I think I get it now.

When one Lakewood Idol hopeful sang a song I recognized from “High School Musical,” I realized, a ha!

Basically, maybe this whole Idol thing is all about corrective emotional experience-making for high school performers who never got that lead role in the musical, or never got that choir solo.  Maybe they’re re-living their glory days much like the high school football jock becomes a coach so he can push his team to victory.

Or something.

I don’t know, it’s just a theory.

See, while I’m ashamed to admit I know about things like “High School Musical” songs (I’ll tank the Disney Channel’s non-commercials in the middle of programming, for that) I “missed” the whole American Idol phenomenon.  Maybe it’s Simon and his nastiness or Paula and her subsequent syrupy sweet.  Maybe it’s the general distaste I have for people willing to humiliate themselves nationally.  Maybe it’s the music: one can handle only so many “cover” versions of songs one never cared about in the first place, done with that appalling lack of regard to singing a clear note.

What’s with that? Why do people feel the need to over-perform the songs, Broadway-ing out their vibrato to earsplitting range, then drawing their final notes into some kind of hip-hoperatic mythical proportions?

Call me bitter because my own singing talents are negligible, or call me an orchestra geek; for whatever reason, I just don’t generally care much for the “Idol” stuff.

So there I was, last night, at the Lakewood Town Hall, watching, amused, as couples shuffled in and out looking to get hitched.  So there I was, listening to singers as they stood, occasionally girlishly at the mic, mumbling their names and ages unintelligibly, occasionally nervously giggling prior to pouring their hearts, souls, and “I can sing”-ness into the space.

There were a few guys â€" three? Four? Ranging from, I think, 11 to over 50-something, but mostly there were girls, singing a range of hip-hop, R & B, gospel, Christian, country, and show tunes, with one notable and appreciated selection of a Lisa Loeb song, a bit discredited when the singer, a formal Tacoma Idol hopeful finished up saying, “oh well, I messed up.”

And then there was another singer, a young gal rumored to either have won Tacoma Idol or Tacoma Jr. Idol last year.  “I guess you can only compete in Tacoma Idol once?” was the speculation.

In the end, I think it was probably the first singer, Antonia Darlene, who will take the Lakewood Idol title when she competes against the top eight finalists from last night’s field of 20 (that was the count as of 6 p.m., at which point the singers present had all performed: the doors would remain open to other comers until 7.)

The Lakewood Idol Finals will happen at American Lake Park at 6:30 on July 24, where the $500 check and chance to compete against the other city “Idols” â€" including Tacoma â€" at the Puyallup fair will be awarded.

One of the judges, Brenda Leach of Countrywide Mortgage, also happened to represent the company that donated $250 of that check (the additional $250 came from Kelly Norman of Windermere Real Estate.)

The other judges, Roger Laibourne, a musician, and Dr Ben Keller, Lakes High School Choir director, were making the “winner” decision after the event, and contacting the winner at home.
When I find out, I’ll share, since I know you’ll be dying to know. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler