Second Cup Cafe: “Idol” Holiday Tour
(CBS) Four former “American Idol” finalists are hitting the road for a 15-city cross-country holiday music tour, but before they did, Chikezie, Diana DeGarmo, David Hernandez and Kimberley Locke dropped by the “Second Cup Café” to spread some holiday cheer.
The “American Stars in Concert for the Holidays” tour features the four top 10 finalists taking to the stage for an exciting night of solo, duet and ensemble performances. This production will be a great way to see and hear the Idols up close and personal in an intimate theatrical setting. Audiences will get a chance to relive their favorite former Idol moments as these talented artists perform an array of holiday favorites.
Grease comes to PPAC Tuesday with a chance to break box-office record
Now another national tour is getting its start at PPAC, Grease, and organizers, based on advance ticket sales, are hoping to top that figure. In fact, Nick Scandalios, a vice president for the producing Nederlander Presentations in New York has a one-dollar bet with PPAC’s Lynn Singelton, wagering that the run of Grease, which opens Tuesday, will break the $1.2-million mark.
But his current touring version is slightly different. It contains for the first time several songs from the film that were not in the original Broadway show, tunes such as “You’re the One That I Want,†“Sandy,†and “Hopelessly Devoted to You.†That has given the show a “fresh dynamic,†said Scandalios.
It also has at least one popular face among the cast, Taylor Hicks of American Idol fame, who plays Teen Angel. Hicks, who won the season-five sing off, made his Broadway debut in that role this summer.
More Idol Headlines after the Jump…
‘Grease’ at Auditorium Theatre with Taylor Hicks
This new production of GREASEâ„¢, which opened on Broadway on August 19, 2007, was born out of NBC’s landmark talent competition TV series, “Grease: You’re The One That I Want.†The weekly talent competition drew 90 million viewers, and America voted for its favorite contestants to play the lead roles of Sandy and Danny on Broadway. The production is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (“The Pajama Game,†“Wonderful Townâ€). The book, music and lyrics are by the late Warren Casey who made Chicago his home in 1962 and Chicago native Jim Jacobs. Additional songs from the film are by Barry Gibb, John Farrar, Louis St. Louis and Scott Simon.
Ruben Studdard Havin’ fun ‘Misbehavin”
Ruben Studdard is back in the studio and back on the road.
The road will take the second-season American Idol winner to Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall beginning Tuesday, where he will perform in Ain’t Misbehavin’, the musical collecting the songs of the legendary Thomas ”Fats” Waller.
Running through Dec. 4, the production also features former Idol contestants Frenchie Davis and Trenyce Cobbins.
Studdard is a fan of both singers. Asked in a recent telephone interview about his favorite moments in the show, he mentioned his duet with Davis on Honeysuckle Rose and Cobbins’ rendition of Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now. Asked about any of his own, he somewhat reluctantly settled on Your Feet’s Too Big.
(Studdard also said he is still in touch with another Idol alum, Clay Aiken, whom he outscored in the closest Idol final vote ever. But when asked for his thoughts about Aiken’s coming out recently, he offered a terse, ”No comment.”)
‘Idols’ spark ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’
For many, only subtle differences exist between a top musical at the Scranton Cultural Center as opposed to Broadway.
Travel time, traffic, congestion and high ticket prices are just a few of those differences. And rarely, if ever, is the quality of the shows offered by the Broadway Theatre League of Northeast Pennsylvania any less dramatic than on the Great White Way.
Friday’s opening performance of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,†starring “American Idol†alums Ruben Studdard, Trenyce Cobbins and Frenchie Davis, was no different.
The trio, along with fellow cast members Patrice Covington and David Jennings, staged a wildly entertaining performance of the Fats Waller musical that pays tribute to African-American musicians who were part of the Harlem Renaissance.
Holiday spirit kicks off with Naperville parade
Downtown Naperville was shining brightly this evening as it kicked off the holiday season with its Hometown Holidays Friends of Little Friends Electric Parade.
Thousands of residents lined the streets to watch parade entries lit up with holiday lights, while anxiously anticipating Santa’s arrival and the Grand Illumination of the city.
The seventh annual parade, emceed by Naperville residents and CBS-2 Chicago’s Mary Kay Kleist and Dave Savini, included a special appearance by American Idol finalist and Naperville resident Gina Glocksen.
Giving thanks: Humble Carrie Underwood realizes how far she’s come since ‘Idol’ breakthrough
Country music’s most popular current female singer, Carrie Underwood, admits she can’t believe her good luck. Each day, she says, she takes a moment to realize, “Wow, this is my life.”
It’s been 3 years since Underwood stomped through “American Idol” beating the competition so soundly that acerbic judge Simon Cowell — with more than 10 weeks left in the season — declared she would win “Idol” and proceed to sell millions of albums.
Underwood, now 25, followed Cowell’s prediction and accomplished much more. Country music fans embraced her as firmly as paint sticks to the wall. The rural Oklahoma native’s debut album, “Some Hearts,” dominated radio airwaves and sold 7 million copies.
Ne-Yo Reached Out to Jennifer Hudson, Sent ‘Countless E-mails’ Post Family Tragedy
R ‘n’ B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo told Valerie Nome of OK! magazine’s Red Carpet Confidential that he did reach out to Jennifer Hudson after learning her mother, brother, and young nephew were all slain. He even admitted to have made phone calls to the former “American Idol” finalist and also sent her “countless emails.”
