Kris Allen – Performance Profile, American Idol 2009 Season 8
May 19, 2009 by vongsundara · 1 Comment
Kris Allen performs No Boundaries, American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Kris Allen performs No Boundaries, American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Kris Allen once again does a commendable job at yet another song that is out of his vocal range. His voice strained throughout, and it was painful to listen to. Unfortunately for Kris, there’s not much that could save this song.
I liked Kris Allen’s all-black outfit. It’s strange because I generally don’t like all-black outfits in real life, but it seems to work great for performances.
Review Score: ★★☆☆☆
Kris Allen performs What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Kris Allen performs What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Kris Allen’s limited vocal range just could not match up with this song. This is the second time that the song chosen for Kris was out of his vocal range. I’m not sure if the show is trying to sabotage him or not, but it does point out the fact that Kris needs to work on improving his range.
I liked how the performance was stripped down compared to the first song. It had a neat KT Tunstall type of feel to it. I’m still super annoyed with his peach fuzz facial hair, though.
Review Score: ★★☆☆☆
Adam Lambert – Performance Profile, American Idol 2009 Season 8
May 19, 2009 by vongsundara · 2 Comments
Adam Lambert performs No Boundaries, American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Adam Lambert performs No Boundaries, American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
What a terrible way to end a season full of spectacular performances. Adam Lambert does his best with a below-average song. He falls off key a couple of times, or maybe not . . . who knows, maybe that’s how the song was written. I don’t know who Kara DioGuardi was writing this song for since it doesn’t fit Adam’s vocal quality or Kris’ vocal range.
Adam’s performance was of course great as usual, though a little understated, which was surprising. I love the jacket and the pants. It’s a great image to blaze into our minds until his album comes out.
Review Score: ★★☆☆☆
Adam Lambert performs A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Adam Lambert performs A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 11 (May 19) Top 2: Contestant’s Favourite / Simon Fuller’s Choice / Winner’s Single
Damn, Adam Lambert does it again. From the a cappella opening to the simple instrumentation throughout, allowing Adam’s sweet vocals to shine through beautifully. I actually like Adam in this style of music much more than when he does hard rock, but I’m sure hard rock will sell him a bit better in today’s market. The emotion that Adam conveys in this performance is absolutely amazing.
I always love seeing Adam stripped down and in a nice suit. Adam didn’t move around much, which was quite appropriate for the song.
Review Score: ★★★★★
Teyona Anderson – Photoshoot Portfolio Review, America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12, ANTM 2009
May 13, 2009 by vongsundara · 6 Comments
It’s looking like the year of the upset in reality competitions. Teyona will definitely have a future in the industry, but she’s just not inspiring as a model, and that will limit her potential. She has an above-average body, face, walk and personality and no real weaknesses. The trouble is that there’s nothing that really stands out with the WOW factor that supermodels need to have.
Once again, Tyra awarded the title to the model who wanted it the most. It’s been predictable since the fiasco with Cycle 1 winner, Adrianne Curry. I like Teyona, but I really disagree that she should have won Cycle 12.
Teyona Anderson, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 13: America's Next Top Model Is...
Teyona delivers another predictably solid photo. She looks very commercial, and I believe the expression in her face here.
Review Score: ★★★½☆
Teyona Anderson, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 12: Take Me To The Jungle
This is a solid photo of Teyona, but it’s not really that inspiring. Without the top, the outfit doesn’t make much sense, and her bottom looks like it’s covered in granny panties.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Teyona Anderson, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 11: Let's Go See The City
Teyona looks strong, and her body looks gorgeous in this photo. Being on the other side of the surf board helps with the composition of this shot. I would have preferred Teyona’s hands in slightly different positions, though. Her top hand covers her hair a little and her bottom hand is lying lifeless. Overall still a great photo.
Review Score: ★★★★☆
, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 9: The Amazing Model Race
Teyona’s photo is the sexiest of the bunch. She uses the background very well the way that she is leaning on the door. Teyona’s facial expression is sultry and absolutely sells the concept of the photo.
