Chapter Text
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EROS ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA
PRESENTS
SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – During a press conference today at their home studios in Hollywood, Eros Entertainment Media announced their newest venture into the television singing competition genre with SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX. Unlike other country-specific singing competition shows, SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX will feature the finest undiscovered talent from across the globe, culled from an extensive audition process in several countries that is sure to bring the cream of the crop of the unsigned singing world along with a diverse offering of many different styles and cultures to make this the most unique offering in the genre in recent memory.
Auditions will be held over the summer months at several locations in Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States; auditions can also be submitted online via the SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX official website. Further audition rounds before the show's producers will continue to narrow the field down to the top 300 in each of the main audition locations and from online. Those auditioners will then be seen by the final panel of judges composed of industry legends that are responsible for millions of albums, singles and downloads over the span of their careers. From there, those hand-picked contestants that are sent through by the panel will be whisked off to Eros Entertainment's Hollywood studios for a week-long “industry boot camp” where one note can mean moving forward to the goal of the live shows, or the end of the journey.
The ultimate winner will be chosen from the final 12 contestants who make it to the live shows, to be broadcast from Eros Studios in Hollywood. Viewers from around the globe will be able to support and vote for their favorite contestants via simultaneous worldwide live-streaming of every episode and voting via the official SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX mobile app, which will be available for both iOS and Android upon its release in the coming weeks. The show's official website message boards and social media pages have been flooded with excited viewers who are already following along for news on the continuing auditions.
Eros Entertainment was able to secure the best of the best for the SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX judging panel and mentoring staff after an exhaustive negotiation process:
Yakov Feltsman – Chairman and CEO of Agape Records, the biggest-selling label on the planet responsible for the careers of many of the world's most elite stars. Mr. Feltsman's extensive knowledge of the industry and his years as head of A & R for the label before his promotion to CEO make him an indispensable part of the judging panel. Mr. Feltsman is perhaps best known for bringing international pop sensation Minako Okukawa onto the world stage, and his aforementioned A & R skills were single-handedly responsible for her worldwide success.
Celestino Cialdini – Mr. Cialdini was the frontman for one of the biggest rock bands of the 1990s, the heavy-metal band Iceheart. With four multi-platinum albums while a member of the legendary group and two more as a solo artist, his inside knowledge and experience as a working musician is certain to be of great value in grooming the contestants for stardom. Iceheart is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity after a reunion tour and album introduced them to a new generation of fans, and they are very active on the European summer rock festival circuit.
Minako Okukawa – A singing and dancing powerhouse and one of the most famous crossover pop acts to ever come out of Japan after being brought onto the world stage by Mr. Feltsman, Ms. Okukawa has the multiple gold and platinum certifications, music and video awards to more than qualify her for the judging panel. Not only is she a pioneer in the music industry, she has also written, produced, directed and starred in a rock opera based on her life that has just entered its 87th consecutive week on Broadway with no signs of slowing down. A heavy-hitter in the dance world, she is responsible for some of the most iconic music video choreography of the last decade since her retirement from performing and touring her own material.
Other members of the star-powered team include:
Lilia Baranovskaya – Legendary Russian Opera Prima Donna turned voice coach extraordinaire and head of Agape Records' Artist Development department, her expertise is responsible for keeping some of the biggest voices in the world producing some of the most iconic music of our generation. She has pioneered techniques for several types of singing that have revolutionized the art form.
Georgi Popovich – World-renowned fashion designer and stylist, Mr. Popovich has created some of the most iconic looks in the music world for the best of the best in the industry. His spring/summer collection was the talk of every fashion week from New York to Paris and Milan this past fall, and his impeccable taste will be instrumental in making over the contestants for that added bit of star power.
Emil Nekola joins the team as behind the scenes mentor and dance coach. After entering the pop world as a founding member and lead voice of the boy band Anastasis, Mr. Nekola was heavily responsible for the group's success both in their home country of the Czech Republic as well as their international success. With five multi-platinum albums while a member of Anastasis and two more platinum discs as a solo artist, at the young age of 18 Mr. Nekola is already an industry veteran with the most up-to-date inside knowledge of the current generation's superstars.
