Diana DeGarmo in West Side Story

ooh, please let us know b/c i love diana and i think shell do great!

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hahaha, just focus on the positives if that happens

nah, i just wanna hear how she acts maria, as well as how she sings. heres hoping she does amazing and you dont have to lie at all

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LOL! Glad the comment didn't blow up in my face I always try to look on the bright side of a performance. Even when poor Dorothy kept running off stage to grab Toto! The moment I get home I will write the review. The show is playing in San Jose, CA.

Is this the production that hired Loretta Swit to play Anita but fired her because she looked "too Polish"?

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I don't have any broadway musical tickets at the moment so I need to get a musical fix somehow.

I hope they film this train wreck!

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Wow, good to hear :)

Since you have to subscribe to read the article I figured I'd post a link to subscribe and just cut and paste. If that's not allowed just let me know and I'll edit.

Posted on Tue, Nov. 01, 2005


We just met a girl named DeGarmo

SPIRITED EX-`AMERICAN IDOL' STAR COMES TO S.J. TO PLAY MARIA IN `WEST SIDE STORY'

By Karen D'Souza

Mercury News

She seems charming. Oh, so charming. It's alarming how charming Diana DeGarmo can be. Even in a rushed phone interview between hopping out of the shower and heading to rehearsals at the American Musical Theatre of San Jose, the ``American Idol' runner-up turned almost-it girl comes across as pretty and witty and bright. And not just because she's starring as Maria in the musical classic ``West Side Story.'
Ever wonder if there's life after ``American Idol'? If you're this up-and-coming pop-rock princess, you better believe it! The baby-faced 18-year-old diva has been working her whole life for this moment in the celebrity sun (seriously, she started performing at age 5 and cut her teeth in a Dollywood show), and she's not going to let a little thing like Fantasia taking first place kick her career to the curb. Oh, no she isn't.
Indeed, right about now DeGarmo is sitting (as well as feeling) pretty: Her single ``Dreams' lit up the Billboard charts, she caught a lot of the buzz on the Idols concert tour and now she's taking center stage at AMT. This is one busy ``Idol' alum, but she made time for a quick chat on theater vs. pop music, how to deal with the fans, the trade-offs of fame and, oh yeah, whom she plans to marry. You know you want to go there.
Q So what attracted you to ``West Side Story'?
A I really grew up watching the movie. I've seen it a million times and loved it every time. It was just one of those things where they were like ``Do you want to audition?' and I was like ``OK, sure.' The cool thing is all my family lives out in San Jose, my mother and all her family.
Q Does that totally make you more nervous, knowing that your mom is in the audience, than being on ``American Idol' with millions of people watching?
A Sometimes it is a little harder to perform in front of family, but the good thing is they'll support you no matter how bad you are.
Q What do you like most about musical theater?
A In the music industry, you know, everything is really chaotic and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. You never know where you're going to be or what day it is, and in theater it's very regimented and controlled.
Q How did you get your start in the business?
A I've been singing since I was about 5, and everything just snowballed from doing karaoke and such. The next thing I knew, I dug my heels into it. In middle school, I started taking it more seriously and thinking about whether I wanted to record or something like that.
Q Ummm, how do get to that point of maturity in middle school? Most people are still playing hopscotch.
A I don't know. It just came natural for me. I always enjoyed singing, and it was just the next step. And my mom's been supportive since Day One.
Q Wow. So how did get onto ``American Idol?'
A I was like, ``You know what, I really want to take my career to the next level,' and I thought, ``What would be better than having 30 million know your name?'
Q Well, that worked out.
A Exactly.
Q How would you describe the ``Idol' experience?
A Interesting, crazy, wild. It was a life-changing experience that has changed me for the good. I really learned so much.
Q And what do you think makes ``Idol' so popular?
A You really get to see somebody develop. The thing ``American Idol' has always been very focused on is the background of each contestant, and you really get to think you know the person, where they're from, how big their hometown is, what their family looks like.
Q So do your fans know who the real Diana is?
A I have tons of people say that they do, and it's always cool because it gives your fans a deeper connection with you.
Q Do you think there's ever a downside to celebrity?
A I'm comfortable with people knowing who I am. I haven't had a problem with that yet, but I have to say I have been very lucky to have incredible fans who are so dedicated and so much fun. They come all around the country to see me perform, and I have many coming to see ``West Side.' They are just so excited for me, which is nice. You have your family to support you, but there's a whole other group of people that don't really know you that support you.
Q Huh. So how come big stars are always complaining about being famous?
A Because no matter who you are, you're human too. We have our moments where we want to just sit and not talk to anybody, but luckily I'm a very social person and I'm OK with that. You have to realize that once you decide to go into this profession, that's what you're going to get. But I feel very blessed for what has been given to me.
Q Does that mean you're cool with post-show autograph-seekers?
A If they're out there, I'll sign them. . . . That's what lets me know that people still care about me. It's nice. . . . I think you need to worry when the day comes where they don't want to ask for your autograph.
Q Are other performers ever jealous that you got so famous so fast?
A It is a little bit harder. Because you were on ``American Idol,' you have to prove yourself to the music industry. So many people have to go through their sweat, blood and tears to get a record deal. But we did the same thing, just a little different. We worked just as hard as they did.
Q I hear you're a big NASCAR fan on the side. What do you like about it?
A I am a huge NASCAR fan, huge. It's something I've grown up loving. It's just the whole driving-fast thing. I mean I have a fast car. I am a speed demon. And eventually I'm going to marry a NASCAR driver. I know it.
Q Girl, are you joking or are you serious?
A I don't know if I'm serious or if I'm joking. I hope I'm serious. They're great people that work for NASCAR. All the drivers I've met, from Jeff Gordon to Kasey Kahne to Kurt Busch, all of them are really, really nice.
Q And what kind of car do you drive?
A I have a Ford Mustang. Ford was very generous to give me a Mustang, so it's pink and black and it's my baby.
Q That sounds like the cutest thing.
A It's one of a kind. It was a black car, and when I told them I wanted to put pink Shelby racing stripes on it, the person at the Ford dealership was like ``Are you crazy?' but once it was done, they all loved it. Definitely, it's a hot rod for me.
Q So is there a particular driver you're got your eye on now?
A Oh, Kasey Kahne. Kasey Kahne and I are going to get married. He just doesn't know it.
`West Side Story'
Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Where: American Musical Theatre of San Jose, Center for Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Through: Nov. 13
Tickets: $46-$73; (40 453-7108 or www.amtsj.org



