AMERICAN IDOL - JUST A POPULARITY CONTEST

I am done with American Idol. It is nothing but a popularity contest. Doesn't matter who the best singers are or who has the most star potential. First Michael Johns was sent home before much less talented contestants and tonight, Carly Smithson went home. Carly is one of the top 3 best singers/performers in the competition.

The fact that Jason Castro and Brooke White stayed and Carly went home....so dumb, America!

I'm over it.

TRANSAMERICAN LOVE STORY: SHAWN GETS THE LOVE

Calpernia finally chose her man and the winner was Shawn! Thank God she picked the tallest guy. She's a tree! Dumb Mike and tranny Jim went sadly home...shocked that Callie did not pick them. I think she made the smartest choice left to her. Let's see if it lasts and if Logo continues the series with another bachelor or bachelorette.

AMERICAN IDOL: KRISTY LEE COOK....BYE!

Finally!! Ok....so maybe she wasn't that bad. Nevertheless, I am glad she went home over anyone else. But don't feel too bad for home girl. She is going to be fine. She will have a solid career in country music. Look at Kellie Pickler who just won three CMT awards this week. Now, I have met Kellie and she is as much of a doll as she seems on TV, and Kristy seems like a little snot, but I do think she will be successful.

David Cook, has emerged as the clear front-runner. I think he would be able to pull more votes than even little David Archuleta. And finally, Carly was not in the bottom three. American finally got it right last night!

THE RUINS: THE MOVIE OR THE BOOK?

I would have to say, hands down, the book. It was a fun summer read - suspenseful, chilling, dark - but the movie failed to launch. It was not suspenseful at all. It was just gross. The actors were fine enough, the writing was okay (written by the book's author, Scott Smith), they just went for the gore versus the spine tingling suspense of the book.

They also changed quite a bit. The stuff that happened to Greek guy in the book, happened to the German guy in the movie, the ending was significantly different, etc, etc. Too bad....could have been a great movie....I think they were just trying to get the young 'uns in the seats.

My grade: The Book: B+, The Movie: C-

AMERICAN IDOL GETS INSPIRED...SOMEWHAT

It seems the "inspirational theme" week is always one of the weakest each season of AI. Last night was no exception. My two favorites, Carly and David Cook were unfortunately, probably the two weakest performances of the night. I hate to admit it, but Kristy Lee Cook did a decent job of Martina McBride's Anyway. Hey maybe she deserves to be there. I give up.

Syesha made the same mistake she did last week, thinking she could pull off a memorable cover of a diva's signature song...and an AI diva at that. Her version of Fantasia's, I Believe, was sung ok, but you can't help but compare it to Fantasia's gut wrenching original version.

I agreed with Simon in his critique of Michael Johns. He stands out more when he is doing more bluesy stuff, like he did last week with the Dolly song. His rocker persona does come off a little like a wannabe.

Brooke was boring. David A. was sweet. And Jason Castro made a great song/arrangement choice with Iz's magical version of Over The Rainbow. The arrangement suited him perfectly and I think the fact that the mainstream public is not familiar with the original Iz version, makes Jason stronger and seem more creative than it actually was. However, his was the best performance of the night.

If you want to her the original version by the late Hawaiian singer Iz, click here.

BROADWAY: WICKED

Wicked should have been titled, Fabulous! The show definitely lives up to the hype and is one best shows I have ever seen on Broadway. The set was amazing. The costumes were amazing. The music was amazing. The performances were amazing. Did I say it was amazing? The LOML had read Gregory McGuire's book on which the musical is based, and he said the show was very different from the book, but that he loved the show.

Knowing that broadway greats Kristen Chenoworth and Idina Menzel originated the leading roles of Elphaba and Glinda, of course I was worried that the actresses in those roles now would not live up to my fantasy of what Kristin and Idina did in the roles. Idina Menzel won a Tony Award for her performance as Elphaba.

I was not at all disappointed with the current leading ladies. Annaleigh Ashford was adorable and hilarious as Glinda (with a "ga"), and Stephanie J. Block seemed born to play Elphaba.

Of course, every little gay boy and girl in the world is going to identify with the character of Elphaba...okay maybe some little gay boys identify more with flitty Glinda.

The rest of the cast was great, except for the guy playing Fiero...he was just "okay".

My favorite moment of the show is when Elphaba has had it up to you know where with everybody and pissed that they done dropped a house on her little crippled sister and she starts singing Defying Gravity and then physically does.

It was incredible. A+A+A+

BROADWAY REVIEWS TO COME

The LOML and I just got back from NYC yesterday and we saw three great shows while we were there. WICKED, GYPSY and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. It is too late to write the reviews tonight because I have to get back into my book....Mademoiselle Boleyn (I know...so gay), before I go to sleep. It is the story of Anne Boleyn's youth spent in service of the French court. Check it out below in my Amazon box. Fascinating!