With its powerhouse team in place and, in the words of Mr. Cialdini , “some of the most ridiculous talent anyone has ever seen” being discovered via the audition process, SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX promises to be the event of the fall television season.
SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX will be hosted and executive-produced by multi-talented media mogul Hisashi Morooka. The show's theme song, “You Only Live Once” which was hand-picked by Mr. Morooka, is already on the top of the charts in more than 20 countries in anticipation of this stellar event.
12 WEEKS LATER
Roll intro... going live in 5...4...3...2...1!
Morooka: It's the biggest talent search ever undertaken by any competition show. Ten countries, a half-million auditions in stadiums filled with hopefuls from around the world, from every culture and in every musical genre. Our crew has had the difficult task of narrowing it down to the lucky 300 in each city that get to perform for our esteemed panel of judges, made up of some of the most famous faces in the music industry. Will one of the faces you see tonight be our winner? Let's find out! THIS... is SUPERSTAR GRAND PRIX!!
Judges' Round Auditions, Week One – Rome, Italy (Day One)
Celestino Cialdini had never met either of his fellow judges or Hisashi Morooka, but regardless he was looking forward to it. It had been a long time since he'd been on television in any way, shape or form, and was most definitely enjoying the attention this whole talent show thing was bringing to himself and his band, Iceheart. Their reunion album had done quite well in their native US, but his hiring as a judge for Superstar Grand Prix had alerted the world to the fact that his band, with its original lineup, still existed. Between his salary for this “sellout” gig (at this stage of his career, was it even possible to sell out?) and the payouts for all the festival gigs Iceheart had lined up, life was looking up for this supposedly has-been, washed-up metal rocker.
He was just about to sit down when a gorgeous Japanese woman who most certainly moved like a dancer walked into the room. Celestino – Ciao Ciao to his bandmates and anyone else he was friendly with – was really feeling underdressed in his ripped jeans, burgundy button down shirt and cowboy boots, his hair hastily pulled into a ponytail when he managed to oversleep that morning. The woman walked in wearing a stylish, form-fitting blazer over a black bejeweled corset, painted-on jeans and knee-high stiletto boots. She tossed her highlighted hair over one shoulder with a smile as she walked over to the judges' table.
“Ah, Celestino. It's lovely to finally meet you, I've been a big fan for years,” she grinned, shaking his hand warmly. “I'm Minako.”
“The admiration's mutual, I must admit,” Celestino said with a grin, causing the woman to blush as he gallantly kissed her hand. “We may have run in different musical circles, but I'm sure we both have some stories in common.”
Minako sat down at the table, opening her bottle of water; in the corner, the makeup artist was already fussing before she even put it to her carefully-painted lips. “Who doesn't have war stories about the 90s?” she laughed. “We'll have to reminisce over dinner later. But considering you are all about the sex, drugs and rock and roll life, I'm sure you've got much more to tell.”
“Hey now! I took a cue from my idol Gene Simmons. I never touched any of that stuff. Besides, I needed to remember who I woke up with every morning.” Minako was about to smack him with the water bottle when she turned and caught the mischievous glint in Celestino's eye. Instead, she gave his shoulder a playful swat.
“You're a pompous ass. I like you,” she grinned.
Celestino was just about to respond as a much older, sour-faced man entered the room; the makeup artist was about to pause him to give his face a dusting but shrank back from the man's scowl as he walked over to the judges' table.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Minako said with an amused huff. “Jet lag giving you hell?”
The man sat down with a heavy thud into his chair. “I'm too old for this shit. I should have sent one of my A & R team.”
“Celestino, meet Yakov Feltsman. Most brilliant A & R man in the industry turned CEO of Agape Records. You'll want to keep track and mark it on the calendar if he ever manages to smile,” Minako snarked, sipping her water again.
Celestino reached a hand out to shake Yakov's hand. “It's an honor to meet you sir, and an honor to work with such a legen--”
Yakov waved him off with a hand. “Save it. I'll decide if I like you or not,” he growled in a thick, deep-voiced Russian accent.
Celestino turned back to Minako with a mildly terrified expression that softened as she silently mouthed the words, “He likes you.”
At that point a very chipper Japanese man came into the room, greeting the crew with an encompassing wave and pleasantries before walking over to the table and greeting Yakov and Celestino first.
