Fans Brave The Elements To See Kris Allen, Adam Lambert On ‘Today’ Show
NEW YORK ‘ Fans of Kris Allen and Adam Lambert braved all sorts of elements at Rockefeller Plaza Thursday morning (May 28) to see their respective American Idols perform on the “Today” show.
They didn’t just endure the occasional spritz from the heavens, but also an endless interview with the old bitty who tried to off Gerald Ford, as well as a story about how popular hugging is lately. Regardless, the vibe in the pit was quite celebratory, even though everyone was running on very little sleep and too many sugary breakfast pastries. The Kris and Adam fans got along as well as Hota Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford ‘ on the surface things were happy-go-lucky, but you could tell that as soon as they were in the privacy of their own minivans, the disses would fly fast and loose.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Adam Lambert, Kris Allen Fans Talk ‘Idol’ Voting Controversy
NEW YORK ‘ Early Thursday morning (and we mean early), Kris Allen and Adam Lambert fans young and old congregated in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center to hear the “American Idol” top two give live performances on the “Today” show. For some, getting to the show was a testament to their fandom.
“Eight-hour train ride for Adam!” announced Liz and Michelle, a pair of mothers from Richmond, Virginia, who watched (but could not hear!) the performance from a neighboring cafà ©. But it was all worthwhile, as Liz said: “It was so awesome to be so close to somebody that cool!” The two added that their families have been affected by their new obsession. “Since [Adam has] come into my life, my family says I have not been the same, ” Michelle said. “We left our husbands and seven children in Richmond just to look at [Adam] through the glass today!” Liz said.
Kris Allen: Not Ready For Kids (Yet!)
The Idol winner answers readers questions about babies, barbeque and boxers or briefs.
Adam Lambert, The “Almost Idol”
(CBS) Being number two is still sweet for Adam Lambert, who was voted the runner-up on this year installment of “American Idol.”
Lambert talked about his surprising finish on the show that left even Simon Cowell — who predicted he would win — stunned.
“…It was down to two people, ” Lambert told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. “It was going to be a close race. …It just worked out that way.”
Lambert said Kris Allen, who won the competition, earned the top honor.
“Kris is a very talented guy and very deserving of the title, ” he said.
Adam Lambert: A role model? Really?
American Idol is over and done for the year, but there’s still plenty of chatter about Adam Lambert’s envelope-pushing image — much of it from the man himself. I rooted for Lambert on the show and devoured Mark Harris’ spot-on cover story about him. But a recent comment that the singer made to People just isn’t sitting right with me: “It’s a really, really cool thing…to be able to show people that you can be yourself, ” he said. “It feels really amazing to be able to try and pass that on to kids and young adults who don’t have a role model like that.”
But how exactly is he doing that? By hiding his own identity? By letting an open secret define him? By fanning the flames with the kind of ambiguous double-speak that’s usually reserved for politicians in crisis-management mode?
Video: Idol Champ Kris Allen Answers Reader Questions
In Part 1 of TVGuide.com’s video sit-down with Kris Allen, your new American Idol shared his hope that the final vote came down to the music, copped to being an “Oscar Madison, ” and revealed the issue on which his wife sided with no less than Simon!
Here in Part 2, Kris answers a series of questions from TVGuide.com readers. They include:
¢ Which song choice does Kris feel was the biggest risk?
¢ What were Kris’ most and least favorite performances? (Hint: For the latter pick, he laments, “I shouldn’t have done the pit.”)
Photos: American Idol’s Kris Allen and Adam Lambert vs. David Archuleta and David Cook
“American Idol” winner Kris Allen and Adam Lambert were in New York today to appear on the “Today” show, nearly a year after David Cook and David Archuleta were on the same show — and we’ve got photos of both!
First, click here for photos of Kris and Adam on the show. My favorite is the one above, of Kris getting mobbed by some of his fans; and one toward the end, of Kris and Allen just hanging out together (they really do like each other, guys).
Then, click here for photos of the two Davids on the “Today” show last year. They’re kind of toward the middle of the gallery; my favorites are the one of the two on top of each other, and the one where Cook’s got Archuleta in a headlock.
Ask Anything: 10 questions with American Idol’s Anoop Desai
Editor’s Note: Anoop stopped by WRAL’s studios on May 27. You can watch his Ask Anything interview or read the transcript below.
American Idol Vote Controversy Proves Fox Should Release Totals After Competition is Done
A few over-excited Arkansas AT&T employees gave fans of American Idol finalist Adam Lambert something new to grouse about, helping supporters of winner Kris Allen place “power texting” votes for him during the singing competition’s widely-watched finale.
They also provided a another argument for something I’ve been advocating since the show’s second season: A public release of the show’s vote totals for review, once the season is done.
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette and the New York Times reported that staffers at AT&T — a big Idol sponsor — provided free text-messaging services at two parties supporting Allen in Arkansas.
Producers, AT&T call Idol vote fair, verified
Fox has a third-party system in place to ensure that votes are fair, and there’s no way that a few individuals could have tainted the process, the company added.
