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| Topic Started: Nov 30 2009, 01:53 PM (406 Views) | |
| mouser | Nov 30 2009, 01:53 PM Post #1 |
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From 'Idol' to Angel: Taylor Hicks goes for 'Grease' Season 5 winner gives musical theater a try. By Courtney Devores Special to the Observer Posted: Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 "American Idol" has proven a starmaker for its winner and many of its runners-up, but not every former idol can duplicate the mainstream chart career of a Carrie Underwood. That's where Broadway comes in. In 2008 Clay Aiken made his Broadway debut in "Monty Python's Spamalot." Fantasia Barrino did a stint as Celie in "The Color Purple." Even "AI" castoff Frenchie Davis turned rejection into a stage career in "Rent" and "Dreamgirls." Now Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks is taking his turn as "Grease's" Teen Angel, the role Frankie Avalon made famous in the 1978 movie. "I'd been offered roles before I took the Teen Angel role, but I really wanted a role where I could get my feet wet in acting and theater instead of diving right in. I wanted a smaller role," says Hicks, 33. Unlike many of his fellow former "Idol" contestants who revel in Show Tune night, Hicks didn't have any musical theater experience. "I was always a musician and playing, but never did theater." It isn't such a stretch from performing with a band. "It's very interesting how similar it is. Playing off a musician and acting with someone is the same. You just use personality," he says. "I've had a blast with it." The latest revival, which mixes music from the stage musical and the Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta film, also stars another reality TV vet. Lauren Ashley Zakrin was a finalist on MTV's "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods" and became the lead's understudy on "Legally Blonde's" first national tour. She plays Sandy in "Grease" when it kicks off its Charlotte run Tuesday (the show runs through Dec. 6). Hicks may be crooning "Beauty School Dropout" until his current run in "Grease" ends in June, but he's not abandoning his career as a singer-songwriter. In March he released his latest album, "The Distance," on his own label, Modern Whomp. "I'm also doing a song from my record in the encore of 'Grease.' Fans get to experience me as a singer-songwriter," he said.There may not be a better role for Hicks than that of old school soul crooner. He's been playing one as leader of the Soul Patrol since "Idol." Even on "The Distance" he's quick to point out classic touches like subtle saxophone subtones where you can hear the horn player take breaths between notes. "I definitely want to try to keep the lost art alive as much as possible. One of the ways I can do that is to implement the idea of a lost technique in my music and then talk about it. People who are of the average ear can experience it," he explains. That's not to say he doesn't appreciate the convenience and speed of technology. "I enjoy new techniques of recording. You can record anywhere. I think as much art that is lost (with technology), there's just as much art gained. It's just a new form." http://www.charlotteobserver.com/165/story/1076157.html Edited by mouser, Dec 3 2009, 03:51 PM.
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| Gr8fulheart | Nov 30 2009, 11:27 PM Post #2 |
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Now~if people will close their mouths; open their eyes & allow the essence of the 'lost art' seep in, Maybe they will finally begin to understand what Taylor is about. 
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| mouser | Dec 1 2009, 02:50 PM Post #3 |
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The man knows his football !!!! From ‘American Idol’ to Teen Angel Sean O'Connell 27.NOV.09 sean@thecharlotteweekly.com Taylor Hicks headlines touring production of ‘Grease’ A shortcut exists between the “American Idol” soundstages and Broadway. Previous contestants, and even a few winners, have transitioned to the Great White Way with ease. Clay Aiken enjoyed a stint in “Spamalot.” Constantine Maroulis starred in “Rock of Ages.” Season three winner and occasional south Charlotte resident Fantasia Barrino sang the part of Celie in “The Color Purple.” Even Barrino’s runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, earned raves for a Broadway production of “Hairspray.” So bluesy pop-rocker Taylor Hicks isn’t necessarily blazing new trails with his turn as Teen Angel in the touring Broadway production of “Grease,” which plays Ovens Auditorium Dec. 1-6. But for Hicks, who triumphed in the fifth season of the popular singing competition, “Grease” is giving him an opportunity to learn on the job. “I had roles offered to me before ‘Grease,’ but because I didn’t have any musical-theater training and really didn’t have an idea how Broadway works, I wanted to