“Hello, hello! Welcome! I'm Hisashi Morooka, so nice to meet you!” Yakov remained stoic while Celestino returned the greeting with an equal amount of enthusiasm. Minako then stood up, the pair giving each other a playful bow before hugging warmly. “Minako-sensei, so good to see you sweetheart. How's LA treating you?”
“Oh god, it's way too hot. I was so glad to get here where I didn't feel like I was in the depths of Hell,” she laughed.
“LA is the depths of Hell,” Celestino laughed; Yakov seemed to agree with a possibly amused huff.
“Okay, here's the schedule. We'll see auditioners for two hours at a shot, and take a 30-45 minute break in between each group with an hour for lunch. Most of these kids are really good, but I have a feeling we're going to end up with a few duds along the way, and I've already seen a few characters out there in the staging area,” Morooka said. “We'll try not to linger on the really bad ones for too long.”
“They will be gone quickly,” Yakov noted.
“Try not to be too hostile, Feltzy,” Minako said. “Some of them are babies, probably too young to be doing this but they've all got their big dreams. You're not in an A & R power meeting.” She sighed then. “God, I have always hated turning people down. I feel like I need a smoke just thinking about it and we haven't even started yet.”
“I think we'll have no problem with Yakov taking over the rejections, but I can drop a truth bomb if we need it,” Celestino offered.
“Nah, I gotta put on my big girl panties and deal. This business is tough. I just don't want it to be tougher than it needs to be. Wishful thinking, I know,” she added.
“All right, it's almost 9 am. Are we ready?” Morooka asked. “If so, I can go get the first victim... I mean, auditioner.”
All three judges nodded in unison.
“Ready or not, here we go,” Celestino added.
It was now six hours into the first day of auditions, and all three judges weren't certain they'd made the right choice by getting on board with this show. Even Morooka was concerned at the level of “talent” the producers had put through to perform in front of the judges for the all-important Judges' Round, which would determine if they won a Platinum Ticket to Los Angeles for Hollywood Week. But it seemed that the producers had more joke contestants in mind than actual singers. They'd managed to put through about 50 hopefuls out of the first half of the 300 who had passable to decent voices, and a few that looked the part more than sounded like a potential star.
As their final short break before the end of the day came and makeup and hair descended on the trio as they sipped drinks and nibbled on hors d'oeuvres to carry them to the Italian feast they had reservations for on Celestino's recommendation. His band had been quite popular in Italy and he knew Rome like the back of his hand. As such he'd been excited about the first Judges' Round being in Italy, but right about now he was wondering where all the actual talent was.
“So, do the producers even know what they're supposed to be looking for, or...?” Minako said as she carefully sipped her orange-twisted springwater through a straw so as not to disturb the fresh coat of gloss on her lips. “You can't tell me there is no talent here. I would say half of those we put through won't even last through the first day in Hollywood.”
Celestino shook his head as he sipped his coffee, setting it down with a resigned sigh. “I don't get it. If this is what they pulled for us in every city, this show is going to flop and hard. Even the more mediocre winners of American Idol are better than some of these kids.”
Minako angled her head with a suitable amount of side eyed smirk. “Ohhhh that's so cold, Ciao Ciao.”
“Did I lie? Did I lie though?” he shot back, laughing as she rolled up her contestant cheat sheets and whapped him on the shoulder.
The pair settled down a bit when Yakov returned from a break to smoke a cigar, but he was no less frustrated.
“We are wasting our time if the producers don't get their heads out of their asses and stop looking for pretty people and start looking for talent,” he growled. “The next two cities are already set in stone but they're still auditioning for the others. I'm calling whoever I need to to get them on the ball.” He then shot Morooka an angry glare as the executive producer and host walked up to the table.
“I gave them all a full briefing on what we were looking for, gave them research material in the form of videos from the Idol and Voice standouts from over the years. Even when I worked on Pop Idol in London, sometimes you just ran into cities that were duds, and then others would be loaded. Don't give up yet.” Just then the head of staff running the auditions poked his head into the room and called time on the break.
“Twenty-five more,” Minako sighed. “Let's hope there's a diamond in the rough, or more than one.”
“Oh my god, how much longer? I am starving. I can't believe you talked me into this Michele.”
