Birth Place: Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Celebrity vocal coach and Minnesota native Dave Barrus (Les Miserables) will join forces with MTV and Broadway star Paul Canaan (Legally Blonde) and Broadway casting director Craig Burns (Telsey + Company) to instruct, encourage and inspire Minnesota's youth to follow their Broadway Dreams.
Day 4 of 'American Idol' kicked off in Orlando tonight with guest judge and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth. Many remember Chenoweth's show-stealing, Tony-winning performance in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and her triumphant star turn when she originated the role of Glinda (or Galinda) in Wicked, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. Chenoweth most recently starred in the ABC series Pushing Daisies, for which she just won the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She'll next be seen back on Broadway in the revival of Promises, Promises. Although Chenoweth was only available for half the episode (one day in Orlando), her presence was welcome to 'Idol' and Broadway fans alike.
After two very successful audition dates in Boston and Atlanta, 'American Idol' made its way to the Windy City. With the largest attendances as yet, 'Idol' came to Chicago with high expectations. 5-time Grammy winner Shania Twain served as guest judge for the 12,000 hopefuls and Chicago looked to be a promising stop on the long road to Hollywood.
AMERICAN IDOL hopeful Mike Davis may have the most interesting day job of any other contestant on the show: he is an actor on a speedboat. As he tells during his Golden Ticket interview, Davis is part of the 'Codzilla' speedboat experience, a tourism attraction with a theatrical flair.
Contestant Ashley Rodriguez who was singled out by judge Simon Cowell for having the 'it' factor, talks about the time she sang in front of Smokey Robertson at the Berkeley Commencement Concert. See video of Ashley's Golden Ticket interview below, as well as her audition from the show.
AMERICAN IDOL's Amanda Shectman who is a seasoned musical theatre performer and trained opera singer recalls the daunting task of having to perform an Italian aria at the mere age of 7 years old. Watch the video of her interview with AMERICAN IDOL below.
North Carolina native Noel Reese, now proud owner of an AMERICAN IDOL Golden Ticket, recalls in this interview her early start in the arts, as an admittedly nervous 7-year old, performing songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'The King and I' and 'The Sound of Music'.
AMERICAN IDOL hopeful Liz Rooney is an Army girl and 911 Dispatcher. Her roots in music came at an early age, starring as 'Simba' in a school production of THE LION KING when she was just 10 years old. See her Golden Ticket interview below.
AMERICAN IDOL's Golden Ticket Interviews features 19-year-old student Carmen Turner who hails from Baxley, Georgia. In the interview piece, Turner speaks about her own idol, Kelly Clarkson, and her role as Dance Captain for her high school's show choir. Turner auditioned for AMERICAN IDOL with a friend, both hopeful to make it past the first audition, but it was Turner who eventually wowed the judges and landed a Golden Ticket.
Day two of the hit reality TV show 'American Idol' continued tonight, moving the audition phase to Atlanta, Georgia, with guest judge Mary J. Blige. Atlanta proved rather comparable to last night's Boston auditions for the less-than-stellar singers, but, for a city that has featured the likes of Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson (both who held their initial audition in Atlanta), seemed to lack some of the more extraordinary performers. Although there were several good singers in the mix, the more colorful performances stole the show.
Another season of the hit reality TV show 'American Idol' kicked off its ninth season last night, bringing the familiar faces of Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, and Kara DioGuardio as America's favorite judging panel back to the silver screen. The show that has brought talent such as Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken takes talent from across the country and lets America choose who will be the next 'Idol.' Now in its ninth season, 'American Idol' has been one of the biggest reality TV show hits of the decade and has taken the country by storm.
The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel,' January 26 to February 7 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Alexandra Silber stars as Julie Jordan, direct from her critically acclaimed portrayal of Julie Jordan in 'Carousel' at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End (TMA Award - Best Actress).
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS GOING TO BE 'DREAM-Y' - David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that the Ovation nominated (Best Musical Intimate Theatre, Best Featured Actor - Jim Holdridge), critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through February 28 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.
After a successful nine and a half month run, The Toxic Avenger, the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway musical, will end its New York run, having played over 300 performances at New World Stages on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010, to prepare for its national tour. The Toxic Avenger had its world premiere at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey where it broke box office records before transferring Off-Broadway, beginning previews on March 18, 2009 and officially opening on April 6, 2009.
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS GOING TO BE 'DREAM-Y' - David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that the Ovation nominated (Best Musical Intimate Theatre, Best Featured Actor - Jim Holdridge), critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.
The Toxic Avenger made a special appearance at The Pond at Bryant Park yesterday, December 22, to greet fans and serenade the chilly holiday skaters. BroadwayWorld was on hand to cover the performance by The Toxic Avenger crew, which earned an Outer Critics Circle 2009 pick for Best New Off-Broadway Musical.
The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel,' January 26 to February 7 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Alexandra Silber stars as Julie Jordan, direct from her critically acclaimed portrayal of Julie Jordan in 'Carousel' at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End (TMA Award - Best Actress). Silber is joined by Robert Patteri as Billy Bigelow ('Scarlet Pimpernel,' 'Beauty and the Beast'.) Veteran character actor M. Emmet Walsh appears as the Starkeeper. Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Court, will direct, with choreography by Lee Martino and musical direction by Darryl Archibald.
Oh say, can she sing! Less than a month after singing the National Anthem at a New Jersey Nets game, The Toxic Avenger* star and American Idol finalist Diana DeGarmo will once again be center court-this time at the legendary Madison Square Garden.
Oh say, can she sing! Less than a month after singing the National Anthem at a New Jersey Nets game, The Toxic Avenger* star and American Idol finalist Diana DeGarmo will once again be center court-this time at the legendary Madison Square Garden.
Directed by Paige Price, evening of entertainment benefited THE BROADWAY DREAMS FOUNDATION (BDF), a non-profit organization that brings young talent closer to their Broadway dreams regardless of their financial status through intensive week-long Broadway training programs throughout the country.
