‹Idol brings happiness back to San Diego
It wasnt shaping up to be a good 48 hours for San Diego heading into Tuesday night broadcast of that city …American Idol auditions.
First, the hometown Chargers got eliminated in the AFC Championship game on Sunday, falling one win short of the Super Bowl. Then, the city got dissed by …American Idol, only getting one hour of airtime as opposed to the two granted to earlier cities. Promos for the show focused on one female contestant who the judges compared to William Hung, the legendary idol of no-talent auditioners.
And to top it all off, the first Simon Cowell barb of the day was one he already used this season, …I dont think youre as good as you think you are.
All that turned out to be a big tease, however. This was a feel-good episode, filled with contestants overcoming adversity and taking advantage of second chances.
”American Idol”: Go, Diego, Go!
A wave of anxiety rolled over me at 8 p.m. tonight. Two elderly gentlemen in fishing hats appeared on my TV screen and unenthusiastically said, ”Welcome to American Idol, San Diego, California.” In the background, you could hear Ryan Seacrest trying to prompt the old codgers to ”do it one more time, with a little more excitement, ” but no dice: Take two was just as lethargic.
The whole scene was meant to be comical, but instead it briefly reignited a fear that got stirred up for me on Tuesday morning, when a colleague popped by my office and told me he’s not watching Idol anymore because over the previous six seasons, he feels he’s seen every kind of audition the show’s producers could possibly present.
Recap: ‘American Idol’ San Diego Auditions
Two things that probably need to be said about Tuesday (Jan. 22) night’s American Idol audition episode from San Diego: Boy, was I ever glad the episode wasn’t two hours long and geez but even that one hour felt padded.
Dropping from two hours to one left Tuesday’s episode feeling light on the sort of heart-tugging fluff pieces that characterized the Philadelphia and Dallas auditions.
Live-Blogging “American Idol”
Cristina, here. Kim, here. All accounted for. Our mood right now? Excited, reflective, and totally bummed about Heath Ledger. Kim’s favorite Ledger movie? “The one where I like his performance? Brokeback Mountain. Think he’s dreamy? A Night’s Tale.” Me? I love Lords of Dogtown and 10 Things I Hate About You.
Now let’s get to it.
American Idol: Has-beens Recycled as Wannabes
As though self-involved thespians masquerading as wacky contestants weren’t enough, American Idol has been exposed by a longtime nemesis and the mainstream media as being nothing but a “boring hash of recycled pseudo-celebrities who weren’t good enough to make it the first time around.”
Votefortheworst.com was created four years ago to promote voting for AI contestants not favored by judges. The site has been somewhat successful, most notably in the talent show’s sixth season: Were it not for the tender mercies of the site, America might never have been subjected to the long run of the consistently flat, raspy vocals of shape-shifting hairnut Sanjaya Malakar
The top 50 contestants on this season of Idol have now been established, and it turns out the discerning fan will recognize at least a few of them. Here are just three of the several has-beens being recycled as Idol contestants:
Idol Lesson: Blimey! We May Already Have a Winner
This just in: Two years ago, Miss Paula Abdul predicted the winner of this season of American Idol. And no, she is not joining Latoya Jackson or Miss Cleo on the psychic friends hotline, so allow me explain.
Before season five (yes, five) of American Idol began, I spent a day with Paula in Las Vegas for an E! shoot, and during it, she told me repeatedly about this “gorgeous Irish singing sensation” named Carly who would “blow everyone away.” She said she never gave early predictions but in this case, she had a very strong feeling that Carly would …go all the way because she was that good.
American Idol: Producers Get Attention from Unlikely Place
If you were paying very close attention, you already saw a sneak peek of how Omaha might be showcased next week. It was just a quick glimpse and if you blinked you probably missed it. It also aired on the premiere night of Idol last Tuesday.
This Tuesday we’re giving you some clues about what you might want to watch for next week. Last July, it was open auditions at the Qwest Center. Thousands of Idol hopefuls did just about everything to impress the judges. But it was farther out west of the city in a giant five acre cornfield. An Omaha marketing company got the attention of the producers too!
And it had nothing to do with singing.
‘American Idol’ auditions jump sharkLast week’s “American Idol” premiere had 4 million fewer viewers than last year’s, the lowest premiere numbers the show has pulled in four seasons.