Sara Crispino and her twin brother Michele had been waiting in the holding area with the other contestants since the very early 8 am call time. Sara had suspected that their high contestant numbers would keep them waiting most of the day and she'd been right. Although the catering tables had held an assortment of appetizers, neither of the pair had had a proper lunch and as a result Sara's temper was running especially short.
“I really hope they'll let us go in together,” Michele replied excitedly, totally ignoring Sara's protests. “I have to see you shine like the star you are. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
“Michele! I really want to do this on my own. I'd like this to be about me for once, if I have to be here at all. I don't think I sing well enough to win this show so I don't even know what I'm doing here. You're the one that has the better voice.”
“That is not true and you know it! You are amazing and beautiful and there's no way you won't win,” Michele replied, an almost smug certainty in his tone.
Just then the remaining group of contestants all turned toward the opening door that led to the audition room in unison, as they had been for the entire day. A woman in her early twenties had gone in and she now emerged, already crying as her family embraced her. Another rejection.
“Well... at least this might be over sooner than I thought it would be,” Sara noted. “Obviously they're pretty hard on everyone.”
“You will get through! I know it!” Michele snapped.
Morooka emerged from the entrance to the audition room then, looking down at the iPad in his hand.
“Sara... Crispino? Did I say that right?” he asked, looking around the room. For a moment, Sara didn't process that her name had just been called until Michele gave her shoulder a shove, then rose.
“Here she is!” Michele cried and Sara could feel her face flushing already. Sara walked up to Morooka – if nothing else, she'd at least meet one international superstar today – and shook his hand in greeting.
“Right this way, dear,” Morooka said, opening the door and gesturing for her to enter, at which Michele tried to follow.
“Sorry, Yakov's orders, only one auditioner at a time. No outside influences,” Morooka said by way of stopping him. “You're next in line, don't worry.” And before Michele could protest, Morooka disappeared behind the door. He walked up to where Sara had been directed to stand on a mark on the floor, with a camera in the dimly-lit temporary hallway made of folding panels with murals of musical scenes – audiences cheering for silhouetted singers and musicians – and switched on his microphone. For a moment, Sara had forgotten that in all the paperwork she'd signed she'd given them consent to film her as long as she was in the holding and audition areas and nearly waived off the interview. She followed Morooka's eyes to the cameraman, who silently counted down from three with his fingers and just like that, the camera was rolling. Sara could hear the auditioner ahead of her still singing though it was muffled through the semi-soundproofed panels.
“And we are in the hall just outside the audition room now with Sara Crispino. Tell me Sara, what made you audition for Superstar Grand Prix?”
She took a deep breath. Here we go. “My brother Michele who is with me today has always said I have a great singing voice. He keeps telling me I should do something with it so when we heard about the show and that there would be auditions here, we decided to do it.”
“And where did you first audition?”
“We both submitted online auditions because it was easier,” she replied. “We tried to go to the 'cattle call' in Florence but got turned away because they had enough people.” That had been an understatement; she'd listened to Michele and they'd gotten to the Stadio Artemio Franchi at noon to find the place packed to the rafters with a line around the building, which was cut off 15 minutes after they'd arrived, causing about two thousand people to be turned away, the both of them included.
“Well it looks like you both made the right choice,” Morooka replied just as the red light over the door leading into the room turned green, signaling the previous contestant was done which was also the cue for Morooka to take his leave. She was then waived forward by the stage manager, a stoic-looking Korean man whose ID lanyard had his name as Seung Gil Lee, and drew in a deep breath as he pulled back the door and nodded for her to enter.
As Sara walked in, Celestino's attention was already caught. “She's gonna be good,” he immediately murmured to Minako.
“You've been saying that all day and you're at about twenty percent accuracy,” she smirked. She then perked up and flashed her famous smile at the young woman before her after a quick glance down at her notes. “Hi... Ser-ah?”
“Sah-rah,” she corrected, feeling awkward even though she'd more or less been asked.
“Ah, sorry sweetheart, they didn't give us pronunciations. If it makes you feel better it's not the first time I've flubbed today,” Minako said, her easy, down-to-earth demeanor somehow making Sara relax just a bit. “So tell us about yourself.”
