Fox plans ‘Dance’ for fall; plus schedule buzz
Fox is adding an in-season edition of summer reality series …So You Think You Can Dance to its fall schedule, sources said. The network and producer 19 Entertainment this week started casting for the first ever fall …Dance. Fox may be summoning the hit summer series to fall duty to help launch its heavily promoted new music comedy series …Glee. …Danceƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ s performance show is rumored to stay on Wednesday, leading into …Glee.
Anticipating a ding dong American Idol finale
Attention, Rosie O’Donnell: Simon Cowell promised that next week’s American Idol will be a ding-dong finale. Break out the Drake’s Cakes! Actually, Simon wasn’t referring to Rosie’s favorite chocolate cake treat, he was using perhaps the strangest euphemism he could come up with to hype the finale which he anticipates — and rightfully so — a great showdown between two singers who could both be deservedly crowned the winner of American Idol.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Kris Allen & Adam Lambert: Ricky Nelson meets Elvis
Who knows how honest the vote tabulations on “American Idol” are? After all, no outside source verifies them. But no matter how Fox and the producers of the series managed to get here, they now have their most culturally potent finale ever in the showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen.
Each embodies an archetype of musical and sexual identity at least as old as television. And the choice viewers and voters make this week will have something very important to say about where we are as a nation and what kind of pop star we are willing to celebrate and embrace.
Are we ready for a winner who is married?
As the days wind down to the inevitable confetti shower on American Idol, I can’t help but wonder is America ready for a married winner? In the shows eight seasons, it has never had a married winner- think Chris Daughtry, Michael Jons and Carly Smithson.
No one who is bald, red headed or green eyed has won either- I know it’s shocking. What does it say about our society? Here’s my theory. Talent only gets you so far with the tweens – and the cougars for that matter. Marriage equates to taken, off limits. It means there is no way you will ever get that fantasy date or marry prince charming because he’s taken – and his wife is darn cute to boot.
Why Adam Lambert has ‘American Idol’ fans in a frenzy
NEW YORK – The other night, after her 3-year-old son was in bed, confirmed Adam Lambert fanatic Sue Murrell was glued to her DVR, watching “American Idol.”
She was also glued to her computer, chatting with members of the pro-Lambert Facebook group she founded. And to her phone, too, where she voted for Lambert at least 100 times in two hours.
“My husband thinks I’m totally nuts, ” says the 35-year-old Illinois mom, an office manager for a moving company.
American Idol – What the Show Needs to Change in the Wake of Danny’s Ouster
Here are some things the Powers That Be should think about for next year if they want to avoid the shock of losing one of their precious frontrunners to an upstart, triangle-mouthed Monchichi:
1. On talk shows, avoid picking favorites. Every time one of the judges went on Leno or Ellen or Regis or whatever they were espousing the wonders that were Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds, and Adam Lambert. Only Lambert lived up to their gargantuan expectations. Now, going into the final two, the four desk monkeys look like a bunch of out of touch corporate shills.
After ‘American Idol’: Will Adam Lambert or Kris Allen win the most awards?
Never mind who will win “American Idol” next week. Will Kris Allen or Adam Lambert emerge as the biggest winner in the future when judging their music careers?
Remember, Jennifer Hudson merely came in seventh place in Season 3 of “American Idol, ” but now her house is sinking under the weight of all those awards on her mantle, including an Oscar and Golden Globe (“Dreamgirls”) plus Grammy (“Jennifer Hudson”).
Hey, where’s Ruben Studdard today? And let’s be honest: Taylor Hicks is lucky to have a spot in the road tour of “Grease” after everybody in America decided not to buy his CDs. By comparison: After Taylor Hicks won in 2006, the band behind the fourth-place finisher, Chris Daughtry, went on to score four Grammy nominations and win four American Music Awards.
Idol Chatter: Is Adam Lambert This Year’s David Archuleta?
HE’S ONE OF “American Idol’s” most lauded contestants. He came pre-loaded with serious stage experience and he even had a measure of success with his singing before he auditioned.
Once on the show, he was recognized at once as a tremendous talent and received constant waves of praise from the judges ‘ except for occasional, predictable jabs by Simon.
The ladies love him ‘ and some of the guys do, too. He’s humble and self-effacing in interviews and appears to get along well with his fellow contestants and pretty much everyone else.
