OK, I know this isn't the most earth-shaking topic for a first blog, but I'll make more later. I'm just weary of all the attention given to American Idol and the vocal lightweights that inhabit that world. (Except, of course, for Sanjaya, whose vocal prowess, not to mention his sister's breasts, is truly jaw dropping.)
I will make the disclaimer that I've never expended the effort required to watch an entire American Idol episode, which will invalidate my opinion among the faithful I'm sure. However, in light of the attention lavished on Idol loser Jennifer Hudson recently, let me offer a glimpse of a real diva, Jennifer Holiday, who originated the "Dreamgirls" role on Broadway and who blows Hudson out of the water both vocally and theatrically. My readers who were not born in 1982, may never have heard Ms Holiday's incredible performance and so I offer it here. I was privileged to see her on Broadway and I can tell you that the term "show stopper" definitely applies. Rarely has a performer so commanded the stage and so affected entire audiences night after night. So if you loved her performance then, or especially if you have never seen it, here is a compressed, bare-staged fragment from the Tony Awards show which will give you an idea of the power of the 21-year-old Jennifer Holiday. (And if your attention span doesn't extend 8:47, fast forward to just before the 5:00 mark for the big song.)