take something that was small so I could understand it instead of diving in headfirst. I wanted to start small and get bigger,” Hicks said. “It has been a great building block for me to get into the acting world.” Taylor Hicks Hicks called South Charlotte Weekly last year ahead of a benefit performance at The Palm Restaurant in SouthPark. He’s an interesting interview because, unlike most professional singers, he prefers to talk about his other passion – football. Ask Hicks about a controversial call by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to go for it on fourth-and-two with a game on the line, and Hicks vehemently defends the Super Bowl winner’s decision. “I don’t think it was a bad call at all,” Hicks said. “I think that (Patriots) offense can gain two yards when it wants to. He obviously felt confident enough in his offense to do that. Instead of getting two yards, he got one yard and 11 inches.” Broach the popular sports-talk-radio topic of Southeastern Conference referees fixing college football games so that powerhouse programs from the University of Alabama and the University of Florida reach the coveted SEC Championship game in Atlanta and Hicks, an Alabama native who is friends with an SEC official, is quick to defend the beleaguered rule-enforcers. “I don’t think people understand how fast the SEC is,” Hicks said. “The SEC is basically the mini-NFL. And I think SEC officials have a lot more speed to deal with than any other conference in the country. Until we’ve actually refereed an SEC (game), I don’t think we can comment. I think penalty flags would be falling out of my pockets!” He even follows Charlotte’s lackluster professional franchise. “I love the Panthers,” Hicks said. “And actually, I’ll be singing the national anthem for the Panthers’ game (against Tampa Bay).” But if you don’t have tickets for that contest, you can always catch Hicks on stage at Ovens, where he convinces Frenchy to go back to class in the dreamy, up-tempo ballad, “Beauty School Dropout.” And if you are wondering who designed the bedazzled suit Hicks sports as the updated Teen Angel, credit the singer himself. “I wanted it to be a cross-pollination of Gram Parsons, Elvis and Liberace,” he said. And if you stay through the show’s encore, you’ll hear Hicks sing an original song off his latest album, “This Distance,” which he’ll sell and sign in the lobby after each show. “That’s a really cool way for new fans and old to experience me as a singer-songwriter and also as Teen Angel,” he said. “It’s a cutting-edge way to be able to release your record and also travel with a great Broadway show.” Want to go? “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks headlines “Grease” when it plays Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte, Dec. 1-6. For tickets, $25- Confirmation of his singing the National Anthem next Sunday ........... http://www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=130&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=4002&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2962&hn=carolinaweeklynewspapers&he=.com |
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| Gr8fulheart | Dec 1 2009, 08:42 PM Post #4 |
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Now to check the listing for the correct starting time. 
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| mouser | Dec 2 2009, 12:26 PM Post #5 |
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Theater review: Grease December 2nd, 2009 by Anita Overcash in Arts Grease Ovens Auditorium Dec. 1, 2009 The Deal: Grease opened last night at Ovens Auditorium. The Good: Highlights of the show included hits like “Summer Nights,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Beauty School Dropout,” “You’re the One That I Want,” and “We Go Together.” Lauren Ashley Zakrin – cast as Sandy Dumbrowski – acted as the perfect goodie two-shoes. The appearance by American Idol winner Taylor Hicks – who starred at Teen Angel – during “Beauty School Dropout,” was quite a hoot, as Kate Morgan Chadwick – cast as Frenchy – let out “I voted for you!” during the song. Applaud levels were also raised higher with the shimmering Hicks’ placement on the stage. All in all, the show was funny and energetic. The Bad: The music was loud during the show and a bit of a distraction. Though the show was enjoyable, it also failed to capture some of the intense emotions that seem to run deeper in the film version. This performance was less realistic, and more goofy. The Verdict: Though Grease didn’t quite live up to all the hype for me, it wasn’t a slump either. The cast was filled with enthusiasm and it showed, as both the T-Birds and Pink Ladies rocked their booties and strut their drama, up until the end with “We Go Together.” Performances of Grease continue until Dec. 6. http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/theclog/2009/12/02/theater-review-grease/ Edited by mouser, Dec 2 2009, 12:28 PM.
