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The Inside Edge with Sarah and Drew
American Idol's Adam Lambert's ties to figure skating
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| American Idol's Adam Lambert (left) with friend Terrance Spencer (middle) and skater Nicholas LaRoche (right) in L.A. recently. (courtesy of Nicholas Laroche) |
By Sarah S. Brannen and Drew Meekins, special to icenetwork.com
(05/27/2009) - icenetwork.com's intrepid reporters Sarah S. Brannen and Drew Meekins spend some time talking about American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert's ties to the figure skating universe, gelato and a Skating Club of Boston outing to Milan.
Wicked Adam
We were glued to the finale of American Idol, along with the rest of the country and most of the skating world. As it happens, Drew met runner-up Adam Lambert in Los Angeles last year; Adam and Drew are both friends with retired skater Nicholas LaRoche. We got the whole story from Nick this week. "I met Adam when he was performing in Wicked with my partner Eric," Nick told us. "He was in the ensemble, and he was also the understudy for Fiyero [the prince]. Eric was also in the ensemble." Wicked ran at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood for two years, and Nick, Eric and Adam became good friends. In the 2007-08 season, Nick was looking for music for a new exhibition program. "I heard the song 'I Just Love You' by Five for Fighting on the radio, but didn't necessarily like the arrangement of it," he said. "I teamed up with Adam and the music conductor from Wicked, Brian Perry, who played the piano. We went into a private studio and recorded it. They only did the song three full times; it was amazing. Adam was thrilled when I asked him to record the song and it was so much fun to stand in the recording studio with the headphones on and listen to his wide range. I heard the 'belts and screams' first-hand. It was incredible!" Nick has performed the program twice, and Adam came to one of the shows to see it. "After seeing the performance, he couldn't thank me enough for giving him the opportunity to do this," said Nick.
We were glued to the finale of American Idol, along with the rest of the country and most of the skating world. As it happens, Drew met runner-up Adam Lambert in Los Angeles last year; Adam and Drew are both friends with retired skater Nicholas LaRoche. We got the whole story from Nick this week. "I met Adam when he was performing in Wicked with my partner Eric," Nick told us. "He was in the ensemble, and he was also the understudy for Fiyero [the prince]. Eric was also in the ensemble." Wicked ran at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood for two years, and Nick, Eric and Adam became good friends. In the 2007-08 season, Nick was looking for music for a new exhibition program. "I heard the song 'I Just Love You' by Five for Fighting on the radio, but didn't necessarily like the arrangement of it," he said. "I teamed up with Adam and the music conductor from Wicked, Brian Perry, who played the piano. We went into a private studio and recorded it. They only did the song three full times; it was amazing. Adam was thrilled when I asked him to record the song and it was so much fun to stand in the recording studio with the headphones on and listen to his wide range. I heard the 'belts and screams' first-hand. It was incredible!" Nick has performed the program twice, and Adam came to one of the shows to see it. "After seeing the performance, he couldn't thank me enough for giving him the opportunity to do this," said Nick.
So what is the glam rocker like in person?
"He is great -- very humble," said Nick. "I watched him do endless performances here in L.A., all for charities and benefits."
Nick watched every episode of American Idol, of course.
"It was odd to see him without his fun makeup on and the glam look he
carries," said Nick. "When he would come out each week and be so
conservative, it was weird. I'm used to seeing him in the glam stage
like he was in the finale, when he had the crystals around his eyes,
extravagant clothing, and belting those high notes that you would never
think would come out of his mouth."
Because Nick is in Los Angeles, he couldn't wait until the show aired to
find out what happened. He had a cousin on the East Coast text him the
final result.
"When my cousin told me Kris has won, my initial reaction was 'I will NEVER watch Idol again!' Then I headed off to the gym," joked Nick.
"I don't know how this whole Idol thing works but I know Adam
will be huge, and probably more so now than if he had won. I'm honored
to have gotten to not only work with him on this exhibition piece, but
to have seen him perform so many times."
Apart from the Idol excitement, Nick is busy coaching at the
Toyota Sports Center in L.A., and getting ready to skate in a Los
Angeles Ice Theater benefit show on June 12 in Burbank, Calif. Yes,
he'll be performing to his exclusive, Adam Lambert version of "I Just
Love You."
Nick is also working hard on the new foundation he and his sister Tricia
have started, the U.S. Athletic Foundation. They are putting together a
skating benefit show, An Evening on Ice, which will take place on September 19 in Ontario, Calif. There is more information on the foundation Web site,
and we'll be reporting further about the show this summer. All proceeds
from the show will go to the foundation on behalf of Nick and Tricia's
mother, Bunny, who was murdered in July 2008.
NICK SKATING TO 'I JUST LOVE YOU' VIDEO BY madamimadam lambert
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