Kudos, Thia! Will be following your long career…

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I called it in 2009 that with the right break, Thia Megia could have a place in the music industry!

Her America’s Got Talent stint seem distant now, seeing her again at 16 years old on the American Idol stage looking grown up and blooming beautifully.

Fil-Ams on Idol

On March 3rd, 2011- Thia became the only fourth Filipino-American to ever make it into the finals of American Idol in ten years. She is one of the Top 13 finalists currently competing for the title and a recording contract.  Six years since Camille and Jasmine took the Idol stage and three years since Ramiele’s time.

In 2004, Camille Velasco and Jasmine Trias both of Filipino descent, sailed through what could be the most controversial season on Idol history. Season three was the year, Fantasia won. The year La Toya London and (now Academy Award winner) Jennifer Hudson were booted off ahead of Jasmine! While Camille finished early in the 9th place, Jasmine held on for weeks and weeks way into the Final three!!

Ramiele Malubay auditioned for Season 7 in 2008. She finished 9th in the competition and secured a spot to go on a nationwide tour with the Top 10 finalists for the Idols Live Tour Summer concert that same year.

… And truth be told, one can not underestimate the power of support from one’s own. Even Jasmine’s Wiki page acknowledges that her Idol success was “due in part to tremendous call-in support from California, New York, and her native state of Hawaii.”

The Filipinos and Filipino-American community did it three times in the past, we can do it again this year! We can do it for Thia Megia!!

History unfolding

I am very excited to watch Thia’s journey as she makes history happen!! She is making the entire Philippines proud and giving the Filipinos worldwide something to brag about. This is a good time to be a Filipino!

With so much happening around the world, entertainment is our only ‘escape’ from reality if only for a moment. Thia gives us something to look forward to on Tuesday Wednesday nights and forget about our worries!!

I am calling the 2.8++ million Filipinos and Filipino-Americans living in the United States to support our very own. She, along with Charice (and recently Maria Aragon) are representing the Filipino youth of this generation with charm, smarts, talent and beauty worth emulating.

Most importantly, to everyone comprising the majority- the American voting public– please give Thia Megia a chance to shine. Discover her talent and vote for her! 

American Idol is on every Wednesday & Thursday nights on FOX at 8/7pm (central) until May 2011. The performance night is Wednesdays and that is when you vote. The results show follow the next day.

Get your Thia Megia fix from this website.

This is a first for American Idol! One of its TV promos, “10 reasons to watch American Idol Season 10″ mentions a contestant’s name.

Incidentally, the name mentioned is that of 16 year old Filipina Thia Megia. She makes it to number 5th reason to watch Idol this year! When Thia says her name, new judge Jennifer Lopez quips, “that’s a movie star name…”

I first heard about Thia in 2009 when she made it to America’s Got Talent Top 40. I made a featured post about her here and was really impressed then. I went as far as saying that she is going to be bigger than Charice given the right break!! American Idol might be “it”! (finger’s crossed.)

Her Wiki page has already been deleted but her Youtube account and MySpace page is still active. She’s rumored to have made it to Top 40 on Idol (why else would they feature her on the ad if she didn’t right?).

I’m psyched! I hope she makes it far on Idol.

You have my vote Thia!! Let the Idol season begin…

Watch the Idol promo:

American Idol season 10 premieres on Wednesday, January 19th and Thursday, January 20th at 8/7c

Strong points in the premiere episode of Glee Season 2:

> Showcasing Charice’ vocal prowess and playing off as a ‘threat’ to powerhouse Lea Michelle!
> Mentioning “Philippines” and “Filipino” on the number one show on US television.
> Charice deserved MORE airtime but she really came out strong and played the part. She can’t only sing amazing but she can act too!
> SUE SYLVESTER!!

