She could be risking some permanent damage if she does. Doctors should say how much she can/should be on her foot. And if she is on stage, it should probably be minimally on her feet, and certainly not attempting any choreo for a while.

Yeah, I get and admire Lauren’s desire to go on with the show. But this show isn’t worth her causing permanent damage, and I hope the show accomodates her injury more, to avoid that. Lauren might not know her limits at this point, or want to deal with them, so the show should have a doctor say what those limits should be, and go more with that.

Get that girl in a chair!

For the Scotty duet, they should have two stools planted in the middle of the stage and have them facing each other and singing to each other during that song so she doesn’t have to be on her feet.

The stage goes really dark. So, Scotty can start the song as usual while the stage hands whip out and toss her on a stool slightly to the side on the lower riser. Then, the spotlight can be on her for her part and Scotty can walk over to her and take her hand during the chorus and the shippers will all swoon.

See, I can write this stuff!

Keeps things a tad dynamic while ticking all the same boxes.

How do we fix “Flat on the Floor”?

I am appalled that the tour director and her mother put her through such horrific agony.

I believe her mother tweeted that there was no holding her back and she wanted to perform- and I think that’s a highly admirable quality, because work ethic seems to have gone out the window these days. BUT- having said that- she’s 16- and I know when I was that age a) I thought I was invincible and b) I knew it all and my mother knew nothing. Isn’t it the adults’ job to say no? (or at least make changes so she’s not on her feet the entire show?)

Work ethic? Isn’t that what got her hurt in the first place? “Lauren was dead set on wearing high heels like the other girls.” How about putting your foot down, Mom (and hopefully that foot is wearing flats, not 4″ Cougar Heels) and saying she can perform on a stool. She is not going to march around for the amusement of 10,000 lunatics. Why do you think Lauren has to have Mom or some other chaperone with her? Because she is too young to decide on her own.

ETA:

How do we fix “Flat on the Floor”??)

How about changing the lyrics to “Flats on the Floor”?

Why not use a wheelchair? Kevin McHale can do it …

I’ll bet she wanted to try it, to see how it went. I would not be surprised if tonight’s show is altered.

Lauren is certainly a trooper. Her voice didn’t give away the pain she was in, but you could see it. She sounded great.

I don’t imagine anyone could convince her to not perform. I anticipate eventually she may concede to using a wheelchair which she could have a lot of fun with.

I think they will make adjustments now after she found out how hard it was last night. She can sit on a stool or whatever. I read where she was not able to greet fans at the buses after the show because she was in so much pain, and as much as she loves that part of the tour, it had to be pretty bad for her to miss it. Her mother came out and apologized to the fans on her behalf.

I don’t think it’s fair to blame anyone. She thought she could do it without changing very much. But, now that they’ve found out how much discomfort it is causing her, it will be a different story if they continue to allow her to do it. She can be protected without hurting the show in the least, and now it’s up to the adults to protect her. Just let her sit or stand still.

On another topic, I was hoping having the grueling rehearsal schedule over would help her voice recover, and that seems to be the case. She sounds wonderful.

nt

Good for Lauren for wanting to perform. But the adults, both mom and Idol, need to limit Lauren’s movements on stage, especially going down the stairs. Gees. The injury could get worse and she will be forced to miss entire performances or risk permanent damage, IMO. Lauren is a minor. Time to help her place her health before performance. Unbelievably short-sighted. Hopefully, changes will happen in next venue. I wish Lauren and her mom the best in this tough situation.

So for the last six months I’ve heard nothing but griping about the supposed “stage Mothering” associated with Lauren’s Mom and now, with Lauren being hurt, it is all about how her Mother isn’t doing her job and should be controlling the situation.

Make up your damn minds! For Lauren’s Mom this has turned into a lose, lose situation. She is now the scapegoat because she “let” Lauren wear heels (where is Thia’s mom), and she isn’t demanding that her daughter be forcibly removed from the stage.

Based on last night it looks like Lauren isn’t as capable as she thought she probably was and that the injury is probably more debilitating then she thought. I bet that changes are made tonight after the initial try at normalcy didn’t quite work out.

I really liked the way Lauren and James sounded together. It was short, but I really liked the blend.

So for the last six months I’ve heard nothing but griping about the supposed “stage Mothering” associated with Lauren’s Mom and now, with Lauren being hurt, it is all about how her Mother isn’t doing her job and should be controlling the situation.

Letting Lauren perform when she is crippled with injury and pain is precisely the type of stage mommyish behavior that many were carping about earlier. Forget about what is good for the child, push her out on the stage do your Mom proud! Not surprising at all.

So for the last six months I’ve heard nothing but griping about the supposed “stage Mothering” associated with Lauren’s Mom and now, with Lauren being hurt, it is all about how her Mother isn’t doing her job and should be controlling the situation.

