Looks like Constantine Maroulis is heading back to Broadway. He announced via Twitter this morning that “Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical,” in which he has the starring role, will debut on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theater in April. That would be immediately after a nationwide tour that will include stops in Philly and Washington,…
One of American Idol’s most underrated graduates will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday. That would be Mandisa, the ninth-place finisher from Season 5. All she’s done since Idol is turn out three hit Christian albums. That latest, “What It We Were Real,” has spent 72 weeks on Billboard’s Christian album chart and…
Jordin Sparks isn’t getting rave reviews for “Sparkle.” Nor is the film. But its release last week certainly spurred interest in the soundtrack. “Sparkle” is number one on Billboard’s soundtrack chart this week, up from three a week ago. The album also advances from number eight to number three on the R&B chart and all…
If you ever imagined Mariah Carey flaunting her figure as ring girl at a boxing match, you need wonder no more. The new Idol judges plays that role in the just-released video for her new single, “Triumphant.” The entire video takes place at a boxing match and, just as in the song, Rick Ross and…
What’s better than having one former Idol contestant on a hit TV show? Having two, of course. Especially when the show is about a Broadway musical and calls for the newcomer to flash her considerable vocal skills. I’m talking about “Smash,” of course, the show that has already revived the going-nowhere-fast musical career of Season…
Here’s a bit of good, albeit expected, news. Juliet Simms, who placed second on Season 2 of The Voice, is working on a new album, according to an interview at TheInsider.com. The trick is melding her rock voice with music that will be radio friendly without compromising her artistic integrity, says Juliet. “We know I…
So now Us Weekly is reporting that Nicki Minaj will be joining the American Idol judging panel alongside Mariah Carey. But before all the Barbz and Kenz get too excited, consider this. Pharrell, the rapper/singer/producer who helped mentor X Factor contestants last year, is also supposed to be joining the judging panel. So is Nick…
Jason Castro has announced that he’ll release his new album on Jan. 15. But fans of the fourth-place finisher from Season 7 won’t have to wait that long for new music. Jason plans to release a five-song EP called “Starting Line” on Aug. 28 — that’s right — next Tuesday. The EP will be available…
For lots of former Idol contestants, a plaque signifying 500,000 sales of a single would be a prized possession. But I guess it doesn’t seem that special when your first single sells in excess of 1 million downloads. Phillip Phillips just tweeted that he’s giving away his gold single plaque for “Home” in celebration of…
If you ignore the Ford video hijinks American Idol puts its finalists through, Casey James is making his acting debut in his latest video. The video is for the song “Crying on a Suitcase,” perhaps the finest track off the debut album he released back in March. The song’s about a guy who’s trying to…
