The runners-up in last year's "Hopkinton Idol" event, (from left) Joanna Schell and Amber Manter, join top finisher Sasha Yatchenko.
Hopkinton has voted. Shrewsbury has, too. Their “American Idol”-style contests are safe. Both competitions return this year (auditions start next week), and though their reach may be smaller, both aim for all of the hit network television show’s big-time glitz, glam, and rigor. Then they refine it with a little small-town heart.
more stories like thisNeither “Hopkinton Idol” nor “Shrewsbury Idol” have slapped on the “Idol” name solely for attention (such as my favorite: “Equestrian Idol,” held by a Florida horse club) or for profit (perhaps like Edy’s new American Idol ice cream, which asks you to vote for your favorite flavor).
Rather, both nonprofit contests sincerely aim to cultivate area talent (town residency is not required to compete) using the “Idol” format. So they’re staging multiweek shows on local-access cable TV, where judging is live, audience voting decides, and the winners walk off with a potentially music-career-launching prize (such as a recording session). In short, they mirror their Hollywood namesake in every way but one.
“We really try not to create the Simon Cowell feel. We’re not there to shoot anybody down,” said Gary Ivory-O’Neal, of NorthSoune Music & Entertainment. The music production company has volunteered to run Shrewsbury’s event since it was founded by the Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival committee in 2006.
Instead, Ivory-O’Neal, an accomplished keyboardist who has performed with one of the acerbic Cowell’s fellow judges, Paula Abdul, as well as Michael Jackson and other stars, just wants to share what he’s learned in the industry.
Enter Stage Left Theater, a Hopkinton-based troupe staffed by music and stage professionals, founded “Hopkinton Idol” last year and shares the same intent.
Both provide contestants with vocal and performance coaching.
“We really wanted this to be something tangible that participants could take away with them,” said Enter Stage Left’s codirector, Kelly Grill. “A lot come in wanting to sing like Christina Aguilera, but that may not be what’s best for their voice. We try to help them find their own voice.”
It seems to have worked for the 12-year-old winner of last year’s “Hopkinton Idol.” Sasha Yatchenko was so buoyed by the experience that she went on to record an independent CD of original songs, perform solo shows locally, participate in area open mikes, and act in community theater.
“The coaching was absolutely amazing,” said Yatchenko, now 13. “If you watch from the first week to the last, you can see how much everyone, not just me, improved.”
She particularly emphasized the role of vocal coach Lyndie Laramore, who “gave me confidence, not just technique.”
“Shrewsbury Idol” is open to all ages, and last year, contestants from 12-year-old Nick Silverio to 73-year-old Austrian-American fashion designer Renate Yasigian turned out. (Yasigian made it to the semifinals singing a tune from “La Vie en Rose.”)
Hopkinton allows contestants ages 12 and up, but nonetheless, Michelle Cohen, 47, wound up being an unplanned trailblazer last year.
more stories like this”I never expected I would be the only adult competing. There were all these other adults when I went to audition, but then it turned out they were the moms and dads,” said Cohen, laughing at the memory. “I nearly quit right then, but Kelly convinced me to stick it out and I’m glad I did.”
Cohen made it to the final five before being voted off. She then went on to form a duo, hit various open mikes, land a community theater role, and recently give a solo concert in Hopkinton.
“I had dropped out of music after my son Alex was born 11 years ago, but since ‘Idol,’ I’ve been back in the music scene. It was a real jumping board for me,” said Cohen. “And it was fun when strangers would come up and say, ‘Hey, I saw you on Idol.’ ”
Shrewsbury’s contest also streams live online (Hopkinton may webcast its competition as well). Shrewsbury holds its final before a live audience (last year nearly 600 people attended), and Hopkinton invites guests to watch each show. Both also reward their winners with a concert, small cash prizes, and a two-song studio recording session. In Shrewsbury, NorthSoune then sends the winner’s CD to 150 record-label executives.
As for Yatchenko, she’s hungry for more. “I’d like to compete on ‘American Idol,’ but you have to be 16,” she said. “I hope it’s still on air by the time I’m old enough.”
“Hopkinton Idol” will hold its free auditions 7 p.m. next Thursday at the HCAM-TV Studios, 77 Main St. If accepted, the contestant fee is $100. For more information, call 508-435.2114 or visit enterstagelefttheater.com.
“Shrewsbury Idol” auditions begin April 1 at Shrewsbury Media Center, 15 Parker Road. Registration fee is $25. If accepted, participation in the competition is free. For more information, call 774-535-3282; details will also be posted as available at norvue.com.
BLUES NOTE: No three-headed, sharp-tongued Hollywood judging panel has named him America’s Folk Idol. But for those who love a voice with the soulful grit of a true bluesman and guitar picking so fine you could wrap each note and sell it individually, Chris Smither needs no such tag.
Smither plays at Brandeis University in Waltham tomorrow night. But be prepared for a little one-on-one time. Because once he starts plucking and warbling, no matter the size of the hall, he always conjures up such a strong front-porch vibe that you can’t help but feeling it’s just him, you, and a soft-as-suede summer breeze.
Chris Smither performs at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Slosberg Recital Hall, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham. Tickets $25, or $15 seniors. 781-736-3400, brandeis.edu/arts.
Courtesy: boston.com
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