You could blame TiVo. Or even Sanjaya. But we blame the lame auditions that “Idol” producers have come to love.
But that seems to be the order of this year’s “Idol” auditions: Freaks who want face time.
Fox Reality Channel Original …American Idol Extra is Back for a Third Season
Fox Reality Channel, the only all-reality, all-the-time cable and satellite network, proudly announces the third season of its original, …American Idol Extra, premiering Thursday, March 13 at 7p and 10p ET/PT. No one gets more up-close and personal than Fox Reality Channel original …American Idol Extra, the only show giving fans a unique opportunity to get the whole Idol story straight from the Idol studios.
Fox Reality Channel is working with the producers of …American Idol to deliver an authentic extension of the …American Idol brand to provide viewers exclusive insight into the show. Every week, returning host JD Roberto will capture all of the heart-racing drama and emotional moments immediately following the elimination of each of the Top 12 contestants as he goes behind-the-scenes with exclusive interviews with their friends and family.
American Idol – Simon Cowell is giving £90m away
Simon Cowell decides to give his fortune to charity.
American Idol’s nastiest judge is not that nasty after all. He has decided to leave £90 million to charity when he dies.
It is thought that Cowell has a fortune of £100 million. He will be leaving the £90 million to a mixture of children and animal charites.
More shows for Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood
Though the details have yet to be announced, the country stars’ reps said Sacramento, CA; Peoria, IL; and Baltimore, MD, will be squeezed into the “Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour.” So far, tickets are selling like hotcakes, with multiple shows already sold out, according to a press release.
The US outing is scheduled to kick off Jan. 31 with a two-night stand in Uncasville, CT, and visit arenas from coast to coast through late April. The current itinerary is listed below.
Earlier this month, Underwood began announcing plans for her own headlining stint, which will intertwine with the Urban co-bill. The first half-dozen dates on that trek are posted at Underwood’s website. The Grammy-winning songstress is supporting her double-platinum-selling sophomore set, “Carnival Ride, ” which has spawned the hit single “So Small, ” her fifth consecutive country chart topper.
Broadway box office bounces back
After a rough post-holiday frame that saw receipts plummet, Broadway sales got a welcome uptick last week. Grosses rose by about $700, 000 to an estimated $17.5 million for 31 shows on the boards — a tally that also compares favorably with the $14.7 million for 28 shows reported over the same week last year.
One of the largest week-to-week gains was seen by “Monty Python’s Spamalot” ($797, 390), which looks to have benefited from the debut Jan. 18 of “American Idol” alum Clay Aiken. Both “Spamalot” and “Legally Blonde” ($668, 409), seemingly correcting a bit after steep dips the prior sesh, rose by $138, 000 each.
Reality Rehab: Good Idea or Bad Medicine?
In “Celebrity Rehab, ” Drew Pinsky, an addiction expert who frequently appears on television and has his own radio show, takes on the substance abuse and emotional issues of quasi-celebrities such as actor Daniel Baldwin, actress and reality star Bridgette Neilsen and former “American Idol” contestant Jessica Sierra.
But the tragic, deteriorating condition of actor Jeff Conway, who starred in the TV show “Taxi” and movie “Grease, ” is almost too unbearable to watch for some. Conway uses a wheelchair, shakes uncontrollably and moans in pain as he goes through detox from his painkiller, alcohol and cocaine addictions ‘ with the cameras following him every step of the way.
“Given the nature of recovery, an addict needs to be in a safe place to thrash out the issues underlying their disease, ” wrote Boston Herald television review writer Mark A. Perigard in a scathing review of the show. “There’s no sugarcoating this pill. ‘Celebrity Rehab’ is heartless, exploitive and downright toxic.”
Providence Performing Arts Center presents RENT
RENT is at PPAC this weekend…and there are two actors of interest.
Former American Idol Contestant, Anwar Robinson, and Jed Resnick who is a former Brown graduate who’s making a homecoming.
Fans flock to to see Clay Aiken in ‘Spamalot’
Giants fans weren’t the only ones willing to freeze their butts off to cheer for their idols.
On Sunday night, when the temperature was a bone-rattling 19 degrees, Clay Aiken aficionados clamored outside the Shubert Theatre to get up close and personal with the new star of “Monty Python’s Spamalot.”
Alyssa Benedetto, 19, a student at the University of Delaware who lives on Long Island, was among an estimated crowd of 100 people.
