The "Hunky" Teen Angel ..... Starring Taylor Hicks!

I always love to post nice, positive reviews and previews for Grease, so here's one I found in The Edge, a Boston newspaper. I highlighted the important part.. hehe!

American Idol meets "Grease"

Grease is still the word. The record-breaking musical returned to Broadway this past year for another successful incarnation, this time boosted from a popular reality show in which the leads - Danny and Sandy - were picked. Now it is back on the road arriving at Providence’s Performing Arts Center for a 6-day run. This touring production also has a television connection in the person of Taylor Hicks, the winner of the sixth season of American Idol, who appears as the Teen Angel. The production is directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and features a hugely successful score that features such hits as "Summer Nights," "You’re The One That I Want," and the title tune. "...you can’t do much better than Kathleen Marshall, the choreographer and director who has proved to be without peer in taking faded old musicals ("Wonderful Town," "Pajama Game") and giving them a fresh modern shine," wrote Time Magazine shortly after its Broadway opening. "Here she keeps everything sprightly and speedy without overwhelming her young stars. The dance numbers go for group precision over virtuoso acrobatics. Derek McLane’s sets are bright and witty, from the stacks of school lockers or cars at a drive-in movie, to the neon ice cream cone that opens to reveal the hunky Teen Angel in the terrific "Beauty School Dropout" number." This is also the closest the show comes to Boston (at this date) on its National tour. The retro at Rydell High begins on Tuesday, December 2 and runs through Sunday, December 8 at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, Rhode Island. For more information visit the PPAC website.

New Tour Merchandise From Taylor Hicks!

Looks like Taylor is getting ready to hit the road with brand new merchandise! Apparently alphabetarm.com designed these 4 t-shirts and were approved by his management! I love them all, but especially love the first couple.

American Idol 8 - The Backdrop... and a few choice comments

When the final countdown starts in January for Taylor's brand new CD (which will drop February 10 - and the Warfield DVD on February 17) and the national 'Grease' tour is well under way, American Idol will be starting up again, for the 8th damn time. Can you believe that? Well, not to be outdone by their nastiness toward Taylor last year, they decided to put the smallest of pictures of him up on the backdrop - almost behind the ugly-ass stupid fake plastic plant in the corner of the auditon room - with a leaf almost covering up his face. I guess I shouldn't complain too much - at least we see him - last year was a rarity. Anyway, here's one of the promos for the show. I dunno about you, but this stuff is just not funny to me anymore. Man, the show needs cancellation in a seriously major way.



This makes me wonder if anyone can airmail this 6 story, 60 foot poster of Taylor (see below) to Simon and Simon on AI to show them how he needs to be displayed - the way the producers of 'Grease' on Broadway saw fit by proudly hanging it in Times Square, in the Big Apple, all summer long. I mean *really* people - if it wasn't so pathetic it would be really sad at the vindictiveness they continue to exhibit 3 years later. How does one flip the bird in writing?

Taylor Hicks - Brand New Interview About His New Album and Starring Role in 'Grease'

Check out this wonderful new Taylor Hicks interview from tvguide.com !! I love the first couple of lines - an unbiased truth about the mutual departure from JRecords. Finally the word is out. Good times, great music and vibes are starting again with the soulman and aren't we glad we've got a front row seat on the bus - the Boogie Bus that is! Also, after you read this piece, do check out TV Guide's new profile of Taylor at http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/taylor-hicks/280426.

It's been quite a year for Taylor Hicks. After mutually splitting with his record company, Arista, in January, the former American Idol champ took his career into his own hands by starting his own label, Modern Whomp Records, and taking a little music breather to get into acting. And no, there was no From Justin to Kelly monstrosity. Hicks made his Broadway debut in Grease as Teen Angel, the one (role) that he wanted and loved so much that he's joining the musical on a nationwide tour. Before the festivities kick off Dec. 2, the man behind the Soul Patrol chatted with TVGuide.com about jump-starting his acting career, his upcoming, as-yet-untitled album and why he loves working overtime.