“Well, I'm from Florence, and my brother Michele who's here to audition too talked me into doing this. I didn't think I'd get this far though. I've never done any serious singing but I've always been told I have a good voice. So we auditioned online and here I am.” She turned her palms up with a shrug and a smile; she'd thought she'd watched enough American Idol auditions to anticipate how this would go, but staring at Minako, one of the biggest performers in the world, was definitely intimidating. God, she's gorgeous in person too, wow. I can't believe I'm here... It all began to hit Sara and she drew in a breath as she managed to meet eyes with Celestino, who gave her a friendly smile, and Yakov, who sat with arms crossed and an unreadable scowl.
“All right. What are you going to sing today?” Minako asked.
“I'm singing 'Because of You' by Kelly Clarkson,” she replied.
“Great song, but a big voice for a little lady like yourself. Can you handle it?” Celestino smiled, a hint of challenge in his voice.
If there was one thing Sara could definitely say she was, it was competitive. Celestino's words were the spark she needed. “You'll see,” she replied, his response raised eyebrows and a smirk. “All right then, off you go,” he cued.
Sara closed her eyes as the pianist began the song, taking one more deep breath as the verse began. The first lines were low and she felt herself waver slightly, but as the melody climbed into the midrange she found her sweet spot. By the time she'd hit the chorus her voice rang out into the room, filling it with an impressive richness that she wasn't even certain she'd realized before. Damn, this feels good. She was about to go into the second verse when Celestino waved her off with a “thank you”.
“I had a good feeling about you when you walked in,” Celestino noted. “I was right. I think your voice is good, just untrained. I think with some help from our vocal coach you have a lot of potential.”
Sara tried not to grin but found herself unable to contain her relief. “Thank you so much,” she replied.
“I think Ciao Ciao is on to something here,” Minako agreed. “You do have a really good voice and I like your look too. Do you dance by any chance?”
“I do, and I also have done some figure skating so I know about choreography,” she nodded.
Minako then turned to her left where Yakov was sitting, still stoic. “Feltz, what do you think?”
“Too young. Needs work. I don't think she'll go very far,” Yakov grumbled.
“Oh come on, she's better than most of the people we've seen today. In fact I think she's one of the best,” Minako replied with an exasperated tone. She'd lost count of how many times she'd heard him say that today. “She just needs some polish. I think she's got a lot of potential.”
“Same,” Celestino agreed.
“All right, let's vote,” Minako said. “Yakov?”
“No,” he replied. “Come back next year when you have practiced more.” Sara felt her stomach drop at the older man's ornery demeanor.
Minako rolled her eyes at him in response, then turned to Sara. “I'm going to say yes. I think Hollywood will bring out your shine,” she nodded.
“I was a yes from the minute you walked in, don't have to ask me twice,” Celestino grinned.
“Guess what? You're going to Hollywood!” Minako cried, picking up one of the metallic silver “Platinum Tickets” on the table and holding it out to Sara, who hurried over saying thank you a million times. She made sure to shake each judge's hand – oh my god Minako is so gorgeous – and, as a good majority of the contestants who'd made it through that day had despite the clearly-marked doors, attempted to go through the one she came in rather than the one marked “exit”.
“Wrong door,” Minako laughed.
“Oh!! Sorry!” Sara giggled, giddy now as the feel of the “ticket” in her hand began to sink in. She opened the door and went through an identical hallway that led out into the holding room, another stage hand telling her to pause presumably so Morooka could get to the door to greet her which was confirmed as he did just that.
“How did you do sweetie?” he asked.
Sara finally couldn't hold it in any longer. “I made it!” she cried, throwing her hands in the air; the remaining auditioners cheered for her, some encouragingly, and some not so much.
“Well, your brother has just gone in,” Morooka said. “Let's see if it's a two for one deal.”
The auditions only lasted about seven to ten minutes tops if they ended up going through, or at least that was what Sara and Michele had seemed to figure out through watching the endless stream of hopefuls coming in and out of the two doors for what was coming up on ten hours now. But Sara wasn't sure how long Michele had been in there because every second felt like ten. She'd thought at first that she'd wanted to do this alone, but now her heart was pounding as she hoped he made it through as well.
