2C
ENTERTAINMENT
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NATIONAL
MONDAY, AUGUST 17,2009
Victoria Beckham steps in for Abdul at 'Idol' callbacks
BY CHARLES PULLIAM
Associated Press
DENVER — There was no Paula,
but there was a Posh.
Victoria Beckham was on hand Friday for the first round of "American Idol" auditions in the post-Paula Abdul era. The former Spice Girl arrived at a downtown Denver hotel where call-back auditions were being held as scores of onlookers crowded against rope barriers, many snapping photos.
Fox, which airs the popular singing show, said Beckham and Katy Perry would be guest judges in Abdul's place. But it wasn't immediately clear whether Beckham did any judging Friday, and "Idol" spokeswoman Alex Gillespie declined to say what her role was. Perry was nowhere to be seen.
Judge Kara DioGuardi arrived in a limo wearing a black dress, telling local Fox affiliate KDVR that she was wearing black to mourn Abdul's absence. DioGuardi called Abdul her mentor and the heart of the show.
"She was very kind, she showed me the ropes, so I have to give her the props for that," DioGuardi said. "I hope she is happy and I hope she reconsiders."
Abdul announced last week she was leaving "Idol" after eight seasons. She would not discuss details about her "Idol" exit Aug. 6 in a phone interview, nor would she address whether the door was still open for a return.
Host Ryan Seacrest told KDVR that it was different going to a show without Abdul. Simon Cowell said she "was like my best buddy" on the show.
"Me and Ryan and Simon and her started this journey together," Randy Jackson said. "I couldn't believe she's not here."
Lilly Scott, a contestant at the Denver auditions, told KDVR that the show was "kind of lame" without Abdul. "I was really excited, but three is still good," she said.
Beckham and Seacrest were the first to arrive at the Denver hotel Friday. Seacrest chatted with fans and posed for pictures. He grabbed the cell phone of a woman who was
taking video of him, aimed at her for a few seconds, then shook her hand and returned the phone.
Jackson and Cowell arrived last, and the crowd grew boisterous; some chanting "We love you Simon!"
Wearing his trademark white shirt and aviator sunglasses, Cowell ioked with fans and shook hands.
"Why don't you call me anymore?" he teased one woman. "I thought we were friends."
One fan shouted, "I love how mean you are."
"Good," Simon replied. "T'll be mean today."
Melinda Doolittle, an "Idol" fan favorite who finished third in the show's sixth season, said on her blog Friday that Abdul's departure made her "incredibly sad."
Each judge has a role, Doolittle wrote, "But Paula ... sweet Paula, is the heart ... the artist ... the mama ... the one who understands what you're going through and empathes with you."
Victoria Beckham greets fans as she arrives at a hotel in Denver, Colo., on Aug. 7 for a guest judging appearance on a call back audition for the American Idol show.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Royal Opera House turns to Twitter users for new opera concept
INTERNATIONAL
BY GREGORY KATZ Associated Press
LONDON — It probably won't be "Madame Butterfly," but it should be fun.
In an effort to get more people involved with opera, which sometimes suffers from an elitist, highbrow reputation. London's world-famous Royal Opera House is turning away — temporarily — from classic talents like Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini and giving the composer's pen to ... just about anybody.
All you need to contribute is a computer or a mobile phone and an account on Twitter, the popular micro-blogging site that is open to all.
It's a very democratic approach — the plot will be worked out by twitterers contributing one line at a time, then put to music by professionals — but some harbor doubts about the quality of the work that will be performed in September.
"It's a gimmick, but not a malign
gimmick” London music critic Norman Lebrecht said. “I wouldn't put too high hopes on it. It won't produce great opera.”
He said the use of Internet technology to concoct a collective work of art is not new — but that success stories have been very rare.
Royal Opera House officials claim it will be the world's first "online opera story." Fans are contributing to the libretto line by line, their imaginations limited only by the Twitter format, which allows a maximum of 140 characters to be posted at a time.
Alison Duthe, director of ROH2, the Royal Opera House's contemporary program, said the use of Twitter is part of a wider effort to get more people interested in the art form.
