Idol Headlines for 11/13/09

And Now, For A Long Discussion Of ‘American Idol’

I’m just not compelled to judge American Idol as some sort of machine against which we should all rage. I love the fact that I’m watching it at the same time as tens of millions of other people, and that we’re all taking sides, forming rooting interests, critiquing every note, rolling our eyes, and speculating (wildly and unfairly) about which weapons-grade pharmaceuticals a certain judge seemed to have ingested earlier in the evening. We’re not always on American Idol’s side — for many, the sport lies in exposing the fakery; in untangling what often appears to be a web of greedy and underhanded conspiracies for or against certain contestants — and that, too, is part of the fun.

NPR.org

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Opry, MySpace team up for Underwood performance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ‘” The Grand Ole Opry and MySpace are uniting to live stream an Opry performance with video for the first time this Saturday.

Opry performances between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST will be shown, including appearances by Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins, Jake Owen and others.

Underwood will perform music from her just-released CD “Play On, ” including the fastest-rising single of her career to date, “Cowboy Casanova.”

Google.com

Syesha is now a Dreamgirl

Syesha Mercado has been on a lot of stages in the 18 months since she finished third on “American Idol, ” but nothing prepared her for the thrill of stepping onto the stage of Harlem’s historic Apollo Theatre.

That is where she plays Deena Jones in an almost-Broadway revival of the musical “Dreamgirls, ” which officially opens Nov. 22. It is set to run through Dec. 6 before embarking on a national tour.

Herald Tribune.com

Ripley, Young, DeGarmo, Chase and Spencer Are Among Broadway Stars Celebrating the 60’s on 42nd Street

Tony Award winners Alice Ripley and John Lloyd Young rock out to the age of Aquarius in the Rockers on Broadway concert, Celebrating the 60’s, at B.B. Kings Nov. 2.

DJ “Cousin Brucie” Morrow hosts the 8 PM evening, directed by Rockers on Broadway founder Donnie Kehr. The show features Ripley (Next to Normal) and Young (Jersey Boys), as well as Tony nominee J. Robert Spencer (Next to Normal), Chad Kimball (Memphis), Will Chase (Billy Elliot, High Fidelity), Diana DeGarmo (Toxic Avenger), Tituss Burgess (Guys and Dolls), Lisa Brescia (Wicked), Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening), Ben Cameron (Wicked), Ta’Rea Campbell (Little Shop of Horrors), Kathy Deitch (Wicked), David Larsen (Billy Elliot), Greg Reuter (Shrek), Douglas Crawford, Steve Gouviea, Sean Jeness, Michelle Kinney, composer Jeremy Schonfeld, Donnie Kehr and cast members of Hair.

Playbill.com

‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Results: Nigel Speaks Out

On last night’s So You Think You Can Dance elimination episode–the first such results show of season 6, due to World Series-related Fox scheduling conflicts in recent weeks–the judges came down usually hard on the contestants. Nigel Lythgoe was in fact so vicious (even telling the booing studio audience to “shut up” at one point) that he made that notorious season 5 Vegas Week incident, when Mia Michaels berated Brandon Bryant, look like the sweet moment when Ellen DeGeneres told Evan Kasprzak she loved his heavy-lidded face.

Yahoo.com

Leona Lewis: Echo

Leona Lewis and her millions of sales are a good thing for the British music industry, but not necessarily for British music. The idea that we finally have a homegrown Kelly Clarkson/Jordin Sparks is hardly cause for celebration if it means the next generation of UK female singers believes her ponderous, heavily ornamented style is what they should be emulating. Echo’s 13 tracks, which were co-written by Justin Timberlake, One Republic’s Ryan Tedder and other costly names, follow the formula of her debut: the slow, piano-accented build-up, punctuated by sharp intakes of breath and vocal curlicues, then the climactic explosion as the drums crash in and she hits the chorus. That voice is impressive enough and there’s no denying the stolid catchiness of some songs ‘ notably Happy and her cover of Oasis’s Stop Crying Your Heart Out ‘ but she appears to lack the lightness of touch this album desperately needs.