Finally, she saw Morooka emerge from where a new contestant had gone in and go over to the 'out' door. He motioned for her to come over to greet her brother, and as he exited she didn't like what she saw.
“Well, how did it go?” Morooka asked him.
“Yakov hated me. He said I shouldn't have sung “Serenade for Two”, that it's not the right song for me. Minako said it needs work. Celestino asked to hear another song so I did “Thinking Out Loud”.
Sara felt herself getting annoyed; Michele always did this when he had some kind of good or bad news to share. “Yes but... how did you do?” she asked.
Michele had been hiding his hands behind his back in an attempt to look dejected; he suddenly threw them over his head with a flash of silver paper hitting the light and shouted “We're going to Hollywood!!!” as the room erupted in cheers once again that were added to by Sara's squeal of glee. Morooka spoke with them a bit longer and then were sent to give their information to the production team to make arrangements for getting to Hollywood and go through a bunch more paperwork. As the pair made their way out of the Dharma Hotel a camera followed them, with one of the producers asking the requisite “how did that feel, how does it feel to be going to Hollywood together” questions until they crossed the threshold to the outside, where the boundary had been set.
Once they were free of being recorded Michele scooped Sara up in a massive bear hug. “See?? I told you! This is going to be amazing! I can't wait! We're finally going to see Los Angeles, we've talked about it forever!”
Sara very often really hated admitting that Michele was right, but this was one time she'd give him a pass as he was just as happy as she was. “I really got scared that you hadn't made it. It felt like you were in there forever,” she said.
“Oh god! They scared the hell out of me, especially Yakov. But god damn Celestino is hot, it made it hard to sing I was so distracted.”
Sara blinked; she hadn't seen that coming, figuring he'd zoom in on Minako. “Well I was losing my shit over Minako. The Minako! Ms. I've Won Every Single Award You Can Possibly Win For Music And Dancing And Everything, the legend herself!”
Michele grabbed her hand as the cab he'd hailed for them pulled up to the curb. “Well, she was okay too. But I hope they show your audition on TV so I can see it.”
Sara laughed as she got into the car with him following. “Oh god... we'll be famous then won't we?”
Michele wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he gave the driver their destination. “It will be a start, at least,” he replied.
Judges' Round Auditions, Week Three – Paris, France (Day Two)
After Rome, the next week's auditions were held in Barcelona, Spain, where the judges' panel easily notched another 100 hopefuls, the talent having been more promising once word got out of who was and wasn't being let through via leaks over social media. Those same social media feeds were buzzing already, with those rejected in Rome and Barcelona already beginning the requisite bashing despite many YouTube channels that served to show exactly why some of them had been turned down.
Celestino especially was relating to it all a lot more than he'd expected. He remembered the hungry days when he was working with the band to get them off the ground, and how any opportunity was one to be seized upon for better or worse. But on top of that, the modern-day equivalent was also a potential fifteen minutes of fame; after all, you had contestants like Tori Kelly from Idol who had been cut in Hollywood Week but had just enough of a fan base and interest to springboard a career. For the more savvy rejectees, if they played their cards right, anything could happen – ironically, whether or not they had the talent to warrant it.
But most of them were looking for big stardom, and Minako was finding it was becoming more and more difficult to turn people away, especially when they begged to sing a different song after completely bombing or being completely delusional due to their family and friends basically “blowing smoke up their asses,” as she'd put it more than once to Yakov and Ciao Ciao when the latest near-joke or full-on-joke contestant would leave.
Yakov had been in the business far too long to play any kind of games. If a contestant started to cry, he would simply cut them off and tell them in no uncertain terms what the deal was, from “Come back next year when you've practiced more/taken voice lessons” or “You sound like a dog that is locked out in the rain and trying to get in the house” or Minako's favorite: “You simply cannot sing and I would like to talk some sense into anyone who has told you you can.” The man had absolutely no problem crushing dreams, but he'd seen all sides of this insane industry. Both Celestino and Minako knew that Yakov was downright kind to what some people in the industry had faced on their battles to the top.