Review Score: ★★★★☆
Allison Harvard – Photoshoot Portfolio Review, America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12, ANTM 2009
May 13, 2009 by vongsundara · 29 Comments
I can’t believe Allison didn’t win. Sure, she had some things to work in compared to Teyona, who is a complete model right now, but Allison overcame so much and grew a lot this season. Also, the fact that Allison basically stomped Teyona in the CoverGirl challenge and final runway shows that she can handle the pressure of being in the spotlight and will continue to grow as a model.
Allison’s face is absolutely magical. It looks like she stepped out of an anime and on to the catwalk. She showed myrid facial expressions from intense to surprised to sexy and even commercial. There’s nothing she can’t do, and there’s no makeup, hair or wardrobe that could overwhelm her exaggerated features.
Allison has to work a bit on her walk and her presence, but I really wish that Tyra had given Allison a chance given that Teyona stumbled at the finish line. Oh well . . . I think it basically came down to Teyona wanting it more. Ever since Cycle 1′s winner, Adrianne Curry, went off the deep end, Tyra has been giving the title to the model who wants it most, often to the chagrin of fans.
Three words Tyra: “Get. Over. It.” Forget about Cycle 1, and give the title to the best model.
Allison Harvard, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 13: America's Next Top Model Is...
Wow, Allison can do commercial too! Allison has been a master chameleon this season, and this week is no exception. I’m not sure I really like the angle of her face in this photo, but Tyra said that there were tons of photos to choose from, so I’ll have to believe her. I would have loved to see the reel from this photoshoot. Still, though, Allison once again looks smoking hot and can really sell product with that wonderful face of hers.
Review Score: ★★★★☆
Allison Harvard, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 12: Take Me To The Jungle
Damn, another five-out-of-five rating for Allison. This may be the best photo of the entire season. It’s not so much a photo as it is a piece of art. I would totally hang this on the wall of my home. The facial expression, the body position, basically everything is exquisite. There’s a bird-like quality that only Allison can infuse in this photo. This is simply magical.
Review Score: ★★★★★
Allison Harvard, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 11: Let's Go See The City
Another week, another stunning photo from Allison. She is really showing that she has more than one look the past couple of weeks. Allison looks absolutely stunning here and is oozing classy sexuality in a 1970s child-of-the-earth sort of way. I love how she’s holding the hairy dude and how he’s staring right back at her.
Review Score: ★★★★☆
Allison Harvard, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 9: The Amazing Model Race
Allison delivers yet again with a flawless photo. Allison’s facial expression has life and energy behind it, and her pose is absolutely endearing. This is one of the best photos of the entire season. There’s nothing I can find wrong with it at all.
Review Score: ★★★★★
Aminat Ayinde – Photoshoot Portfolio Review, America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12, ANTM 2009
May 13, 2009 by vongsundara · 1 Comment
Aminat definitely had the best personality of the season and also one of the best modeling bodies in the world. Aminat definitely has a great future in runway modeling given that her walk is polished and pretty damn hot. I’m not sure she can really do much in print modeling, though. She doesn’t know how to work her body in a photo, and her face is only average for a model. That said, I’m sure there are a lot of designers who would love to have her walking down their runway with her hot body and fierce model stomp.
Aminat Ayinde, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 13: America's Next Top Model Is...
