Fantasia missing performances in ‘The Color Purple’ in Hollywood
“American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino will not perform in this weekend’s performances of “The Color Purple” at the Pantages Theatre.
The show’s promoters announced that the actress missed Friday’s performance due an inflammation of her vocal cords, and on Saturday her doctor “advised that for the fastest and most complete recovery she must sit out the remainder of the weekend.”
The actress, who is known by her first name, is scheduled to resume her usual performance week starting Tuesday night. An understudy will fill in the role of Celie in the meantime. (In the regular schedule, Fantasia does not perform the Sunday matinees.)
More Idol Headlines After The Jump…
Clay Aiken to Perform One-Night Only Concert at Memorial Auditorium, 3/12
Clay Aiken will hit the stage for a special one night only concert at Memorial Auditorium in his hometown, Raleigh, NC on Friday, March 12. The singer is promising fans an exciting 2010 with this special one night performance being just the beginning. The performer extraordinaire is gearing up for the release of his new album, “Clay Aiken: Tried and True.” The special concert, which will be taped for television, is the world premiere live performance of his forthcoming album being released on Decca this Spring.
As a special “thank you” to his fans, Clay is giving fan club members the first opportunity to purchase tickets with a special fan club only pre-sale. Beginning Tuesday, Feb 16 at 12PM EST, fan club members will be able to login to www.clayaiken.com and visit the “Appearances” page to pick up their pre-sale code and click through for the opportunity to purchase up to 2 tickets. The fan club pre-sale ends on Thursday, Feb 18 at 10PM EST.
“I truly have the best fans in the world, ” says the singer. “Their support has been unwavering and I can’t wait to share the new music with them. Not only will this be an exciting show with special guests, but as a true thank you to them, the fans will get the first chance for tickets and a first listen of the music I’ve been working so hard on over the past year.”
Exclusive: Adam Lambert Wears McQueen, Mourns Designer’s Death
We sat down with Adam Lambert today (more on that swoon-tastic moment next week), and the first thing we spoke about was yesterday’s death of innovative fashion designer Alexander “Lee” McQueen. The singer showed up to our interview in a McQueen shirt in honor of the late luminary, and expressed his sadness over the designer’s alleged suicide numerous times during out chat. It’s a great loss for all of us, but for someone like Adam who gets fashion (and by “get” we mean he wore the fiercest patent leather YSL boots today, while we stomped around in Steve Maddens) it’s felt a bit deeper. In the clip above, he shares with us his grief over losing a sartorial “visionary.”
Adam Lambert gets rowdy at the F-Word in Manhattan
Adam Lambert had a great time partying at Rebel nightclub for the F-Word party in Manhattan on Friday night. Maybe too good of a time!
I got to snap this shot of him before his manager/publicist shooed me away. I guess Adam was partying a little too hard… if you catch my drift.
Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, and Kris Allen: Awesome three ways in NYC
To folks who aren’t fluent in American Idol, there was probably zero appeal in the idea of Ryan Seacrest’s “Rock My Town” contest that brought season 8 stars Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, and Kris Allen to the Highline Ballroom in New York City last night. Too bad for them. Because all three singers delivered such powerful, confident sets from their recent debut discs that blind devotion to Fox’s ratings behemoth was hardly a requirement for getting left weak-kneed, sore-throated, and ultimately elated by the time the trio combined forces to close the show with Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.”
Fantasia does star turn as Celie in `Purple’
This may be a return visit to L.A. for “The Color Purple, ” but the performance by Fantasia Barrino in this musical treatment of Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel makes the show feel brand new and greatly improved.
“American Idol” may have launched the career of Fantasia in 2004. But it’s performances like the one she delivered Thursday at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood as the resilient Miss Celie that will make her a star.
This is at least the third local engagement for the Oprah Winfrey-produced musical (with its book by Marsha Norma, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray). But for Fantasia, who made her Broadway debut as Miss Celie in 2007, the evening represented her Los Angeles premiere. And oh, what a night she made of it! I can personally attest that music legend Quincy Jones (who was sitting in front of me), had tears in his eyes during the tumultuous (and genuinely inspired) standing ovation that greeted Fantasia at the conclusion of the performance.
BOOB-GROPE SNAP OF SIMON COWELL’S GIRL ANGERS AFGHANS
SIMON Cowell’s exotic new sweetheart has enraged her fellow Afghans by being snapped having her boobs groped by a gay singing star.
The “shameful” photo showed stunning American Idol make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy, 36, being grabbed by singer Clay Aiken.
The shot is nothing more than a studio prank as Aiken, 31 – who came second in the first series of American Îdol – is openly gay and a pal of Simon Cowell.
But Mezhgan, who was with the music guru, 50, in London last week, has faced threats and abuse since they were posted on the website Afghan Buzz. Now it is feared she may be targeted by Muslim fanatics.
‘Idol’ hopeful and a Heisman winner: Janell Wheeler and Tim Tebow
Last year, we had an “American Idol” contender dating a ballroom champion (Joanna Pacitti and Mark Ballas — still together, though her “Idol” run was cut short). For Season 9, we could be looking at the pairing of an “Idol” hopeful with one of football’s great hopes — Orlando auditioner Janell Wheeler whose reported on-again, off-again boyfriend is Tim Tebow, a 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and star quarterback for the Florida Gators.
Tebow was also recently the center of controversy because of his decision to appear in an anti-abortion ad paid for by conservative Christian group Focus on the Family. In the 30-second spot, which aired during Super Bowl XLIV, he joined his mother, Pam, as she recounted her decision to carry a pregnancy to term, despite exposure to amoebiasis and a doctor’s recommendation to terminate. Though the word “abortion” is never used, she calls Tebow her “miracle baby” who “almost didn’t make it into this world.” The spot drew the ire of abortion rights advocates like Planned Parenthood, who called on CBS to pull it.