San Jose Mercury News

Updated On: 11/2/05 at 03:09 AM

The show defied my expectations! The set was perfect!!! There was no curtain the lights went down then all of a sudden the Jets appeared! That was cool.
Aaron Ramey has a voice that made me go week in the knees. His acting was great. I wish I had gotten the chance to see him play the Beast!! The sparks between Maria and Tony practically lit up the stage.
Diana can be funny and turn on a dime for a dramatic moment! At the end she truly seemed to be crying as Tony died! The last few moments of the show you could hear a pin drop in that theatre!! It broke my heart yet I really really want to see it again!!!
I do have one tiny complaint! The accents were really hard to understand. Many of the actors you had a bit of trouble making out what they were saying. Other than that it was a fantastic night of theatre!
Hopefully quite a few people will discover this show in San Jose.

what's the links for the pictures?

I talked to a friend who attended opening night and he raved about the entire production -from the sets to Joann Hunter to Aaron Ramey's chest to, yes, Diana DeGarmo as "Maria." Diana pulled off the very difficult role impressively. If this kid is this good in her first role, a difficult one vocally at that, how good is she going to be in 2 or 3 years? The audience comments as people were filing out were evidently very pro-Diana and very positive about the whole show.
Color me surprised, pleasantly surprised.

thanks MrMIdwest, guess i just looked over that link. Yeah, the set does look cool.