Make up your damn minds! For Lauren’s Mom this has turned into a lose, lose situation. She is now the scapegoat because she “let” Lauren wear heels (where is Thia’s mom), and she isn’t demanding that her daughter be forcibly removed from the stage.

Based on last night it looks like Lauren isn’t as capable as she thought she probably was and that the injury is probably more debilitating then she thought. I bet that changes are made tonight after the initial try at normalcy didn’t quite work out.

*claps* Great post, Tess. I agree. I never understood the “stage mom” complaints about Lauren’s mom. I also think there will be changes to the tour set now that Lauren has experienced what she’ll have to endure if she continues. I see her limiting her time and there being a stool on stage for her set and the Scotty duet. I really hope she opts OUT of the group #s. She doesn’t need to be in them. Even for Gone, she can sit out of that one and just have Thia, Pia and Haley do the backup.

lol i love how its always the “moms” fault

i just don’t see her being pushed by her mom to perform.. maybe the show folks… but my gut.. says lauren is a trooper and wanted to. after all the show must go on!

take care lauren!

So for the last six months I’ve heard nothing but griping about the supposed “stage Mothering” associated with Lauren’s Mom and now, with Lauren being hurt, it is all about how her Mother isn’t doing her job and should be controlling the situation.

I’m not going to get into whether or not Lauren’s Mom is a stage Mom (although, I think she is not one), but these things are not contradictory, IMO.

A classic Stage Mom tosses her injured, weeping child out there. The show must go on. Go watch Gypsy for a text book stage mom. A Stage Mom is focused on vicarious fame/wealth and loses focus on the physical and mental health of their child.

A regular Mom uses her judgement and tells her kid not to do something unsafe when the kid really, really wants to do it. You have to let kids grow and become independent, but you still have to set the limits.

I don’t have a problem with Lauren’s Mom and TPTB letting Lauren try to do the entire show last night, but I think, given how much pain she ended up in, they need to make changes for tonight. That would be the responsible adult thing to do IMO.

I highly doubt that Lauren’s mom has anything to do with her performing. It’s just those that don’t like her have somebody to blame.

Forget about what is good for the child, push her out on the stage do your Mom proud! Not surprising at all.

I do think she is a stage mommy- but in this particular case, I don’t think she is responsible for Lauren being on stage last night. I can hear it now:

“Lauren, you can’t perform like that it’s dangerous”

“Oh mommy please let me try it once, I can do it”

Do I agree with it- no, because I do think there is a risk of permanent injury. I also have vastly changed my opinion of Lauren- she is clearly a strong willed young lady, and I don’t think anybody has an easy time telling her what to do.

I read the boards alot that said i find it extremely humorous that only Lauren’s mom is a “stage mom” Never hear anthing about Scotty’s Mom or Thias Mom or past teens (other than david A’s Stage dad)
but for some reason people seem to have taken a dislike to laurens mom from the beginnin of the season? too much make uP? don’t like lauren so take it out on the mom? i dunno what it is, but everyone professes to know whats in these peoples hearts and minds and c’mon we really have no idea!

As usual, I think we are over-analyzing things. I mean, that’s what we come here for, to discuss and analyze things. But, sometimes a duck is just a duck, and no amount of holding it up and examining it will change that.

Lauren thought she could do it. They let her try. Now, they need to put their collective foot down and do what’s best for her.

I’m kind of surprised at the staircase the tour is using. IIRC, it is almost identical to the one Diana DeGarmo fell down in ’04. They added a handrail after her fall. You’d think the set designers would have been told to add a rail from the get go. They also let Diana sit on a stool for her solo set, took her out of all group numbers except the “Eye is on the Sparrow” finale, and Diana was able to mostly recover from her foot/ankle/shin injury after about 3 weeks, from what I read online. Someone needs to step in for Lauren or she’ll be limping around in pain for months.

Mike M says:
07/12/2011 at 11:25 am

As usual, I think we are over-analyzing things. I mean, that’s what we come here for, to discuss and analyze things. But, sometimes a duck is just a duck, and no amount of holding it up and examining it will change that.

Lauren thought she could do it. They let her try. Now, they need to put their collective foot down and do what’s best for her.

Waitaminit! What fun is that? It has to be somebody’s fault. I blame it on the 1st grade teacher who told her she would never amount to anything. Or the boy in 3rd grade who liked somebody else. Or Haley just cause. But never never never think her ankle just tightened up at the end of the night and that adjustments will be made.

I read the boards alot that said i find it extremely humorous that only Lauren’s mom is a “stage mom” Never hear anthing about Scotty’s Mom or Thias Mom or past teens (other than david A’s Stage dad)

Diana’s Mom was a legendary stage Mom of epic proportions (and that is from reliable sources). Not every parent earns the Stage Mom/Dad monicker, so I don’t see a conspiracy here.