"We wanted to engage with audiences in the creation of an opera," she said. "We felt it would be a good way to be interactive with the public and with audiences. We wanted to explore how to get people involved at a creative level."
The plot that is taking shape is
surreal and, at the same time, very dramatic, she said.
"At the end of act 1, scene 1, our hero had been kidnapped by a flock of birds and is in a tower awaiting rescue." Duthie said. "That feels extremely operatic, people are really getting into the story line."
There is also a talking cat.
More than 350 people have contributed so far, with more signing on every day as word of the unusual project spreads.
"It's the whole social networking thing," said Stuart Rutherford, a contributor. "Everybody wants to be involved in something together, even if it's in a small way. Hundreds of people will get involved and it's great to be able to say you took part."
Then, several singers will be chosen and the resulting "mini-operas" will be performed during a Royal Opera House festival in September.
Once the hundreds of amateur authors have sent in their input, known as tweets, the work will be shaped by professionals, including a director and two composers, Helen Porter and Mark Teiplier.
Neil Fisher, classical music editor of The Times newspaper, said he is slightly cynical about the project because it seems to be a way for the Royal Opera House to get "some easy publicity" before the start of the new season.
People walk by the Royal Opera House in central London Tuesday. The Royal Opera House said it hoped to perform excerpts of an opera now being composed on the Web by Twitter users. The results will be put to music and performed to an audience next month.
He said the use of Twitter could help make opera more popular with young people.
But he conceded it could be effective at a time when elitism and high ticket prices are dampening enthusiasm for opera.
archaic," he said.
"If it gets people into opera who wouldn't otherwise have had the chance, that's great," he said.
"The Royal Opera House is saying We understand, we're not
By Dave Green
8/11
Difficulty Level ★★
Conceptis Sudoku
Check for answers on 9C
8-11 CRYPTOQUIP
M HFQHTY YGWY BGHX
WTYCHEE GWBX VCJHCE W
IWNHK, EGH BWXYE MY YV IH
YVOOHJ BMYG NVKJMH KVF.
Check for answers on 9C
Today's Cryptoquip Clue: M equals 1
ACROSS
1 Send forth
5 Radio watchdog org.
8 Tarzan's mate
12 Exposed
13 Blunder
14 Reed instrument
15 Shiner
17 Get better
18 Smack
19 Carelessness?
21 Alley "oops"?
24 Fed
25 Great Lake
26 Haughty sort
30 In medias —
31 Audit, perhaps
32 Literary collection
33 Decorative cutout
35 Eccentricity
36 "We'll tak' — o' kindness yet"
37 Tennessee county
38 Palin's bailiwick
41 Awful
42 Society newbies
43 Yuletide refrain words
48 Sandwich shop
49 Poolroom stick
50 Con
51 Terrier type
52 Shrill bark
53 — moss
Solution time: 21 mins.
Check for answers on 9C
DOWN
1 Recede
2 — de mer
3 Playwright Levin
4 Computer fixer
5 Yard portions
6 Weep
7 Slapstick missile
8 One of the Bachs
9 Help a crook
10 Ark builder
11 Slithery
16 Tool set
20 Analgesic target
21 Anti-toxins
22 Get ready
23 Sylvester's impediment
24 Rose
26 Spiciness
27 Prison
28 Hathaway or Heche
29 Tibetan herd
31 Ailing
34 Dog of film and TV
35 Abduct
37 Cowboy's sweetie
38 Tosses in
39 Onionlike vegetable
40 With skill
41 Gridlock sound
44 Overseas agreement?
45 Inseparable
46 Greek vowel
47 Torched
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 | | | | 13 | | | 14 | | |
15 | | | 16 | | | 17 | | |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
21 22 23 18 | | | | 24 | | | | |
25 | | | | 26 | | | | 27 28 29
30 | | | 31 | | | | 32 |
33 | | | 34 | | | | 35 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | 36 | | | 37 | | |
38 39 40 | | | | 41 | | | |
42 | | | | 43 44 | | | 45 46 47
48 | | | | 49 | | 50 |
51 | | | | 52 | | 53 | | |