At the Peabody watch party, Bobbie Kierna of Greenbrier voted 10, 840 times on one of the phones provided by AT&T at a roped-off area with signs advertising it as a “Texting Zone.” She said she stayed until 11:48 p.m. to vote for Allen, who was in school with her daughter at the University of Central Arkansas.
AT&T set up a 15-foot-tall logo balloon in the hotel’s lobby and used AT&T tablecloths, said Greg Mosser, director of catering and conference services at the Peabody. Two local store managers went to the event, he said, and the company gave away phones as part of the promotional event, held with radio station KLAL-FM, Alice 107.7.
‘American Idol’ defends voting amid mass-texting brouhaha
A flap over a few phones in Arkansas has forced American Idol to defend the validity of its voting procedures.
After reports surfaced that AT&T employees taught Kris Allen fans how to cast multiple votes by “power-texting” on demo phones, Fox and the show’s producers issued a statement Wednesday reaffirming Allen’s victory.
“The results of this competition are fair, accurate and verified, ” the statement read. “Kris Allen is, without a doubt, the American Idol. We have an independent third-party monitoring procedure in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process. In no way did any individuals unfairly influence the outcome of the competition.”
American Idols dominate weekly sales charts
Sure, American Idol’s going to rule the sales charts the week after the finale, but just how big a deal was it? Let’s do the math.
American Idols held 43 of the top 200 places on Nielsen SoundScan’s current digital tracks chart, including three spaces in the Top 10. Add the artists who appeared on the finale, and those figures climb to 48 out of 200 and four of the Top 10, including the Black Eyed Peas’ Boom Boom Pow, the most-downloaded track (plus two other acts, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, who appeared earlier in the season).
Add all the Idol track sales together, and they easily pass 1.25 million downloads (that’s nearly a quarter of the Top 200’s combined sales). The Season 8 finalists alone approached a million downloads (910, 000, if I did my math right).
Sebastian Bach, Constantine Maroulis, and More to Judge America’s Hottest Rocker Mom Contest
Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach and Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) will be among the celebrity judges for the Independent Film Channel’s America’s Hottest Rocker Mom Contest, to be held in Madison Square Park on June 3 at Noon.
The event is being presented in celebration of the second season of IFC’s comedy Z Rock. Judges will also include Bethenny Frankel (Real Housewives of New York City) and Z Rock cast members Paulie, David and Joey.
TONYS 2009 Q and A: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Nominee – Constantine Maroulis
Broadway’s surprise ‘head banging’ hit Rock of Ages, is among the celebrated ranks of this year’s Tony Contenders, earning no fewer than five nominations-including a Best Actor nomination for star Constantine Maroulis.
A Season 4 veteran of American Idol, Maroulis is the first contestant from the hit FOX series to earn such a prestigious distinction. But it shouldn’t come as such a big shock as the actor attended the The Boston Conservatory of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory of Music and a minor in voice from the Berklee College of Music in 2002.
‘Idol’ David Cook takes the long road
David Cook wants more than the notoriety of winning a reality show.
So the 2008 “American Idol” winner had a hand in writing nearly all the songs for his eponymousdebut album, which came out in November and went platinum in January.
He and his band have been on the road since February, trying to build a following to last beyond the first blast of “Idol” fame. Cook, 26, plays the second North Carolina stop on his “Declaration” tour Sunday at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro.
‘Idol’ winner David Cook packs Midland
NEWARK ‘ At long last, the stately halls of the Midland Theatre reverberated Thursday with the heart-pounding rhythm and husky vocals of …American Idol star David Cook.
After weeks of anticipation, a 28-minute ticket sellout, an intro by warm-up act Ryan Star and a short intermission, the 25-year-old rocker took the stage to screams of appreciation and an audience that was on its feet from the strumming of the first chord.
Which is how it should have been, Cook reassured them.
…This is not a cinema. This is not a movie, he said in a quick break after the song …Mr. Sensitive. He had seen a few sections of the audience in their seats and had gestured to them to rise.
An Oscars for good deeds?
If you want to shake the hand of the first man with no legs to finish an Ironman, catch a glimpse of an American Idol contestant, or meet the guy who has been hoofing it around the globe with a 12-foot cross since 1969, then check out the upcoming Well Done Awards.
A sort of Christian variety show, the 3-year-old Well Done Awards (Sunday, in Anaheim) is like the Oscars for good-deed doers. The idea, says co-creator Leesa Bellesi, is to “celebrate the spiritual successes” of the ordinary and the famous. And the awards themselves are engraved with Matthew 25:21, which says, in part: “Well done good and faithful servant!
‘American Idol’ helps Fox end CBS’ winning streak
Although it drew its smallest audience since 2004, viewership for the “American Idol” finale significantly surpassed its competition last week and helped Fox end CBS’ 11-week streak as the most-watched network.