“I sent countless e-mails, I’ve tried to call a few times - of course, I’m not expecting her to answer the phone, going through what she’s going through,” Ne-Yo confessed. “But I’ve sent her countless e-mails letting her know that my prayers are with her and her family, and just hold your head up. God has a plan for everything.”
See stars Celine Dion, Katharine McPhee and more on ‘Hitman: David Foster and Friends’
Fortunately, medical science has found no evidence that it’s possible to overdose on musical crescendos. Otherwise, tomorrow night’s “Hitman: David Foster and Friends” special would need a warning sticker.
Foster, a songwriter, producer, pianist and general all-around tent pole of “adult contemporary” music, is featured on PBS’ “Great Performances” series with a dozen famous artists who have popularized his songs, arrangements and productions.
We have Michael Bublé, Katharine McPhee and Andrea Bocelli. Brian McKnight comes out with Josh Groban to sing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
You get the idea. No musical mountain is left unexplored, no heartstring left lyrically untugged.
Ebay and Broadway Cares Offer Special ‘CONVERSATION WITH CLAY’ 11/29
Well, one of Broadway’s newest and biggest stars, Clay Aiken, continues to shine on Broadway at The Shubert Theatre every night where he is currently reprising his role as the dashing Sir Robin in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
The generous Mr. Aiken has agreed during one of his busiest 2-show Saturdays to conduct a talk-back: “Conversation With Clay” at the Shubert Theatre where the public may pay to come in and sit and chat with him as a group and ask all the questions that time allows.
This event is available through Ebay and sponsored by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
My brother Simon Cowell - the little kid with the X-tra large ego
No-one knows Mr X Factor better than his brother Tony Cowell. Here he reveals all about Simon’s rebellious childhood, his strange obsession with mirrors and why he really dumped his girlfriend.
Tony Cowell is the spitting image of his younger brother, The X Factor’s Simon Cowell, but without the Botox and bad haircut. He’s also unashamedly vain. ‘We all are,’ he says, referring to brothers Michael and Nicholas, too.
‘Simon’s always been vain. His house in Los Angeles is full of mirrors - there’s one every five yards. We’re all the same. If Nicholas walked in here today, he’d look in the mirror and do his hair.’
Brooke Burke talks with News Channel 8
- News Channel 8’s caught up with Connecticut’s own Brooke Burke to talk about her Dancing With the Stars win and what’s up next for the model and television host.
Burke won the Dancing With the Stars title Wednesday night after dazzling the audience with her sizzling moves. Now the Connecticut native, who was back in town for Thanksgiving, says she has the people here at home to thank.
“Thank you so much to everybody in Connecticut who voted,” Brooke said.
Second Cup Cafe is a really good get for those guys. Was it already on? (I thought it was a Sunday morning thing.)
It was on this morning. I’m hoping some video pops up on the CBS site
Ruben’s a class act.
I wonder if anyone was at that event with Gina Glocksen?
Yes, he is. Everyone should have loyal friends like him.
I purchased my ticket to see the play in Scranton, tomorrow evening, but had to cancel my trip. Crap! I want to hear him sing again.
Jason fans, here is a link to a great Jason article from a magazine local to his home area in Texas. He’s on the cover. I love when writers use facts. LOL.
http://www.lakeviewimage.com/archives/showArticle.php?id=673
Hey David:
Archie called to a Cook interview:
Here’s the Diana/David duet from The Early Show this morning: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4638098n They sound fantastic together. David got kicked out way too early and Diana has improved so much since Idol. I know there were some very short snippets of the whole group going to commercial and then a Kim/Chikezie duet as well, but this performance seems to be the only one up on the CBS site.
Rumor has it that Rickey will be cellcasting the Jason Castro/Andy Skib concert in Tulsa tonight.
Thanks for posting the Early Show link, TT7. I REALLY like David H’s voice in this duet. I’m glad he got another chance to put his voice out there.
The duet was really beautiful. They sound great together. That’s a difficult song to sing, too.
That duet was beautiful! Great job Diana D. and Dave H!
If anyone ever finds more of that DC interview where Archie calls in, I’d love to see it! So cute!! cruzceleste, how did you know what DA asked? Thanks!
Nothing major but I was flipping through the new EW tonight and there’s a tiny DC mention in their Bullseye section. It says (with a tiny picture) “we knew he could sing, but when did David Cook become a sex symbol”?
Archie has such a distinctive voice. There was no mistaking who that was on the phone. That was really cute. I really hope that Archie will one day lend his voice to an animated movie character. That would be so fun to watch and hear!
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I’d like to hear that, and hear how Cook does the Away-ay-ay-ay. On the flipside, itd be a hoot for Archie to cover LO; I want to see how he pop-ifies it up. Oh, I want some runs.
Thanks for the video. Diana has turned into a incredible talent. What a voice!
LOL…Is EW so huge that the bullseye writer has never crossed paths with Slezak?
Now I wonder what pic they used…must must renew my EW subscription since they are giving DC all this press ;)
Evidently Archie was singing at the Osmonds second generation christmas concert. Pics here:
http://idolforums.com/index.php?showtopic=585593
^Do you think that was the secret concert Froggie???
Apparently this was yesterday.. the concert was a benefit of the More Project in Brazil:
More info from IDF:
Was that the surprised concert? How can we get hold of it though? TV?Youtube? I’d like a Oh Holy Night and Mary Did You know free of the background noise for once.