‘Idol’ finalist’s Ark. hometown hopes for upset
CONWAY, Ark. ‘ It’s lunch time at a restaurant in Kris Allen’s hometown. A few sports-focused television screens are on overhead ‘ a brief respite from the American Idol fever that has swept through the area.
Then someone walks over to the jukebox and puts on Apologize ‘ the song Allen performed on the popular Fox show earlier in the week.
Everywhere you turn in this city of 55, 000 in central Arkansas, there’s some reminder of Allen’s run through the American Idol competition. He’s one of two singers who will compete in next week’s finale.
Windows are decorated with supportive messages, shirts and signs are everywhere, and last Friday a crowd estimated at over 20, 000 packed the streets when the 23-year-old contender performed live downtown.
Kris Allen hometown abuzz with pride over ‹American Idol finalist
“I don’t think my prayer is any different than it has been all along. My prayer is God will be able to use it and Kris will use the platform He has given him.”
Kris is “American Idol” finalist Kris Allen.
The platform is next week’s season finale when the worship musician from Conway, Ark., will duel San Diego’s Adam Lambert for the title of America’s most viewed and talked about reality show.
The prayer comes on the part of Matt Carpenter, director of the Chi Alpha ministry at the University of Central Arkansas where Allen was enrolled. Allen has worked as a worship pastor for Chi Alpha and Conway’s New Life Church.
Danny Gokey’s Pastor: ‘Idol’ Vote Off Not the End
Wednesday night may have marked the end of Danny Gokey run on …American Idol but it also marked the start of a new path that has opened up since he went from obscurity to stardom.
…His life will never be the same, exclaimed Gokey pastor, Jeff Pruit of Faith Builders International Ministries in Milwaukee, the day after he was voted off the Fox TV singing contest.
…[D]estiny always has many twists and turns, but will always land you in just the right place, Pruit added. …American Idol was such a blessing for Danny to excel in his gifting, but does not have the final say for his life!
David Cook on Pinoys, Lennon-McCartney, and the other David
“American Idol Seventh Season winner David Cook co-headlines runner-up David Archuleta in the much-anticipated live act at Mall of Asia concert grounds on May 16. The thrill being felt off the atmosphere has gotten within Cook himself who expressed delight about our country and its people.
The voice behind the now-popular renditions of Mariah Carey …Always Be My Baby and The Beatles …Eleanor Rigby feels blessed having found himself in spotlight with all the admiration from Filipino fans. …Im really kind of impressed on the Filipino musical desire to come out here and see just how much they appreciate were out here and how excited they are about the show, he said.
American Idols ask for photo-op with Pacquiao
MANILA, Philippines — It was the ”Idols”’ who came to worship that night — at the feast of a boxing god.
Two nights before their sold-out concert in Manila, American Idol stars David Cook and David Archuleta dropped by for a ”meet-and-greet” with Filipino ring hero Manny Pacquiao during a victory party held for the pound-for-pound king in Pasig City late Thursday.
Pacquiao took the mike for his own ”Idol” moment later that night but didn’t get to show off his vocal chops to the two Davids. The pop heartthrobs had left before The Pacman could sing some of his own recordings in front of a hundred-plus guests at the posh Corinthian Gardens home of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis ”Chavit” Singson.
Gavin Creel, Sutton Foster, Lauren Graham, Constantine Maroulis, Alice Ripley, et al. Set for Tony Awards Concert
The Visa Signature Tony Awards Season Celebration, a one-hour live-to-tape special celebrating the 2008-2009 Broadway season and promoting the upcoming Tony Awards broadcast on CBS on Sunday, June 7, will be taped on Tuesday, May 18 at the Hudson Theatre.
The special, to be hosted by Harry Smith, will air at 7pm on Saturday, May 30 on WCBS-TV in New York, and on other stations nationwide between May 29 and June 6.
Scheduled performers include Lauren Graham and Kate Jennings Grant from Guys & Dolls; Gavin Creel and the cast of Hair; Matt Cavenaugh and Josefina Scaglione from West Side Story; Stephanie Block from 9 to 5: The Musical; Carole Shelley from Billy Elliot, The Musical; Alice Ripley, Jennifer Damiano, and Aaron Tveit from Next to Normal; Constantine Maroulis and Amy Spanger from Rock of Ages; and Sutton Foster, Leah Greenhaus, and Marissa O’Donnell from Shrek The Musical.