Low points:

> Charice’ name on the show: Sunshine Corazon?? … because she’s from the Philippines where it’s ‘sunny’ everyday! Duh!
> Dressing down Charice looking like a 10 year old when she should be playing at least a HS student– Sanrio mini-backpack, really?!
> Yet the producers pick on an overplayed diva song for her audition piece- could have opted for a more upbeat tune!
> Was that the worst rendition of “Empire State of Mind” or was that THE worst?!
> Condescending undertones on ASIANS and stereotyping! You’d think the producers know better!!
> Looks like Charice won’t be a regular because New Directions’ nemesis the Vocal Adrenaline already “pirated” her… We’ll see.

Videos after the jump!

Face off between Lea Michelle and Charice’ characters; singing Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s “TELEPHONE”

telephone 201 @ Yahoo! Video

Charice “auditions” to be part of Glee Club: Listen

listen 201 @ Yahoo! Video

“Empire State of Mind”

ny 201 @ Yahoo! Video

Get ready Gleeks! The season two premiere of Glee is just a few days away and we’ve got another juicy spoiler. Singing sensation Charice is set to make her first appearance on the hit show and she’s starting some serious drama!

Charice is set to take on the role of foreign exchange student Sunshine Corazon who proves to be a thorn in Rachel Berry’s side (played by Lea Michele). The season begins with Mr. Schue practically begging for new Glee club members. The members of New Directions welcome the addition of Sunshine, however it also sparks a rivalry between her and Rachel, who is less than happy to share the spotlight. The two eventually meet in an epic bathroom showdown set to the tune of Lady Gaga and Beyoncé‘s hit single “Telephone.” This girl fight could get pretty interesting! (via Movin’ 99.7FM)

Season 2’s first episode of GLEE is entitled “Audition.”

Set your DVR to record, Tuesday September 21 at 8 pm on FOX. Photos and video clip after the jump!

Check out the Promo Clip featuring Charice!

Charice attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox’s ‘Glee’ Season 2 held at Paramount Studios on September 7, 2010 in Hollywood, California.

At the end of the day, her Manager’s move was sheer brilliance! She shouldn’t get fired, she should be get a raise! Clever move. She started a rumor and the internet world caught on it and it spread like wildfire. It got the attention of Fox TV network and Glee and what do you know? A month later, Charice tries out and auditions for a role!! Then she gets a part! Amazing! Can’t wait. Go Charice!

Rachel Berry, watch your back.

FOX has confirmed to GIVE ME MY REMOTE that Charice — Oprah’s favorite teenage singing sensation — will join GLEE in a recurring role as a foreign exchange student this fall.

There were rumors earlier in the month that she had landed a part on the FOX series, but Charice immediately shot them down via Twitter. But now, things have changed. “When d rumor came out, it wasn’t true,” she tweeted. “But then after that…I tried to audition. And i made it!!! Let’s Party!!!!”

via GMMR

Please help spread the word. Vote for Alexie! Watch the show on Fox every Wednesday 8PM EST (performance/voting night) and Thursdays, 9PM EST Results.

Results and short tribute | Voted off June 16th | Top 11 results show

Top 11 Group dance, Results show | June 16. Music: “Acapella” by Kelis | Choreography by Tessandra Chavez

Competition starts this week, June 16th
Alexie is paired with hip-hop all-star expert Twitch Boss, a season 4 favorite! Music: Butterfly by Jason Mraz | Choreography: Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo
This wasn’t hard hip-hop, more like girly hiphop. Wasn’t her best but definitely NOT an elimination performance! She held her own dancing with Twitch and I enjoyed it. I’m voting for her no matter what! Please vote too: 1-888-623-7807

First performance on the show | June 10. 2010 | Music: “There’s Got To Be Something Better Than This” from Sweet Charity (Original Broadway Cast)

Alexie is dancing with another hopeful, Melinda Sullivan. They dance with previous season faves Allison Holker (Season 2) and Lauren Gottlieb (Season 3) in a Broadway routine choreographed by Tyce DiOrio. [Tyce is fresh from choreographing the Tom Cruise on his recent hilarious appearance on MTV Movie Awards (June 5) as his potbellied film producer character, Les Grossman, from the film Tropic Thunder- shaking his booty to a Ludacris song with Jennifer Lopez!]