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| mouser | Dec 2 2009, 01:16 PM Post #6 |
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A tweetpix by bradfeichter
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| mouser | Dec 2 2009, 04:22 PM Post #7 |
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Life as I Know It Gastonia’s the word! December 2nd, 2009, 12:39 pm · · posted by Bernie Petit The line that drew the biggest laugh at the opening night of “Grease,” the bubblegum jukebox musical that runs at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte through Sunday? It was when much-older disk jockey Vince Fontaine suggested to beauty queen Marty that their high school dance make-out session would be “legal in Gastonia.” Gastonia was the word of the night, as Fontaine earlier teased a couple of audience members flipping through their programs as he warmed up the crowd that they “must be from Gastonia.” When he asked Sarah from Mount Holly to lead her section of the audience in doing the twist, he asked her if she was from the New York/New Jersey area. Her response of “It’s near that place that I don’t want to say,” drew laughs from the audience and Fontaine (Dominic Fortuna). As for the rest of the show? It was good, light-hearted fun. It’s about the relationship between cool Danny Zuko, leader of the T-Birds, and sweet Sandy, whose squeaky-clean persona doesn’t square with Zuko’s 1950s-era greaser friends. Sandy does, somewhat surprisingly, befriend the Pink Ladies, the T-Birds’ female counterparts. In the midst of her on, then off, then on-again relationship with Zuko, Sandy transforms herself from plain ‘ol Sandra Dee to a sassy, sexy greaser chick. (Maybe it’s not the best message for young girls - who probably shouldn’t attend the play anyway - but that’s another topic.) There’s no real message to be learned from the show. Rather, it’s escapist theater that allows audience members to forget their worries for a couple of hours. And that’s okay, especially when the cast zips through those familiar songs you can listen to time and again, like “Summer Nights,” “You’re the One That I Want” and “Born to Hand-Jive.” Plus, “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks appears as Teen Angel, the guardian angel who tries to guide Pink Ladies member Frenchy when she decides to drop out of beauty school. He’s not much of a dancer (but if you’re a fan of “Idol,” you probably already know that) but he sure can sing. By the way, another “Idol” vet, Ace Young, will perform the male lead role Friday and Saturday opposite former MTV’s “Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods” finalist Lauren Ashley Zakrin. Perhaps the must fun of the evening happened at the end of the show, when the cast performed a smash-up of the musical’s most popular songs and Hicks performed “Grease” along with a track from his latest CD. It was an enjoyable evening, even for those of us who consider Gastonia home. http://lifeasiknowit.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/02/gastonias-the-word/ |
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| mouser | Dec 2 2009, 04:29 PM Post #8 |
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Brittany Cason After Dark blog Grease isn’t the word… but FREE tickets to see Grease is! December 2nd, 2009 by Brittney Cason in Brittney, Cultural Enrichment The Pink Ladies and T-Birds have invaded Charlotte… Oven’s Auditorium has been transformed into Rydell High… and Taylor Hicks went from American Idol, to an American Classic – Grease is the word! Last night was opening night for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s presentation of Grease at Oven’s Auditorium, and it will only be here until Dec. 6. Just like the book is always different from the movie – the movie is always different from the musical. There is new music, characters take on new traits and even the plot sequence is different. And that in itself is reason enough to go see it. It’s the kind of musical where you just can’t help but bob your head and shake your shoulders… but you kind of have to refrain from doing so, because it’s rude for the people behind you. Everytime someone in the crowd moves their head, the person behind them has to adjust theirs in order to see – and then the person behind them, the person behind them… and so on. This tall dude in front of me kept fidgeting with his face and changing positions, which required me to. At one point, I had to maneuver myself to see through the space between his elbow and his head. Just when everyone took a bow, and I thought the show was over … Taylor Hicks comes out with a guitar. Next thing I know, the musical transforms into a concert – a Taylor Hicks concert. You can buy tickets for the musical AND concert here … But, I am giving away one pair for Thursday night’s show at 7 p.m. the first person to email me at brittney.cason@creativeloafing.com and sing me a song from Grease, wins! http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/brittneyafterdark/2009/12/02/grease-isnt-the-word-but-free-tickets-to-see-grease-is/ |
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| Gr8fulheart | Dec 2 2009, 11:02 PM Post #9 |
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UGH ~ This means it will happen at 5:20am here. Guess I'll have to wait for the taping of the appearance. 
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| mouser | Dec 3 2009, 07:40 AM Post #10 |
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Taylor Hicks and Dominic Fortuna celebrate the one year anniversary of the national Grease tour in Charlotte. Note the photographer Dan Swalec 
Edited by mouser, Dec 3 2009, 10:50 AM.
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