With Diana and Archie, there were a lot of behind the scenes leaks (with Archie, some people actually went on record – one of the judges from Star Search). The kids are also put into a lot of competitions. Diana and Archie also had their parents end up as managers/co-managers (with Diana, to the extreme detriment of her career).

I think with Lauren’s Mom, the rumours started because she dressed and did her hair like her daughter. That’s a classic stage parent symptom because the parent is living vicariously through their child. Not all parents who dress like their kids are Stage Parents though. Some are just style-impaired.

I do not think Lauren’s Mom is a stage mom. I think she may be just a little overwhelmed by all that is happening.

Lauren thought she could do it. They let her try. Now, they need to put their collective foot down and do what’s best for her.

I agree.

You’d think the set designers would have been told to add a rail from the get go.

Agreed- but it’s not sultry to hold onto a rail when slithering down the stairs in 5 inch stilettos.

Watching Lauren hobble around is not fun. She is a trooper and I guess she didn’t want to let her fans down.

I highly doubt that Lauren’s mom has anything to do with her performing.

I do not think her mom is a stage mom either. However she should be the mom, she could have used a little touch of stage mom to make them change it up, stools etc.

However she should be the mom

Yup (snarky) and at 16 my Mom was going to TELL me that I had to do exactly as she said even though I was determined to do it my way. Hell, what’s a little twinge…I want to be out on that stage doing my thing…It’s not broke, Mom, just a little sprain.

Three hours later I am sure Lauren was singing a different tune. She’ll probably listen to her Mom and other peeps for tonight’s performance.

I think with Lauren’s Mom, the rumours started because she dressed and did her hair like her daughter.

I thought it was the other way round. :)

I wonder if there is any American Idol parent support group. There ought to be, because it has to be a huge adjustment whether your child is underage or not. A lot of times the parents get highlighted in the backstory packages and end up being scrutinized in ways they could never have anticipated.

My impression from the tiny part of Lauren’s family life that we’ve seen is that her mother is fairly young and none of the Suddeths are that sophisticated. I’m sure Lauren’s mother (does she have a name?) is as overwhelmed as Lauren is about all this.

So, I don’t blame her at all. She’s trying her best. I blame the tour organizers. They’re the professionals. They’re supposed to know what they’re doing — and when did health and safety onstage go out the window?

I didn’t realize that Diana DeGarmo had also fallen and injured herself on an Idol tour. How does that happen and seven years later, the set designers are still neglecting to put in a railing?

Or, if that’s ugly, put some kind of design feature on the sides of the steps that people can put their hand on. And get them some better shoes.

BTW, I notice in the videos that Thia is wearing wedges. That’s not ideal, but at least it gives her more stability. So, good on Thia’s mom!

One last observation: Watching that finale video, I got a little mad at James during the James/Lauren duet because he seemed more concerned about doing his jump off the stairs than in helping Lauren hobble down. But he redeemed himself later by helping her down for her final bow.

Yup (snarky) and at 16 my Mom was going to TELL me that I had to do exactly as she said even though I was determined to do it my way. Hell, what’s a little twinge…I want to be out on that stage doing my thing…It’s not broke, Mom, just a little sprain.

Three hours later I am sure Lauren was singing a different tune. She’ll probably listen to her Mom and other peeps for tonight’s performance.

Wait, I thought this was a 3rd degree sprain that virtually crippled the girl, rendering her the trooper of all troopers, the kid with the work ethic that won’t quit? If that is true, wtf was her Mpm thinking? Afraid to stand up to her daughter? Lauren was just doing like her Momma Does, pushing poor Lauren beyond all reason. Surely by the second appearance hobbling around, the good Mom steps in. Right?

Why not glitter up a wheelchair for a couple of weeks until her ankle is well enough to walk on with a boot.

I highly doubt that Lauren’s mom has anything to do with her performing. It’s just those that don’t like her have somebody to blame.

Well her mom should have something to do with her injured minor child performing, or indeed, doing anything. Just as a matter of course. Not that I’m necessarily saying Lauren’s mother is doing anything wrong here, per se. But in general, yes, I would expect that Lauren’s mother would have something to do with her minor child performing while injured to the degree Lauren is. I call it being a good mom.

I didn’t realize that Diana DeGarmo had also fallen and injured herself on an Idol tour.

Yep. Diana fell at the Grand Rapids tour stop, during the season 3 girls group number “Crazy in Love.” She got through part of the number before coming offstage with a gash on her shin and a banged up knee and ankle. She performed the next few night in a limited capacity (no fast paced numbers, sitting on a chair for the ones she could do). When she did start going up and down the stairs again, she and Camile Velasco would hold hands out of an abundance of caution. At the tour stop I was at, I saw John Stevens giving her a piggy back ride into the facility so she wouldn’t have to walk. Otherwise she used crutches for a few weeks.