READ ALEXIE’S PROFILE HERE.

Meet the Top 11 Dancers | Who Alexie will be up against!

Audition | June 3. 2010 | Los Angeles, CA

I kindly invite visitors to this site to please join me in supporting Alexie by voting and spreading the word!

This is after all a reality television show first, technique and ability second. It isn’t looking for the best dancer but the most popular and the favorite.

As in any reality show, the producers and the judges have their own favorites and they are usually the ones who get highlighted the most– in a way affecting the way viewer’s votes.

If a contestant isn’t showcased enough due to poor editing or lack of airtime, then the viewers won’t know enough and the contestant’s personality wouldn’t show making it hard to pick up the phone to vote for that contestant.

It is my hope that Alexie’s bubbly, full of energy vibe will not go unnoticed on the show! She got the technique and dancing prowess covered, just need those producers to showcase her personality more!

This is Alexie’s Profile on Fox’ official site:

Alexie Agdeppa is a UCLA graduate and former Los Angeles Laker Girl. She has performed in music videos for Prince, The Pussycat Dolls and Nelly Furtado. Agdeppa loves to cook, act and travel, and has been to the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, Brazil, Japan and Cuba.

Click to watch VIDEOS of all her performances here.

Photo Shoot Interview:

What is your full name?

Alexie Leah Natividad Agdeppa (it’s long!)

Do you have a nickname?

Answer: Lex Luther (from my dad)
Sexy Lexie

Where do you currently live?

Answer: Downtown LA

Where were you born?

Answer: Los Angeles, CA

What is your date of birth?

Answer: December 13

How old were you when you started dancing?

Answer: 4

Do you have any formal training?

Answer: Trained at dance studios for 13 years

Who is your favorite professional dancer?

Answer: It’s a tie – Gene Kelly, Chaz Buzan, and my sister – Jessica

What has been your most memorable dance experience?

Answer: When I was a kid, I performed on the Oscars for Debbie Allen – that was memorable. I think getting on the show is my most memorable dance experience.

What style do you hope to pick out of the hat? Which style of dance are you afraid to get?

Answer: Of course, I hope to pick out Contemporary, Jazz or Broadway, but it would be incredibly fun to pick out Hip Hop or Krump. I’m kind of afraid to pick out Ballroom.

via Fox Dance

This season couldn’t get any harder than the six previous seasons combined. This year, the producers introduced huge changes that’s never been done on the show.

Among the variations– instead of the usual Top 20 (Top 10 guys, Top 10 girls) they slashed it to half! So there are only 5 girls and 5 guys competing for the title “America’s Favorite Dancer.” Instead of the contestants being partnered with one another, they will be paired with an all-star cast from the favorite finalists from different seasons. Such tremendous challenge and Alexie Agdeppa is one of the “it” girls!!

READ ALEXIE’S OFFICIAL PROFILE on SYTYCD HERE.

SYTYCD 7 Cast, who she’s up against! Yay

Out of the hundreds who auditioned, she stood out and impressed all the judges in the grueling Las Vegas callbacks where 122 contestants fought for a spot; eventually trimmed down to only 10. What is more inspiring is Alexie never gave up on her dream to be on the show. She tried auditioning 4 times!

She was close last season but a Top 20 spot was given to another Fil-Am 20-yr old Pauline Mata, who is from the same dance studio as Alexie in Walnut, California. Pauline finished 16th with her dance partner.

I didn’t cover Season 6 because it was on the same year as when Fil-Am Karla Garcia made it to top 20 in Season 5, like a few months apart and I was on and off watching the show when Karla left. I wanted to boycott the show for a little while! GRRRR!!

I have had a great time covering Karla who unfortunately wasn’t given the spotlight she deserved on the show. Finishing 14th with her partner, I still firmly believed, she could have stayed longer on the show had the producers given her more airtime from the very beginning like some of the contestants! Karla is such an amazing and beautiful dancer. To know more about Karla and what this reality dance show is all about, read here.