There’s nothing all that wrong with this photo except that it’s just exceptional, which is required for the top three. Aminat’s eyes are a little dead, though I don’t mind her smile.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Aminat Ayinde, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 12: Take Me To The Jungle
Aminat looks like she’s playing a hooker in a horror movie running away from a giant monster bird. That said, she pulls it off well, and for once there’s expression in her face.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Aminat Ayinde, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 11: Let's Go See The City
There’s nothing really inspiring about Aminat in this picture as far as her pose and facial expression goes, but there is no denying Aminat’s body. Even though Aminat’s body is actually even better than it looks in this photo. She’s at least trying to interact a bit with the scene. I like the way her body sways in conjunction with the palm tree behind her.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Aminat Ayinde, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 9: The Amazing Model Race
Ooh, Aminat, I love you and all but this is the worst photo of the week. Aminat is so ridiculously gorgeous and tall, but she just doesn’t understand how to model. Aminat’s pose is horrific, and her facial expression is really boring. It’s too bad because Aminat has an amazing personality. Hopefully she can turn it around next week.
Review Score: ★☆☆☆☆
Danny Gokey – Performance Profile, American Idol 2009 Season 8
May 12, 2009 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment
Danny Gokey performs You Are So Beautiful (Joe Cocker), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 10 (May 12) Top 3: Judge’s Choice / Contestant’s Choice
Danny Gokey performs You Are So Beautiful (Joe Cocker), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 10 (May 12) Top 3: Judge's Choice / Contestant's Choice
Danny Gokey did a good job on this tender song. He even stretched his range at the higher end in a gentle way, which was nice to hear. Overall, it was pleasant, but it wasn’t enough to really capture me emotionally.
Good for Danny for deciding to sit down and not dance during this song. He looks much better on a chair. Danny took off the jacket from the first performance and put on a nice tie.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Danny Gokey performs Dance Little Sister (Terence Trent D’Arby), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 10 (May 12) Top 3: Judge’s Choice / Contestant’s Choice
Danny Gokey performs Dance Little Sister (Terence Trent D'Arby), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 10 (May 12) Top 3: Judge's Choice / Contestant's Choice
Interesting choice of song from Paula Abdul for Danny Gokey. I had never heard this song before, but I like the tempo, and it suited Danny’s voice well. I could have done without the scatting in the middle of the song, though, but that’s just a personal bias.
Danny Gokey’s awful mini-beard has come back again. It’s too bad, because his hair looked really nice and his wardrobe was great too. Danny’s performance was amateur as usual. He can sing, but he should stand still while singing until he has a chance to work on his presentation some more.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Celia Ammerman – Photoshoot Portfolio Review, America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12, ANTM 2009
May 6, 2009 by vongsundara · 5 Comments
Poor Celia, she never had a real shot at winning given that she entered the competition at 25 years of age. She had a solid run, and I’m sure she can take away a lot of good experience, but her future is not in modeling. Even for her advanced age, she photographs old, and there’s nothing inspiring about her face. Hopefully she can find a nice job in the world of fashion.
Celia Ammerman, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 12: Take Me To The Jungle
Celia did her best in this photo, and it came out all right. There’s something about Celia’s face that just does not photograph well at all. She gives strength in this photo, but there’s no real expression on her face except maybe a touch of cluelessness. The body positioning is great, though.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Celia Ammerman, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 11: Let's Go See The City
What a beautifully lit and framed photo. Unfortunately for Celia, she does not come through well in it at all. It’s too bad because the backdrop of extras, trees and buildings is gorgeous. Celia’s pose is awkward, and there is no interaction with the scene at all.
Review Score: ★★☆☆☆
Celia Ammerman, America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 ANTM 2009, Episode 9: The Amazing Model Race
Celia does nice job in this photo. I would have given her a higher mark except that there’s a little life missing from her expression. The red top that Celia is wearing is incredibly vivid and contrasts well with the rest of the photo. Celia does look a little too old in this photo, but it’s not her fault that the judges placed her in a competition that she’s too old to win.
Review Score: ★★★☆☆
Allison Iraheta – Performance Profile, American Idol 2009 Season 8
May 5, 2009 by vongsundara · 1 Comment
Allison Iraheta performs Cry Baby (Janis Joplin), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 9 (May 5) Top 4: Rock Music with mentor Slash
Allison Iraheta performs Cry Baby (Janis Joplin), American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 9 (May 5) Top 4: Rock Music with mentor Slash
Allison Iraheta did a great job with this Janis Joplin classic. The song was a little repetitive, but Allison’s voice shone through really well, and she put in a lot of emotion into every phrase.