TVGuide.com: Let's start at the beginning. How'd you land the role of Teen Angel?
Taylor Hicks: I've been offered to do some parts on Broadway before I took it, but I didn't really want to dive into the theater and acting without starting from a really good point. I wanted to get my feet wet in the acting field and the theatrical field and we wanted to find a role where I'd be able to learn about the process for future acting jobs and this is a great start. Being musical, I'm starting to understand the little nuances and stuff about acting because it's very similar to playing music with its rhythm. It's just in an acting sense instead of musical sense. I'm still learning.

TVGuide.com: How nervous were you about not only making your acting debut, but having it be on Broadway?
Hicks: Oh, yes, I was so nervous! Not only was my first acting gig of [my] life on Broadway, but I was suspended 40 feet in the air, so I wasn't actually on the stage! [Laughs] So, I was definitely feeling a little queasy before I actually opened the cone. To say the least, it was a grand entrance.

TVGuide.com: And now you're gonna be suspended across America. Are you nervous about the tour? It's different going on the same stage every night as opposed to traveling across the country.
Hicks: A little bit, but there are a lot of things I'm excited about. Being able to be with the cast, to do Grease on the road and take it to the different places — places I've never been before — I'm very blessed to have that opportunity to do that.

TVGuide.com: You obviously took a break from music to do this. Was that a conscious choice?
Hicks: I knew that I had to reinvent myself. I think reinvention is key. Being an entertainer, you have to cover all your bases, so to speak. That's something that's allowed to write music for the next record. It allowed me to do a lot of things that wasn't the norm for a standard musician or entertainer. I had the time to write, reflect and obviously try a new venture out.

TVGuide.com: And you started your own label —
Hicks: Yeah, I started Modern Whomp Records. I'm aligned with a distribution company, A2M. It's just a learning process. The inner workings of a label — I'm understanding them. Every label has the standard procedure and practices, so I'm just now learning. I'm excited about that process. Hopefully, it'll allow me to sign other acts in the future too.

TVGuide.com: After you left Arista, did you decide right away you would start your own label or were you looking at other homes?
Hicks: I'd been offered traditional record deals and I just felt like it was best for me to be able to start my own label and partner with distribution. Having your own label really allows you to be out there and have total control of your art and how you want to sell it and how it best fits you. You really live and die by the sword, which I think really makes the artist drive a lot more — drive to succeed.

TVGuide.com: What's the update on your new album?
Hicks: It's coming out Feb. 10. I should have a single the first of the new year. I can honestly say that some of the instincts that I had picking songs on Idol, I was able to use picking songs for this album, which has really been a great experience. I've been able to wrap my artistic expression around these songs and I've had some time to live with these songs and be able to visualize what I want for each of them. I'm really excited about the record because I feel like from the style aspect, nowadays you listen to records that sound very similar on each track, but this album, I wanted to take the listener on a musical journey and touch on the stylings that are reflective of who I am as an artist.

TVGuide.com: How different is it from your first one?
Hicks: There's definitely soul. I think it all starts with soul, but this time around, I think the songs are touching on a lot of different styles that reflect me, so that's different in a way. On the last record, it was kind of an R&B influence. This is my journey as a songwriter. But what's really interesting and cool about it is I'm gonna be able to play my single within the Grease show. It's a very unique aspect. It's like I'm gonna be performing as Teen Angel, but then I'll also be performing my single to the record, so everybody who comes and sees me as Teen Angel can also experience me as a musician.

TVGuide.com: Really?! How is it gonna be incorporated?
Hicks: It's gonna be a big surprise! [Laughs] We're still working the details out. What's even cooler than that is I'll be doing an intimate club tour in each market, hopefully, to be able to start working on this record from a live aspect.

TVGuide.com: When will you start that? After the Grease tour?
Hicks: No, actually, that's gonna be during the Grease tour, like after the shows.

TVGuide.com: Aren't you gonna be exhausted?
Hicks: This business isn't for the faint of heart! [Laughs] Yeah, it's a lot of work, but at the same time, it's very fulfilling from a creative aspect. It's like the time is now.