The Guardian.co.uk

Simon Cowell’s evil genius rules The X Factor

Yet in light of new information ‘ that historically cynical vote for John and Edward last Sunday, and Forbes magazine’s estimation that he earned between $75m and $80m from his American TV work alone last year ‘ Simon’s status has now been upgraded. Picture him as Sauron in the Second Age. Not yet “wholly evil”, as ­ Tolkien pointed out, though disturbingly adept at “corrupting other minds”. “He made himself a great king in the midst of the earth, ” ran the Lord of the Rings author’s premonition of the X Factor overlord, “and was at first well-seeming and just and his rule was of benefit to all men in their needs of the body; for he made them rich, whoso would serve him. But those who would not were driven into the waste places . . . ”

Guardian.co.uk

‘Glee: The Music, Vol. 2’ track listing revealed!

Glee-soundtrack-2_lThis week, the first Glee soundtrack debuted at #4 on the charts with a strong 113, 000 copies sold’”an especially impressive performance given that all of the songs had already been available digitally.

Now, Columbia Records has announced a release date (Dec. 8th) and a full track listing for Glee: The Music, Vol. 2, which will feature the songs performed for the rest of the first 13 episodes. Amongst the stars to be covered? Kelly Clarkson, Lily Allen, Cyndi Lauper, the Rolling Stones(!) and John Lennon. See below, Gleeks!

Entertainment Weekly

ETA:

A rockin’ ‘Idol’

Last year’s “American Idol” winner David Cook rocks his way to the region next week.

Cook will perform Wednesday at The Venue at Hammond’s Horseshoe Casino.

“The tour has been great, ” said Cook, during a recent phone interview from a concert stop in Oklahoma. “This is our 138th show.”

The singer/songwriter/guitarist and his band, touring in support of his self-titled debut album, have been on the road since February.

NWTimes

Adam Lambert’s Hair and Makeup

Adam Lambert won over American Idol fans with his rousing renditions of Queen and Kiss classics’”from low purring to high-pitched screams, the consummate performer stunned viewers with his broad vocal range. Complementing his multioctave voice: a multifaceted approach to hair and makeup. Check out his various looks and vote for your favorites now!

Elle.com

Delusional or Dedicated: Bikini Girl Sets Sights on Movie Career

Remember the hot girl who flaunted herself into the televised portion of ‘American Idol’  last year (and even scored a solo spot in the finale) by turning up to audition in a bikini? We all know her as bikini girl, but her real name is actually Katrina Darrell and yes, she’s really going places.

Or so she says.

‘I’ve been making a lot of appearances and doing a lot of traveling since ‘Idol, ‘ I do a lot of club appearances. They fly me out and I party, sometimes I wear a bikini or sing, ‘  Darrell recently told Tarts. ‘But now I’m getting back to recording and most people don’t know I’ve been acting my whole life.’ 

Fox News

Carrie Underwood, Daughtry Outdraw Taylor Swift at CMAs

She might be the top-selling artist in country music, and she might have swept the CMAs, but Taylor Swift was not the biggest live draw on Wednesday’s broadcast.

Rather, as a half-hour breakdown reveals, it was a collection of acts that included Carrie Underwood
and Daughtry who brought the show to a peak for their live performances.

The 9-9:30PM half hour, which featured Underwood’s performance, as well as the Daughtry-Vince Gill collaboration and performances from Tim McGraw and Keith Urban, averaged 18.1 million viewers and a 5.6 adults 18-49 rating, which was above the 16.9 million viewer, 5.2 rating average for the 8-11PM broadcast.

Headline Planet

Clay Aiken calls new Wake school board members ‘idiots’

Entertainer Clay Aiken is calling the newly elected Wake County school board members “selfish idiots” and says he hopes the public can get rid of them before they “ruin the school system.”

This fall, four school board members were elected to office to help form a new majority that backs neighborhood schools and opposes busing for diversity and mandatory year-round schools.

In a blog post on his web site Thursday, the Raleigh native says he’s “extremely disappointed” in the election results.

“What happened to Wake County Schools?!?, ” Aiken writes. “Now that i have a kid i am so much more invested and I am EXTREMELY disappointed that so many selfish idiots ran and won seats on the school board. i hope we can get rid of them as soon as possible before they ruin my school system. Idiots.”

News Observer.com

About mj santilli 34833 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!