Allison Iraheta’s new haircut this week is totally awesome. Adam Lambert’s hair stylist did her job well with Allison. Allison really rocked out the stage this week with her performance. She really does transform once the music starts.
Review Score: ★★★★☆
Allison Iraheta performs Someone To Watch Over Me, American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 8 (April 28) Top 5: Rat Pack Standards with mentor Jamie Foxx
Allison Iraheta performs Someone To Watch Over Me, American Idol 2009 Season 8, Week 8 (April 28) Top 5: Rat Pack Standards with mentor Jamie Foxx
The tone of Allison Iraheta’s voice matched this song perfectly. I really enjoyed listening to her rendition. Unfortunatley, Allison lost the melody a couple of times, which is too bad because this could have been an even better performance than it was.
Allison Iraheta looked nice in her black dress and toned-down hair. Allison’s performance skills are ridiculous for someone of her young age. She may be the most polished performer on the entire show.
Review Score: ★★★½☆
The Improvisation Program, Level B with instructor Cary West at Second City Training Centre, Toronto, Improv Class
May 3, 2009 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment
I’m currently taking Level B improv classes at The Second City Toronto Training Centre with instructor Cary West. I’ll be blogging about my experiences below. This post will be updated after each class (as opposed to me writing a new post each class), so bookmark this page if you want to follow along with my experiences.
DAY SIX – Sunday, May 3, 2009: The Improvisation Program, Level B with instructor Cary West at Second City Training Centre, Toronto, Improv Class
My last day at Level B intensive was a great culmination of everything we learned so far. I skipped out on Saturday’s class due to a personal engagement, but I’m happy I made it back for the finale. Our final day was a lot more relaxed and more a review than anything else. We were able to play some games that I saw at Wheel of Improv, so now I hope to be more comfortable when playing along on Mondays.
In all, I’m super happy that I took the Level B intensive and am now caught up with my Level A class so that I can take Level C with them starting next week. The intensive format is definitely different from the weekly class format, and I think that I enjoy both forms.
As for Level B itself, I feel a lot more comfortable with environment, though it’s still not my strong suit. I’ll have to work at it some more for sure in the later levels, but I’m looking forward to it.
DAY FOUR – Friday, May 1, 2009: The Improvisation Program, Level B with instructor Cary West at Second City Training Centre, Toronto, Improv Class
Today’s class was all about environment. I was really tired and a bit beat down from the week, so I had to really pull from all my energy banks to be able to tackle some of our exercises. I still have a long way to go as far as environment, but at least now I know what exercises I can do on my own to improve.
My favourite exercise involved performing the same action in four, eight and 20 steps. I was given the action of getting ready in the morning. Performing this action in four steps was funny and showed how disconnected we can be as performers when we don’t add in the little touches. Expanding to eight steps felt a bit better and is probably closer to where I’m at right now as a performer. Trying to add up to 20 steps was really difficult for me, as I ran out of things to do. Now, getting ready for the morning in real life obviously takes a lot more than 20 steps, so I’ve just got to concentrate more on the little details.
The ultimate goal is to be able to perform any action in 50 steps. I’m a ways away from doing this, but now I know how to move forward. I will definitely practice on my own.
DAY THREE – Sunday, April 26, 2009: The Improvisation Program, Level B with instructor Cary West at Second City Training Centre, Toronto, Improv Class
I had yet another great day at my Second City improv class. I’m really starting to feel more comfortable working with environment, which has been my biggest weakness by far.
Today’s class was really well structured. We worked on several smaller exercises leading up to a final exercise that used the skills we learned throughout the day. This is the first time I’ve felt this type of progression in an improv class. The fact that we got to use everything we had learned gave me a great sense of accomplish when we were done.