An average of 28.84 million people tuned in to see Kris Allen named “Idol” champion, 9% fewer than the 31.66 million who watched last year when David Cook won the singing competition. But it was still 8.5 million more viewers than for last week’s most-watched non-“Idol” program, the finale of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
The dancing competition series was third for the week with 20.31 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Alumni Benefit Concert with Jordin Sparks, stars
A big anniversary and tough economic times have combined to put special emphasis on a benefit concert for Valley Youth Theatre that features “American Idol” Jordin Sparks, Disney star Chelsea Staub, “Superbad” actress Emma Stone and Broadway performer Max Crumm.
Sunday’s concert, at Phoenix’s Symphony Hall, stars those four alumni of the non-profit theater, as well as about 75 others. They will perform songs from Broadway productions staged by the theater since its launch 20 years ago.
Rules for ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get me out of here:’ Dish on drugs naked, No SEX!
The stars of NBC …Im a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! may not like what they see in the jungle, but at least they know what theyre in for.
Gatecrasher has exclusively obtained the guidelines sent to the …Survivor-like show contestants, who include Heidi Montag and hubby Spencer Pratt, Stephen Baldwin, Janice Dickinson, former …American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar, former NBA player John Salley, pro wrestler Torrie Wilson, Lou Diamond Phillips and Rod Blagojevich wife, Patti.
Strutting their stuff
Hundreds of limber 20-somethings lined the streets of Downtown Crossing yesterday morning to audition for the Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Hot host Cat Deeley was on hand to rev up the locals, who arrived at the Hyatt Regency before 8 a.m. for the dance showdown. Would-be contestants included the 6-foot-8, Tommy Tune-esque Ryan Casey of Lexington and 25-year-old Christy Sattler of South Hadley, who warmed up by doing pirouettes on the sidewalk. One young ballerina told us she traveled from Miami because the Boston audition was the closest to home. Callbacks in front of the show’s judges – Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe – are today. To see more from the auditions, visit www.boston.com/ae/celebrity.
“So You Think You Can Dance”: L.A. and Seattle auditions (that go on and on)
A239 I truly love “So You Think You Can Dance” but four hours of any program a week, excepting perhaps baseball, is way too much. Next week is Vegas week (like Hollywood week to you “Idol” fans, except with dancing instead of singing, and much more challenging), and I hope that in addition to the added drama, the program in general is shorter. Watching reality shows should be a fun escape, not a slog.
For the last 120 minutes of auditions, we were taken to Los Angeles and Seattle, where choreographers Adam Shankman and Mia Michaels, respectively, sat in as guest judges. Thank goodness they did, because they’re two of the most fun judges on the show. Adam turned down swing dancer Calico Sequeria as an auditioner but graciously extended her 15 minutes of fame when she invited him onstage after he said, “I’d love to dance with you.” He accepted and pretended to be a contestant, complete with fake panting and begging for his ticket to Vegas.
Auditions: Los Angeles and Seattle
And so with a couple of uninspiring jaunts through L.A. and Seattle, audition week (and a half) comes to an end. Sure, the producers tried to …Sex it up (groan) with a silly …dance battle package at the end there, but it really only highlighted the fact that this year audition shows have each been less inspiring than the one before. To those of you who have mentioned in the comments that youre watching for the first time this season, I can only say, stick it out through Vegas week, please, you will not be disappointed.
Last night I posited that the producers are holding back the goods for the Vegas show, and Im even more sure of that after tonight episode. Obviously at least a couple dozen dancers were put through to Vegas, so there had to be some great dancers in there. But even the good dancers who did get the spotlight tonight were pretty ho-hum. Let review, bullet-style!
‹So You Think You Can Dance Alumni: Where Are They Now?
The search for America favorite dancer is back! …So You Think You Can Dance kicked off its fifth season last week, and last night, we got the chance to see the Miami and Memphis auditions, where thousands of pointy-toed contemporary dancers and bright-eyed poppers and lockers showed up for the chance to dance their way into America heart and to go on to a life of fame and fortune ¦ or not.
Wait ‘ where are all the former …SYTYCD contestants? As Kris Allen basks in the glory of his …American Idol win, we couldnt help but wonder what life after …SYTYCD looks like.
Since focusing on the competition winners would be a tad depressing (where is Sabra Johnson?), we decided to look back at what the show most successful, or at least most visible, graduates are doing now ‘ and where you can find them next:
‘So You Think You Can Dance’: The judges speak
“So You Think You Can Dance” judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman took some time out from the Los Angeles auditions for the show’s fifth season to talk about what they expect from the show this year.
Q: What do you expect to see this season?
Nigel Lythgoe: A lot more people coming along that have been inspired by realizing that you dont have to have major dance classes and be formally trained. I think Twitch and Joshua being the final two dancers last season have shown people you dont need complete formal training, and I think that opened the competition up to a lot of people. Anytime that youre saying to street dancers, …You can win this if youve got that extra little bit, theyre gonna come along and audition. I find that exciting because what they provide for us is something other than the formal training, and if you can put them both together, you cant beat that. You know, when you take Joshua, who was, you know, reasonably good at everything he was asked to do and brilliant at what he does, he a winner.
