Simon Cowell News

On hand to pay tribute to Oprah in her second to last episode today, was Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth, who led a performance of Wicked's For Good. As she performed, nearly 300 Morehouse College scholarship students, endorced by Oprah in one of her many charity endeavors, walked the aisles of the United Center where the event was being filmed. Simon Cowell was also on hand and Rosie O'Donnell additionally performed a Broadway-inspired number.

'American Idol' creator Simon Fuller received the 2,441st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, honoring a 30-year career that includes managing the careers of sports stars David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton and Andy Murray, as well as the most successful girl group of all time, the Spice Girls.

The Associated Press has released a detail of the celebrity farewell to Oprah, which will air on May 23 and May 24, just before the last Oprah Winfrey Show airs on May 25. On hand to pay tribute to the queen of daytime talk was the segment's host, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld who performed a routine, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Beyonce, John Legend, Patti LaBelle and mroe. Aretha Franklin sang Amazing Grace and stage and small screen favorite Kristin Chenoweth led a performance of Wicked's For Good. As she performed, nearly 300 Morehouse College scholarship students, endorced by Oprah in one of her many charity endeavors, walked the aisles of the United Center where the event was being filmed. Simon Cowell was also on hand and Rosie O'Donnell additionally performed a Broadway-inspired number.

Former American Idol finalist Sanjaya Malakar drops his new single "Tempted" from his upcoming full length album Life ~ Love ~ Music.

The Associated Press has released a detail of the celebrity farewell to Oprah, which will air on May 23 and May 24, just before the last Oprah Winfrey Show airs on May 25. On hand to pay tribute to the queen of daytime talk was the segment's host, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld who performed a routine, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Beyonce, John Legend, Patti LaBelle and mroe. Aretha Franklin sang Amazing Grace and stage and small screen favorite Kristin Chenoweth led a performance of Wicked's For Good. As she performed, nearly 300 Morehouse College scholarship students, endorced by Oprah in one of her many charity endeavors, walked the aisles of the United Center where the event was being filmed. Simon Cowell was also on hand and Rosie O'Donnell additionally performed a Broadway-inspired number.

Simon Cowell's upcoming reality competition The X Factor is a television talent show originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. The programs are produced by executive producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco TV.

Culled from as A-list a list as you are ever likely to acquire - Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Michael Mayer, Theresa Rebeck and Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman onwards - SMASH is the adult answer to riveting dramatic musical entertainment coming with heart, laughs, unforgettable characters and some of the biggest twists this side of the starry stages on the Great White Way. Oh, yeah, and those hallowed Broadway halls, too. Plus, SMASH provides a great new opportunity to showcase the unbelievable talent on display on the stages of Broadway and Off-Broadway and beyond, particularly given the fact that it is shot in New York and it is being cast by the biggest casting director on Broadway, Bernie Telsey. Consider the theatre-centric casting LAW & ORDER times seventy six (trombones). All of New York is the talent pool from which the stage of SMASH shall be set. And, what exactly is SMASH about, anyway? Well, SMASH is all about Broadway and what makes a musical tick - from the very inception of the show's idea by the songwriters, through writing, rehearsals and the road; all the way to the big Broadway opening where dreams are made - and nightmares born - on one magnificent, momentous night. As viewers, we are taken inside the ticking clock of the show and we experience each and every one of the multitude of machinations enacted by everyone from the stars - Marilyn Monroe, and the actress playing her, Ivy; and, more importantly, her alternative, Karen - to the overworked director (Derek), harried songwriters Tom and Julia, and the speculative and cutthroat producer behind it all, Eileen.

On Monday, May 16, the FOX 2011 Upfront event was held at the Wollman Rink in Central Park in New York City. The event revealed which shows are returning, which are being cut from the network line-up and introduced the new upcoming series. Audiences can, of course, expect the return of GLEE and American Idol and will be seeing the premieres of The X Factor, and new comedies with Katie Finneran and more.

The Associated Press has released a detail of the celebrity farewell to Oprah, which will air on May 23 and May 24, just before the last Oprah Winfrey Show airs on May 25. On hand to pay tribute to the queen of daytime talk was the segment's host, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld who performed a routine, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Beyonce, John Legend, Patti LaBelle and mroe. Aretha Franklin sang Amazing Grace and stage and small screen favorite Kristin Chenoweth led a performance of Wicked's For Good. As she performed, nearly 300 Morehouse College scholarship students, endorced by Oprah in one of her many charity endeavors, walked the aisles of the United Center where the event was being filmed. Simon Cowell was also on hand and Rosie O'Donnell additionally performed a Broadway-inspired number.

Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2011-2012 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at The New Beacon Theatre. Amongst the shows picked up this fall was a new multi-camera family comedy I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER stars Emmy Award winner Jaime Pressly ('My Name Is Earl') and Tony Award winner for PROMISES, PROMISES Katie Finneran ('Wonderfalls') as single moms, life-long friends - and former nerds - who fear their privileged and overly indulged daughters are turning out to be just like the girls who picked on them in high school.