We started out with free association, kind of similar to when stand-up comedians perform stream of consciousness. I had a great time with this exercise, as I do with most thinking and talking exercises. We built on the free association by introducing an environment. Once we were in our environment, we had to continue talking about an unrelated topic while still continuing our activity. I found this incredibly difficult to do, but I’m sure it will get easier with time. My thoughts were much more muted, and I had difficulty remembering what I was saying.
The new techniques we learned for environment were really helpful. Cary West showed us how to sustain an activity that isn’t overly repetitive. After learning this technique, I was able to try using them during our final exercise. Putting free association, environment and adding an extra improvisor, the final exercise really stretched our improv skills. I was given the environment of a clothing store and had to carry out a conversation while shopping. I think I botched the conversation since I was thinking we were still doing free association and thus spoke way too much.
At the end of the day, though, I felt the most comfortable I’ve ever been while doing environment work. Our instructor Cary is really great with giving us helpful tips and suggestions.
DAY TWO – Saturday, April 25, 2009: The Improvisation Program, Level B with instructor Cary West at Second City Training Centre, Toronto, Improv Class
Today I felt a lot more comfortable than yesterday. A lot of the rust came off, and I was definitely more in the moment.
I was really excited because today we worked a lot on environment, which is my weakest skill for sure tied with character (which will be covered more in Level C). We had an exercise where we had to establish an environment, and the audience had to figure out where we were. I decided to establish a wrestling ring. The good part is that I conveyed the environment well enough that the audience guessed correctly. The bad part is that I have a long way to go as far as committing to a scene.
Now, I fully understand that I have skills that need to be worked on, but I shouldn’t have to work on committing, as that’s something I can do right now whether I have the other skills or not. That’s my takeaway from this week is to always commit fully as much as I can. Cary had some great recommendations after the scene about how I can improve by being more in the moment and adding all the extra little details.
The second part of today concentrated on free association and being generous with our fellow performers. Now this is the part of improv where I feel I shine through much more. Any exercises where it’s about using words and nothing more are where I feel at home. I definitely know I can develop more in this area too, but it’s nice to come back to something I’m good at after spending hours working on my weaknesses. It’s a nice confidence builder for sure.
DAY ONE – Friday, April 24, 2009: The Improvisation Program, Level B with instructor Cary West at Second City Training Centre, Toronto, Improv Class
Ooh, today was definitely a little bit rough. Improv is like a skill that you need to keep sharp, and I definitely was not sharp today as it’s been about three months since my Level A class. This isn’t to say that the class didn’t go well; in fact, it was fantastic and I had a lot of fun.
My instructor for this level is Cary West, an experienced improvisor and actor. Well, instead of describing him, I’ll just paste his bio from the Second City website:
“Cary West has been teaching improvisation since 1996 including the Second City Education Department starting in 2001. A long-time graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program, he has also been involved with the Bad Dog Theatre and the Toronto Film College instructing comedy performance and writing. In 2000, Cary was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best New Sketch Troupe with the Closet Primadonnas and has appeared in numerous award winning short films.”
What’s interesting about Cary is that he started out in stand-up comedy for a year, which of course intrigues me since stand-up comedy is my first love as far as performing goes. Cary is very different from my last instructor, Natasha Boomer, though they both are incredible improvisors in their own right. Cary loves telling stories, which I love because it gives insight into the improv world outisde of just learning how to perform.
My new classmates are really cool too. It was a little strange, though, because 80 per cent of the class knew each other from Level A, and I was one of only two people who was new to their group. I wasn’t phased for too long, though, because the group was very welcoming.
The biggest thing I noticed in my first class back was that I was holding back way too much. I tend to be a little too caught up in my thoughts when performing instead of projecting outward. Hopefully I can start to learn a bit more and get better as the course goes on.
Second City Toronto Training Centre Available Improv Courses
http://secondcity.com/?id=training-education/training/toronto/course_descriptions
The Second City Toronto Training Centre
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