The top seven contestants of 'American Idol' kicked off the week with a set of inspirational songs led by the incomparable Alicia Keys. Keys was brought in due to her talent as well as her charity involvement, specifically working with families suffering from HIV and AIDS, as the show celebrates 'Idol Gives Back' this week. Some of the performances were perfect for the theme, while other lacked inspiration and felt as though they could have been performed any other week. As the competition heats up, the contestants will have to give standout performances weekly, and some of them failed to grow this week, while others had fantastic showings.
The Collegiate Chorale presents their annual Spring Benefit on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 7pm, Ted Sperling and Friends, with a performance hosted by Ted Sperling and featuring singers Santino Fontana, Alexandra Silber and Lauren Worsham. The benefit will be held at The Hudson Theatre, Millennium Broadway Hotel, 145 W. 44th Street.
"Idol" lost two of its contestants tonight, a consequence of Michael Lynche receiving the judges save last week. After receiving more than 34 million votes, two contestants were voted off, bringing the number down to seven. It was a tough night, as some of the audience favorites went home, but, the remaining contestants are a very solid group that is chock full of talent.
The Collegiate Chorale presents their annual Spring Benefit on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 7pm, Ted Sperling and Friends, with a performance hosted by Ted Sperling and featuring Christopher Fitzgerald, Santino Fontana, Alexandra Silber and Lauren Worsham. The benefit will be held at The Hudson Theatre, Millennium Broadway Hotel, 145 W. 44th Street.
Tonight, 'Idol' saluted one of the greatest performers of all time, Elvis Presley. Tonight separated out the true performers, as Elvis is the epitome of stage presence. Thankfully, many of the performers were able to live up to his legacy and give great performances. Last season's runner up, Adam Lambert, was aptly chosen to coach this week and, out of all the coaches so far, seemed to have the most constructive criticisms for the contestants. He was almost always spot on with his suggestions and really helped up the ante for tonight's performances.
In a shocking turn of events, tonight featured the first of the top six gentlemen to head home. Each of the three ladies were called up first, eventually learning that they were each safe on the night. After that, the night was a complete shocker, ending on a sad note for one of the contestants.
Tonight, the 'Idol' contestants were given the task of taking on the rather extensive Lennon/McCartney songbook. Given the sheer number of tunes to select from and the vast differences in types of songs, it would seem each contestant should have been able to find a song that would suit both their voice and personality. Many of the contestants, thankfully, did so, giving one of the best shows so far this year. As the competition heats up, it's interesting to see the bar set to a new level each week , although, each week it also becomes all the more clear who doesn't belong.
The Collegiate Chorale presents their annual Spring Benefit on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 7pm, Ted Sperling and Friends, with a performance hosted by Ted Sperling and featuring singers Santino Fontana, Alexandra Silber and Lauren Worsham. The benefit will be held at The Hudson Theatre, Millennium Broadway Hotel, 145 W. 44th Street.
Finalist Didi Benami was eliminated tonight on AMERICAN IDOL after she received the fewest of America's votes. On Tuesday's performance show, the Top 10 performed R&B/Soul songs, and Benami, 23, from Knoxville, TN, sang 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.' In addition, this week's mentor, Usher, performed 'OMG' with Will.i.am, Diddy and Dirty Money had the audience on its feet with 'Hello, Good Morning' and Ruben Studdard sang his latest hit, 'Don't Make ‘Em Like U No More.' On Tuesday, April 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 9 finalists -Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban - will perform selections from the legendary songbook of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
On Wednesday, March 31, AMERICAN IDOL welcomed guest appearances by superstars Usher, Diddy, wil.i.am, and IDOL seaseon 2 winner Reuben Studdard. Check out the pictures below - including photos from Tuesday's performance show.
It was R&B night tonight on "Idol," a theme that benefited some singers over others, but it was actually a night of overall solid performances from the contestants. It is the first week where there hasn't really been a shockingly bad performance by any of the contestants and it featured a number of really excellent showings, including several comeback performances by performers who had a tough time in recent weeks. R&B/pop superstar Usher coached the contestants, giving spot on criticism to the group. It was clear Usher knew what he was talking about and he was the perfect choice to mentor this week.
'American Idol' featured the teen sensation Miley Cryus as the contestant's coach on their songs for this week. Cyrus was surprisingly helpful in her comments to the top 11 and it was clear she had done her homework, knowing each person's strengths and weaknesses. Several singers gave strong performances this week, while the weaker contestants missed the mark again. The theme was back to number one Billboard hits and, even though it seems like it should be easy to make a good song choice out of the thousands of possibilities, it was still a struggle for many of the singers.
Miley Cyrus will appear as a guest mentor on AMERICAN IDOL and help the Top 11 finalists - Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban - prepare for their performances on a Billboard No.1 Hits-themed show airing Tuesday, March 23 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
It is now down to 11 'American Idol' hopefuls as another contestant, Lacey Brown, was eliminated during the results show that aired last night, Wednesday, March 17th. American Idol season 7 winner David Cook made an appearance and sang the Rolling Stones hit 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and guest performer Ke$sha took to the stage to sing her hit 'Blah Blah Blah'.
New York City Opera will celebrate the opening of its 2010 Spring Season on Thursday, March 18, with a gala performance of Emmanuel Chabrier's glittering, comic L'Étoile, followed by a grand evening on the Promenade of the David H. Koch Theater and dancing to waltzes played by the New York City Opera Orchestra.
'Idol' has finally reached the top 12 contestants of season nine, where they make the jump from a small, intimate stage to the full audience at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This is where the eventual 'Idol' winner will be crowned and it presents a new set of challenges to the singers, who now have a fill a much larger space with their talent. Luckily, many of the contestants were able to step up immediately, as the performances tonight were, in general, very strong. It was an excellent showing and proved why each of the contestants has earned their way into the top 12.
Pop sensations Ke$ha and Orianthi will take the stage on this week's live AMERICAN IDOL results show Wednesday, March 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
A night with a number of surprises rounded out the final separation of the guys and girls, as America found out the twelve contestants that will make up the finals of "American Idol." Each of the contestants sent home this evening had standout performance within the past three weeks and many contestants who did make it through were shocked at their fate.
New York City Opera General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel today announced the company's 2010-2011 season, which spotlights American composers and 20th-century works within a mix of world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season will also feature the launch of a concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers of this season's operas. Taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the recent renovation of the company's home, the David H. Koch Theater, the concert series expands the repertoire and programming of City Opera and casts new light on the season's productions.