‘Grease’ at the 5th Avenue Theatre – ‘Little Too Slick’
And speaking of machines, we were definitely part of the corporate machine last night. The show’s headliner is yet another American Idol making his musical theater debut, Taylor Hicks. Hicks, like the rest of the cast, has a wonderful voice but he was not in this show with the rest of them. He was there to sing his one song from the show, sell tickets to Idol fans and, apparently, sell his new album as after the curtain call he performed his latest single. He then announced he would be autographing copies of his new CD in the lobby after the show. He had a captive audience there (not all of whom really came to see him) and he was going to make us listen. Honestly, I felt a little cheap and used afterwards.
Mary J. Blige, Clay Aiken Loved Singing For ’30 Rock’
Learning that Clay Aiken is the cousin of NBC’s most cheerful employee, Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer), was almost as shocking as seeing the rest of the star-studded crowd Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) could coerce into participating in his “Kidney Now!” benefit concert on the season finale of “30 Rock.”
In the episode, Aiken and a slew of famous faces, like Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Cyndi Lauper, joined in Jack’s effort to find a kidney donor for Milton Greene (Alan Alda), the man who may or may not be his father. Aiken says it was an honor to be involved.
‘Idol’ Yamin feels at home with new album
Three years after Elliott Yamin finished third in the star-packed fifth season of ”American Idol, ” he has something new to be excited about: He’s a homeowner.
Yamin is on the phone this week, calling from the Los Angeles house he bought in December.
”My first home, ” Yamin, 30, says. ”I’m really proud.”
Of course, there’s another reason for Yamin’s call — something in which he also takes pride: his sophomore album, ”Fight for Love, ” a disc of blue-eyed soul, R&B and pop released last week.
Jennifer Hudson delivers star power at the Palace
When the curtain parted on Jennifer Hudson’s entrance Wednesday, May 13, at the Louisville Palace, spotlights dramatically cutting across the room as she descended a staircase, it was a diva moment that recalled Diana Ross in her heyday.
It made sense, given Hudson’s obvious love for the Motown sound and tradition embodied by Ross, but after she unleashed a brazen version of “One Night Only” and an intense “You Pulled Me Through, ” Hudson quickly showed that she was no diva ‘ at least not in the usual sense.
Hudson, 27, was playfully enthusiastic, charmingly unpolished and unselfconsciously childlike. In a way, she still came across as the unknown singer who got shafted on “American Idol” before going on to eclipse her competition with an Oscar-winning performance in “Dreamgirls.” She even gave the microphone to a girl in the front row who delivered a goosebump performance that might have annoyed a real diva.
Kara DioGuardi sings about song choice
Kara-dioguardi-sings Anyone who has watched “American Idol” — even for 10 minutes — has heard the judges nattering on about the importance of song choice.
But it’s an indescribable critique, right? Because would we have thought, if asked, that Kris Allen singing Kanye West’s “Heartless” was a good idea? No, we would not. And yet, it seems that it propelled him into the finale.
Kara DioGuardi warms to the hot seat
The “American Idol” personality is largely id-driven: The pleasures the talent show offers are immediate, whether a singer soars or sinks. And the show around the show can yield even more merriment, as it spews out a ceaseless stream of news/gossip generated by the contestants’ biographical details, the judges’ antics, behind-the-scenes backstabbing that may or may not be fictional and, often least important, discussion of the results of the actual singing competition.
But Kara DioGuardi — who became the show’s fourth judge this season in the most visible manifestation of its much-hyped tweaks — is all superego. And her weekly critiques, delivered live on Fox before an average audience of 26 million viewers, tend to weigh heavily on her mind.
‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Chatting with Cat Deeley
…So You Think You Can Dance, arguably summer best reality TV show, returns to Fox on Thursday, May 21, and its sunny host, Cat Deeley, chatted on a conference call about what goes on behind the scenes and what audiences can expect for Season 5. More excitingly, it was confirmed that auditions for Season 6 begin in Boston on May 28, which means that audiences wont have to wait an entire year to get their fix of …SYTYCD after this season wraps up.
On rumors of Cat departing the show after this season: I haven’t even heard of these rumors! I am more than happy doing the show and feel very passionate about it. I’m doing both Season 5 and Season 6.