Taylor Hicks Lends His Hand to Bids-2-Beat Charity Auction

For the second year in a row, Taylor shows his heart and 'hand' for the benefit of honoring World AIDS Day on December 1, 2008. He is one of the many celebrities who donated to the one-of-a-kind celebrity autographed "Lend-A-Hand to LIFEbeat" card series for the Bids-2-Beat Charity Auction. Back where I come from, you call people like Taylor a mensch (a Yiddish word for "a person of integrity and honor") - a person who unselfishly donates his time and spirit to those less fortunate, year after year.

According to the press release, "...The centerpiece of the auction is a one-of-a-kind celebrity autographed "Lend-A-Hand to LIFEbeat" card series. Stars traced their hands on special paper, adding an artistic touch and signature. Cynthia Nixon, Gina Gershon, James Earl Jones, Natalie Cole, Bob Saget, Jack Klugman, Drew Lachey, Sean Hayes, Taylor Hicks, David Hyde-Pierce, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, Deborah Gibson, Jerry Mathers, George Wendt, Pete Best, Paige Davis, Faith Evans, Frankie Valli, John Lithgow, Maroon 5, John O'Hurley, Alan Cumming, Robin Thicke, Nathan Lane, John Lequizamo and over 100 others have participated in this unique project..."

Every item in BID 2 BEAT AIDS comes with a certificate of authenticity, and was obtained directly from the performers, their agents, or other professionals in the industry. Bidders can be assured that they're getting the real deal! For more information on BID 2 BEAT AIDS , including a complete list of participating artists and images of many of the items, visit www.Bid2BeatAIDS.com.

Taylor Hicks "Saddened" by Death of Paula Abdul Fan

A great piece of publicity from TV Guide concerning Taylor Hick's reaction to the recent death of Paula Abdul's fan outside her home in Los Angeles. He mentioned his upcoming 'Grease' tour and his new album coming out on Feb. 10, 2009. (It's a shame the writers of this piece didn't do their homework and find out that Taylor was Season 5, not 6. Poor Jordin Sparks. Forgotten again.)

Nov 25, 2008 02:11 PM ET by Joyce Eng

Former American Idol champ Taylor Hicks was "very saddened" to hear about the recent death of ex-Idol hopeful and Paula Abdul fan, Paula Goodspeed, outside of Abdul's home.

"My thoughts and prayers go to her and her family," Hicks told TVGuide.com.

Goodspeed, 30, was found dead in a parked car in front of the Idol judge's L.A. house on Nov. 11. Hicks said he hasn't spoken to Abdul since the death and hasn't, "thankfully," experienced any extreme incidents with his own die-hard fan-base, the Soul Patrol.

"You just try to be as nice and as courteous as possible to all your fans," he said. "But as far as that goes, that kind of stuff is completely out of your control."

Since his crowning moment on Season 6 of the Fox juggernaut, Hicks has starred on Broadway in Grease, started his own label, and recorded his sophomore LP, slated for a Feb. 10, 2009 release. On Dec. 2, he starts a nationwide tour of Grease.

But Hicks hasn't forgotten his roots. The silver-haired crooner will make time on the road to catch Season 8 of Idol and its new judge, Kara DioGuardi, with whom he penned "Give Me Tonight" on his first album.

"I think she's gonna bring a very positive and a good message," he said. "She's gonna be a good judge. She's a really great songwriter. She knows the business and I think that she definitely will be a good voice of reasoning."

What Simon Climie Can Do For Taylor Hicks ...

Many of you know that Simon Climie is producing Taylor's new album. He's worked closely with Eric Clapton, among other well know and respected musicians. I ran across this blog about him which caught my attention. I'm hoping Climie's soulful producing tendencies reflect as well on Taylor's new music, bringing out the best in his voice and style, just as it did with Clapton. Listen to these songs below, co-produced by Climie - soulful bluesy tunes that I have been listening to over and over again.

"...Co-producer Simon Climie helped Clapton create a new template along the way, one that had less to do with Muddy Waters than it did Al Green. He pushed himself to places few would have guessed after a period of largely unsatisfying work with Phil Collins and on movie soundtracks, then a mainstream backtrack with the MTV "Unplugged" recording..."

PILGRIM


RIVER OF TEARS (LIVE)