E! Online reports that Fantasia Barrino may be the latest "American Idol" veteran to find work on Broadway. Barrino may be joining the cast of The Color Purple in the spring. She would play Celie, the role originated by Tony Award-winner LaChanze and now played by Jeannette Bayardelle. A four-time Grammy Award-nominee, Barrino won the third season of "American Idol." She is believed to have been a frontrunner for the role of Effie in the Dreamgirls film (the part ultimately went to fellow "American Idol" star Jennifer Hudson"). "Fantasia" is the 22 year-old's debut album.
IT turns out that SIMON COWELL hasn’t always been the Mr Nasty of pop. In a recent interview the X Factor creator told how he has always regretted not speaking out and putting an end to EDDIE MURPHY’S pop dreams. Simon was hired to help the love rat hit the high notes in the early 1980s and, in hindsight, wishes he had the nerve back then to tell the Beverly Hills Cop star he was terrible. The American Idol judge, who is famous for letting wannabes know exactly what he thinks on reality TV talent shows, was not quite as honest with Eddie. Simon says: "He was interested in making a record, so I flew to the east coast (of America), to his huge house, and I was very intimidated. "I thought it would be just the two of us and a hi-fi. But I ended up in a recording studio with about 20 nodders – a nodder is someone who gets paid to agree with the person paying him. "Eddie started to play some songs, which I hated, and I just didn’t know what to say. "Now I’d find it a lot easier. I would just say ‘I hate it’."
Bravo has committed to a TV series about the life of “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul. “Hey Paula,” set to debut sometime later this year, will follow Abdul, 44, as she films a new season of “Idol,” works on “Bratz: The Movie” and develops her own perfume and cosmetics line. “It fits the Bravo mandate to show what’s going on in the culture of the moment,” said Bravo president Lauren Zalaznick. Besides showing the frenzy of life in Hollywood, “Hey Paula” will offer “an intimate glimpse at the real woman behind the headlines,” Zalaznick said. Bravo hasn’t decided whether that will include mention of Corey Clark, the 2003 “American Idol” contestant who accused Abdul of coaching him and initiating an affair. Fox cleared Abdul of any wrongdoing. “What we want it to be is the current Paula,” Zalaznick said. “We’re not a biographical or historical channel.” The pop culture network has hits with “Project Runway” and “Top Chef,” and announced today (Jan. 12) that the upcoming fifth season of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” will be its last. It previously aired a similar docu-series with comic Kathy Griffin, who mocks her life on “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.”
Seriously? Who is going to watch that? If that interview is any hint what her show is going to be like, I feel for the people who are working on the show.
Kelly Clarkson will make a guest appearance on country music star Reba McEntire’s hit CW sitcome later this month. The initial American Idol recently attended at event that honored McEntire and has made her admiration for the vertan singer well-known. Look for Clarkson to appear as a ditzy local TV station intern on the January 14 episode of the show.
I hope this episode gets killer ratings, so that The CW will realize what a mistake it made by barely bringing back Reba! So watch to help show them the errors of their way!!!
The Off-Broadway revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at the Zipper Theatre welcomes two new actors Jan. 9: former "American Idol" contestant — and recent Wedding Singer star — Constantine Maroulis and Les Misérables’ Jayne Paterson. Maroulis and Paterson join Gay Marshall and Robert Cuccioli, who opened the production. A Brooklyn native, Constantine Maroulis is a graduate of both the Boston Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music. He trained as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and appeared as Roger in a tour of Rent. In addition to his performances on "American Idol," he has also been seen on "Law & Order: SVU" and in several independent films. Maroulis also played a recent engagement at the Public Theater’s Joe’s Pub as well as a stint in The Wedding Singer. The Zipper Theater is located in Manhattan at 336 West 37th Street. For more information visit 