The show did add a railing, which makes it even more perplexing that they left it off for this tour, and as a result ANOTHER teenager fell.

dancin :…but for some reason people seem to have taken a dislike to laurens mom from the beginnin of the season? too much make uP?

I don’t dislike nor like Lauren’s mom.
I don’t even know her to form any opinion of her.
But for some apparent reason, everytime I see her on teevee, I always thought of Kate Gosselin. Must be the hair. LOL.

Speaking of Lauren’s mom, anyone care to follow her on twitter?
http://tasteofcountry.com/lauren-alaina-mom-twitter-pictures/

Back on topic, Lauren’s a real trooper. I hope she does not stress it further and give her ankle a good rest so it heals better.

I didn’t realize that Diana DeGarmo had also fallen and injured herself on an Idol tour. How does that happen and seven years later, the set designers are still neglecting to put in a railing?

Runner-ups continued to break their lower appendages for two seasons after that. Bo apparently broke something (his foot?) and Kat did as well (S4 and S5).

When I saw Kat in tour (several weeks later), she had pitched the shoes and performed bare foot. I thought it was brilliant and she was very dynamic on stage.

Lauren did not tumble down that staircase on stage. We don’t know what the configuration of the stairs she fell down are. People can fall down any stairs. I don’t think the stairs are the problem. They are short and half the time James leaps off of them (Lauren herself leaps off them during the closing number when not wearing a cast).

The problem here is shoes. You could have all the banisters in the world, and people would still be falling down in those stupid shoes. I think that Naima is the only one who is practiced in wearing shoes that high. Haley has gotten better over the season, but Lauren is new to the game. I watched the Everett tour video and she almost goes over on those heels while walking (no criticism from me to her. I wouldn’t have lasted one show in those shoes without needing medical intervention and the critics would have savaged me for clomping around the stage like somebody pulling a plow). I’m taking issues with the stylists. There should be some health and safety regulations about those shoes.

My guess is Lauren has never had this type of injury before and had no idea how much her ankle would swell and hurt just from standing. Even well wrapped and even if she didn’t put any weight on it, it’s going to swell like crazy which will make it hurt worse. She needs to stay off of it and keep it elevated. Sure the show must go on but she’s there to sing, so sing from a chair with your foot elevated or use a wheel chair.

I have a 16yo and it’s very hard to “tell” them things. If they haven’t experienced “it” first hand, then “it” can’t possibly be true. Sometime it’s just better to just let them learn the hard way. I do wonder how firm the Dr was about her staying off of it. It will be interesting to see how she does the next concert.

I have a 16yo and it’s very hard to “tell” them things. If they haven’t experienced “it” first hand, then “it” can’t possibly be true. Sometime it’s just better to just let them learn the hard way.

Very true. Some of my best life lessons as a teenager occured when my parents stood back and just let me find out the hard way I was wrong. We’ll see what happens with Lauren but I could certainly see her wanting to make things work by wearing the boot and being surprised by how much pain she was in afterwards (while the grown ups sit by completely unsurprised and hopeful that she’ll allow her body to rest now that she realizes this is a serious injury).

Lauren did not tumble down that staircase on stage. We don’t know what the configuration of the stairs she fell down are. People can fall down any stairs. I don’t think the stairs are the problem. They are short and half the time James leaps off of them (Lauren herself leaps off them during the closing number when not wearing a cast).

Yes, but I ranted about the shoes on Sunday. :)

You’re right that the stairs on the set aren’t that bad. It’s the mindset that’s bothering me. There are some very basic principles that aren’t being followed.

Now I’m looking at those short skirts and I’m thinking no wonder the girls just put their knees together and shimmy. If they didn’t, there’s a good chance they’d be flashing the audience. Naima is the only one of the girls dressed for movement.

Hopefully, they’re re-thinking the staging for the whole show right now. Lauren’s probably going to be in that boot for the rest of the tour, so they might as well work with it. Get a wheel chair, or hire a couple of cute guys to carry her on and off stage.

And while they’re at, put the girls in dance shoes and adapt those cocktail dresses into something they can move in.

Youtube wasn’t working for me a good part of the day- so I just watched “Firework”- to me, it was kind of heartbreaking to watch. Was it me- or did Lauren look utterly petrified when she had to go down those steps? And I swear at one point she looked at Pia and shook her head as if to say “I can’t do this”.

But ironically- those 3 girls made Firework sound better than Katy Perry ever could.

I was mistaken earlier when I said Lauren did not sign autographs after the show in Sacramento. Someone said that, but I just saw some pics on a site posted by her mother (apparently from twitter) of Lauren with the fans.

By the way….the girls usually wear spandex shorts under these “cocktail” dresses. They aren’t as stupid as we were in the late 60s when mini dresses were all the rage.