It is doubtful that any of the remaining 24 contestants on “American Idol” hope that they will be playing the Teen Angel in a touring production of “Grease” in Milwaukee three years from now.
But that’s what Taylor Hicks, the 2006 American Idol winner, is doing. And it shows that winning the most popular talent competition in the country is no guarantee of superstardom.
Easing that potential pain are the substantial financial rewards promised to winners of “American Idol,” regardless of how many records they sell once the show ends. In the year since he stood under a confetti shower in the Nokia Theater here, Kris Allen, last year’s winner, has earned at least $650,000 from “American Idol,” according to contracts that last season’s contestants signed with the show’s producers during the competition.
That amount reflects the minimum a winner would earn. Including performance fees and merchandising royalties from the “American Idol” tour, as well as other opportunities, winners have never failed to earn less than $1 million in the year or so after the contest, people close to the show say.
It is not just the winner who cashes in; finalists who reach the Top 5 this season are likely to earn close to $100,000 from the show — and three to four times that if the “Idol” producers sign them to a record deal. The Top 12 contestants are guaranteed several thousand dollars for their efforts. And that is before accounting for the Top 10 finalists’ earnings for appearing in the summer’s “American Idol” tour.
So American Idol winner hell would be appearing in a touring production of Grease. As if that's not bad enough, the tour would include a stop in MILWAUKEE, the lowest of the low.
Give me a break.
Do Idol contestants dream of superstardom? I'm sure they do.
Although they haven't all achieved that level of success, it's not like being the star of a touring musical production is anything to be ashamed of. It's a better gig than writing for a dying newspaper.
And what's wrong with playing Milwaukee?
Edward Wyatt of the New York Times is a snob.
I, for one, have always considered the writers for the NYT to be snobs. Plus the touring production of Grease has been on the road since December 2008, Taylor Hicks has appeared on radio and TV stations in each venue, publicity for the play AND Taylor Hicks has been monumental in EACH city, and the money he earns for the 7 minutes he's on stage is fantastic. Plus, Taylor starred in the Grease production on Broadway from June - September 2008 and scored a 12 story billboard with his face prominent as the star if Grease in a major publicity coup on a Broadway highrise -- nothing to sneer at, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteHe may not have sold the most records/CDs but selling the most and being played ad nauseum on the radio seems to be saved for the likes of the Nickleback, LightHouse, GaGa, Jonas Brothers, and Taylor Swift clones and is accompanied by payola to the stations.
I agree, what's the matter with getting a packed opening night in most venues AND in Milwaukee.