All Night Long at Canadian Idol Live!

by Laurel E. Anderson first published in the Kourier Standard Aug. 27/04

When I received an invitation to attend Canadian Idol live in Toronto I couldn’t say no. Why? Not only because it would be a great way to close out my 2004 experience with Idol this past year, but also because the show I was invited to was Lionel Ritchie night. That’s right, I would be in the audience to watch Lionel sing live with the remaining Idol finalists. I couldn’t wait.

So what do you do to prepare to be in the same room as Lionel? Other than surfing the web, singing some old Commodores tunes and watching his daughter on The Simple Life 2, I wasn’t sure. And then I remembered shopping. When in doubt, shop for a new outfit. My girlfriend picked out a great skirt for me, black with lots of colour and a flair at the knee. Then it was off to the Spa for my ‘Lionel’ pedicure. I had it on good authority that Lionel liked red and so with my flirty new skirt and polished toes, I headed to the airport to begin my journey.

It’s now 6:45 p.m. on Thursday evening and I am off to the John Bassett Theatre where Idol happens every week. There is a huge line up to get in while others are milling around holding colourful signs and wearing costumes, t-shirts and face tattoos proclaiming their love for one Idol finalist or another. What a scene! Television cameras, Idol staff and again, tons of fans hoping to get in with last minute rush tickets that are given out on the night of the show.

Having VIP status made my entry smooth and it was kind of funny watching people watching me and knowing that they were wondering who the heck I was since I was skipping the entire queue and entering the building right away. Once inside, the level of excitement and energy was even higher. It was a hubbub of activity everywhere. There were lots of kiosks set up with things to do and buy before the show. Idol finalist trader cards were given out at the door and at one kiosk you could get an idol tattoo and at another one you could get your picture taken as an Idol and of course there was lots of snazzy Idol merchandise for sale.

I met up with my CTV contact, Scott Henderson, and was handed the most sought after ticket in town, a backstage pass that would provide me with access to the green room after the show. I put this magic sticker in my purse, picked up my seat ticket and headed into the theatre. Things only got better when I realized that I would be sitting in the third row on the aisle, right behind judge Jake Gold. This could translate into being seen on television and I decide to reapply lipstick just in case.

It’s almost show time and the producer comes out to remind us that this is live television and in an entertaining fashion, runs through the finer points of audience etiquette required during a live show. And with that, we practice our clapping and wait for the opening of the show.

So here I am, sitting down with my friends Dan and Lynn, trying not to look excited or star struck as the judges are introduced and take their seats right in front of me. At this point, the excitement in the room is at an all time high as the Idol theme song starts and Ben takes the stage. As an audience member, I can’t hear everything Ben is saying to the viewing public at home because of the clapping and noise and so I am somewhat caught off guard when the remaining Idol finalists come out singing a Lionel Ritchie classic, All Night Long (which I have not been able to get out of my head since). I start clapping along and the next thing you know, Lionel is right there, on stage, singing with the finalists. I was quickly on my feet along with everyone as we had a dance fest right there in the theatre.

To say that Lionel took down the house would be an understatement. The judges were grooving right along with the audience and I know that the Idol competitors were living a dream right there on live television. Next, Lionel sang his new single ‘Just For You’ from his newly released cd and before leaving the stage, promised to bring his tour to Toronto after the winter.

The show goes to a commercial break and then it is down to business and Ben has to tell one Idol finalist that they are going home tonight and while heartthrob Kalen Porter is an obvious favourite, no one is really safe until the votes are read. I cross my fingers for my favourite, Theresa Sokyrka, as Ben reads the results. Kaleb Simmonds comes up short in the votes and is sent home. He is graceful in his exit and leads the show out with a final song.

The show finishes and we mingle a bit with some of the production staff on our way to the backstage area. With our passes on our shirts, no one stops us as we pass by Lionel’s dressing room (which is the closest I get to him as he left right after his performance) on our way to the ‘after show’ room. Left to mingle, we grab drinks and snacks from the well-stocked table and find a good spot to mingle and observe at the same time. Ben Mulroney pops in with his younger brother, judge Zack Werner pops in and out like the energizer bunny, Jake Gold brings his wife in for a drink, Farley makes a short appearance and Lionel’s back up singers spend quite a bit of time in the room and when we head out, they are still there having a good time.

On the way back to a friend’s house, I can’t help but think what a great night this has been. Seeing the Idol finalists, who started this journey as young hopefuls at an audition, singing and dancing on a professional stage with an icon like Lionel Ritchie, was awesome. And as we break out the chips and dip and settle down in front of the TV to watch the show on tape, I don’t think that the Idol finalists are the only ones that had a dream come true tonight!

Laurel is a writer living in Kanata. She worked on the Canadian Idol 2 auditions in Ottawa earlier this year and has been writing regular Idol dispatches for the Kourier throughout the competition.

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