Legends in their own time, ascending to the top ranks of the Hollywood and Broadway songwriting landscape, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman have accomplished and climbed to heights most of what many film fans, Broadway babies and general entertainment junkies only dream of witnessing and ascending to. Marc Shaiman's work with Trey Parker and Matt Stone on SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT prompted Stephen Sondheim - as he told me himself - to cite it as one of the best musicals of the era. And, it is - as is their Tony-winning Best Musical HAIRSPRAY, based on the film by Pope of Trash John Waters. Featuring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah and an all-around-amazing cast of triple-threats, the stunning Craig Zadan/Neil Meron-produced film version of HAIRSPRAY may be the greatest cinematic Shaiman and/or Wittman accomplishment so far. Then, there is CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - one of the snappiest new scores on Broadway in a strangely strong season of original scores - boasting boss Sinatra blues and sizzling Shirelles riffs and everything else that's swingin' in between. Up next for the team - onstage and off - is a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY directed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, in addition to what is perhaps the most exciting prospect on their impossibly cluttered horizon: the new Steven Speilberg/Craig Zadan/Neil Meron musical/comedy/drama series SMASH which has just been picked up for the Fall season on NBC! In this exclusive, extensive and exhaustive conversation we cover it all from HAIRSPRAY to CATCH ME to CHARLIE to all about SMASH and far, far beyond!

Back in Season 3 of the Fox talent search juggernaut American Idol, then 16-year-old Diana DeGarmo narrowly missed the coveted title, walking away as the first runner up. Fast forward to 2011 and the now 23-year-old is currently starring as the iconic Doralee Rhodes in the national touring company of 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, the Dolly Parton-scored Broadway musical adaptation of the cult 1980 film. The show performs a single-week run at the Segerstrom Center of the Arts in Costa Mesa from May 10 through May 15. DeGarmo recently chatted with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos to talk about Idol, early shows, and her Dolly-fied role.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, May 8, 2011 - Sunday, May 8, 2011.

Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell will be reunited as judges on 'The X Factor,' according to The Hollywood Reporter. Abdul has finally finished the deal which will have her join previously announced judges Cheryl Cole and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid on the show. 'The X-Factor' will begin taping the judges rounds today in Los Angeles and the show will debut on Fox in September.

NBC's 'America's Got Talent' and its producers have re-partnered with YouTube to allow talented acts from across the country the opportunity to audition online for their shot at stardom and a million-dollar prize, it was announced today by Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios. Much like season 5 finalist Jackie Evancho, who became a worldwide singing sensation after her online submission led to her competing on the #1 summer series, hopefuls once again can audition online by submitting their auditions via YouTube. Powered by YouTube, beginning May 5 through June 9, acts of all ages can now upload their audition videos via the 'America's Got Talent' Audition App, or at www.youtube.com/americasgottalent, or at nbc.com/agt, as well as the 'America's Got Talent' Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/nbcagt. Following the June 9 deadline, producers will select 20 acts for the YouTube community to view and vote for their favorites. The #1 YouTube act with the most votes will automatically gain a place on the YouTube-branded quarterfinal broadcast episode.

The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Stephen Eich, Executive Director) announced today that Tamyra Gray will star as 'Della' in the Pasadena premiere of TWIST - An American Musical, based on Charles Dickens' classic Oliver Twist. This heart-warming family musical features a book by Tony Award-nominee William F. Brown (Broadway's The Wiz - winner of seven Tony Awards) and Tina Tippit, music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winner Tena Clark (Natalie Cole's Still Unforgettable), and music by Gary Prim (songwriter for Dionne Warwick and CeCe Winans). Golden Globe and multi-Emmy Award-winner Debbie Allen (Broadway and the West Ends' Cat on A Hot Tin Roof - 2010 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play and TV's 'Fame') is set to direct and choreograph the new musical. TWIST is presented in association with TAM Producing Partners - Skyline Pictures (Michelle Seward and Dror Soref), Edgework Productions (Willette Klausner), and GGE Live (Gary Goddard & Forbes Candlish). Performances begin June 14, 2011 and play through July 17, 2011 with the official press opening on Sunday, June 26, 2011 at The Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino).

Whispers reach us that Andrew Lloyd Webber is planning yet another talent search show. The rumour is that he fancies producing a new version of My Fair Lady, and wants to find a new actress to play Eliza Doolittle. I'd suggest that he doesn't. And here are my reasons why

Today we are talking to the internationally renowned recording superstar who is also known to theatre fans for her stint onstage in JEKYLL & HYDE - and for her brilliantly big Broadway belt - with a fantastic new album out now on Sony re-teaming with her frequent collaborator/composer/producer, Frank Wildhorn - the talented and alluring Ms. Linda Eder. In this all-encompassing conversation we discuss her many studio albums recorded over the last two decades, as well as her demo work on the countless Wildhorn musicals over the years and the future of those shows (HAVANA is coming!). We also look ahead to her own future and discuss what can be expected in her upcoming concert series promoting the new album NOW, which she will be performing songs from in her upcoming concert at Town Hall. A truly theatrical album featuring a spellbinding title song with lyrics by Tony-winner Maury Yeston, NOW is Eder at her best. Linda also shares the inspiration behind the new album and what the music of Wildhorn means to her - plus, of course, her favorite tracks and recollections of the studio sessions - plus, her equestrian endeavors and much, much more. NOW is available in stories, on Amazon and on iTunes, and further information about Linda's concert appearances - including her Town Hall concert - can be found at her official site here.

Simon Cowell's upcoming reality competition The X Factor has doubled the number of its audition cities. In addition to the 6 open call auditions which are now ongoing, the Fox series is adding 6 more locations, Honolulu, HI, and Phoenix, AZ, Nashville, TN, Anchorage, AK, Kansas City, KS, and Denver, CO, where hopefuls can audio- and video-record their a cappella audition in high-definition mobile recording studios.

According to the UK Mirror, new US X Factor Judge L.A. Reid has confirmed that pop star Cheryl Cole will be joining him and Simon Cowell on the panel. As quoted in the Mirror, Reid states:'We're gonna compete against American Idol just fine. I'm very confident. But along with Simon Cowell and Cheryl, I don't know who the other judge is.'