I will be covering Alexie’s run on the show so tune in! Meanwhile, enjoy her audition story: (FYI: Karla never had her audition featured!!)

UPDATE: June 21, It’s confirmed. Charice joins Glee for Season 2.

I found this news rumor on Broadwayworld.com.

Broadway World is such a respectable site for everything Broadway/Theater and the like. It is very surprising to find how they can run a story without validation. Nonetheless, their main source is from the reputable Philippine Daily Inquirer and it quoted Charice’ manager Grace Mendoza.

“The Phillippine Daily Inquirer confirms that Charise, the Philippina singing sensation will join the cast of GLEE next season. Her manager, Grace Mendoza, tells the Inquirer: “Yes, it’s true, Charice will soon join GLEE… And not just as a guest, but as part of the cast in a new season.” [Note: Yes, they've misspelled Charice' name and Filipina!]

Digging into it because I am a huge Glee fan, I found out the link to the Inquirer doesn’t exist anymore. Either they have been removed because it was false or they intentionally put the story up without confirmation other than rely on the manager’s words. In which case, I strongly suggest Charice fire her own manager for starting out an incredible story that isn’t true.

The link to the Inquirer still has the URL with Charice and Glee on it: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20100525-272061/Charice-to-join-American-TV-series-Glee however when you click it, it leads to a tech story that is totally unrelated [Nitro PDF Reader out to blow away Adobe]. I tried doing a search on the Inquirer database: “charice glee” and it says it has the story [see photo] but again leads me to that same tech story!!

On Charice official Twitter: Today, May 26th– she just dismissed the rumor outright!!

I am so bummed!! Being on Glee is any Hollywood actor and artist’s dream right now. Many celebrities/singers (Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears) and some Season 9 American Idol contestants (Didi Benami, Todrick Hall, Tim Urban, etc) have expressed their interest to be part of the show! All the songs covered on Glee have become certified hits all over again, beginning with their cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” last season. This season, Madonna lent her song book to the cast and it was well received! Why tonight, they just did Lady Gaga!! They have covered music by Rihanna, Billy Joel, Beyonce, REO Speedwagon to Olivia Newton-John(!) to Broadway musicals and the cast have even been invited to the White House and rub elbows with the Obama’s during the Easter Holiday.

Nevermind that the show is geared toward teens and tweens, with High School issues and cliche’s. I love theater and Broadway musicals and that’s how I see this show- a big musical production.

What is Glee?

Television’s most award-winning new series, GLEE was recently honored with a Peabody Award; a Golden Globe for Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical; a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series; and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy. The music from GLEE is an international sensation with “Glee: The Music, Volume 1″ and “Glee: The Music, Volume 2″ topping charts in Australia, the U.K., New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. In the U.S., over 4.5 million songs have been downloaded, and both albums have been certified Gold for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

The show’s musical performances have been a commercial success, with over two million copies of Glee cast single releases purchased on iTunes. In 2009, the Glee cast had 25 singles chart on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any artist since The Beatles had 31 songs in the chart in 1964. (Wikipedia)

GLEE follows an optimistic teacher who – against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach – inspires McKinley High’s Glee Club to conquer the world one singing competition at a time. GLEE stars Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz.

GLEE airs in the US at 9pm on FOX channel Tuesdays.

Check out the official Glee website to learn more about the show.

via Broadway world

Of course my Idol picks never win… You just don’t know with America what they want. Doesn’t matter though- American Idol is the biggest platform any aspiring singer could ever hope to be in, be seen and heard of. To be among the Top 12 is huge in itself.

Here’s why I heart Didi Benami:

She’s a breath of fresh air. I’ve never watched an Idol Summer tour concert but if she makes it to Top 10, along with Andrew Garcia and Crystal Bowersox I just might! Get your Didi Benami fix at Didi Benami Fansite…

Andrew Garcia

Crystal Bowersox
Season 9 Top 12

All photo rights belong to Fox and American Idol.