Paris had been kind, however. They weren't even halfway through the day and they already had 60 hopefuls, many of whom were interesting and talented. But the trio had all noticed that there was at least one “it” contestant in every 20-30; one who had something that grabbed them. There was never a perfect balance of it all: If they had a strong voice, their overall presence was weak or needed work. If their voice needed work, chances are they'd walked in the door looking like a fashion model. The quietest ones were the most talented, usually far more modest than they really deserved to be, and the ones with the most bluster and confidence more often than not turned out to be the ones that, in Celestino's words, “downright sucked ass”. They had yet to find that perfect example of the combination of star power and talent they were looking for.
The day wore on and plenty of higher-level talent presented itself; before long, they were up to 80 contestants out of 300 that had been put through, the best ratio they'd had so far. As the day wound down a slump happened; most of the people they saw were too young, too inexperienced, or completely delusional.
Finally, they were down to the fifth-to-last person of the day, and as Minako pulled out his headshot, she found herself letting out a whistle.
“Now he looks promising,” she said as she read over his application. “Dancer... especially pole dancing?... has done a few self-produced singles in his native Lausanne, Switzerland; has been in a bunch of bands, looks like mostly rock. Cites Celestino Cialdini as an influence.” She flashed a winning smile at Ciao Ciao.
“You know damn well the best ones are always the letdowns,” Celestino said. “I refuse to get my hopes up till he walks in the door and opens his mouth.”
Yakov looked over at the paperwork and photo that Minako was holding. “I've actually heard of him. There's been a buzz on him for about a year, my A & R rep at the home office in Zurich have said he's submitted recordings that are listenable but not very interesting.”
Seung Gil poked his head into the door then to see if the trio were ready to resume; there had been an unexpected break as security had to be called to escort one particularly stubborn rejectee out of the audition room. Yakov nodded and the young man disappeared, to be replaced by the man in the headshot in Minako's hand.
“Bonjour!” the man said, stopping on the masking-taped X on the floor before the judges' table. “It is a pleasure to meet you all!”
Minako looked down at the paperwork one last time; Celestino could see the flush on her cheeks. “Christophe Giacometti, from Lausanne, Switzerland, right?”
“Yes, that is me,” he said.
“I'm loving the outfit dude,” Celestino remarked. Christophe was resplendent in metallic skinny jeans, leather jacket, and a shimmery mauve-ish t-shirt and scarf, hair perfectly coiffed. Minako could see the definite dancer's body beneath the form-fitting clothing.
“Merci! I'm a bit of a fashion plate, I must admit. But it's all part of the total... package.” Christophe winked at Minako then.
“Oh, flirty one aren't you?” she grinned. “It says here you're a dancer, are you formally trained?”
“Yes, I have taken many forms of dance over the years, but modern is my forte. I've also parlayed that into a... shall we say, artistic form of employment that pays the bills.”
Minako actually giggled. This guy had the swagger down. “Says here you have done competitive pole dancing. I can see how that would be useful.”
“I sing while I pole dance! I once did a whole song switching from one flag position to another. With a headset microphone of course, because you need your hands,” Christophe explained.
Minako's eyebrows raised then. “Those are some serious thunder thighs then,” she replied with a flirt to her tone.
Christophe wiggled an eyebrow and winked. “Oui,” he grinned.
“So you are here to sing. Tell us what you are going to do,” Yakov cut in, seeing the banter beginning to run long. Four more people to go after this and they could call it a day, and he was ready for dinner and bed.
With interest, all three judges noticed that Christophe's demeanor changed the moment he was brought up to task; he became more formal, drawing himself up straight and looking Yakov right in the eyes. “Forgive me, sir, I am a bit overly excited to be here and let myself get out of hand.” It was also of interest that Yakov responded with a nearly imperceptible nod of approval; the confidence wasn't just bravado – Christophe had done this audition thing before.
“I shall be singing “Intoxicated”, he replied. Behind him, the pianist shuffled the sheet music. The song was usually done with a rock band, but Takeshi Nishigori, one of Morooka's best friends and the music director of the show, was really good with adapting the various songs being chosen and started playing the intro in a slinky, sexy vibe, his touch on the keys perfectly setting the tone.
Christophe began with a soft, controlled falsetto that elevated into a clear tone full of vibrato that was equally controlled; he began to move, expressing the emotions of the song through a bit of dance. His voice shifted impressively from belting to falsetto without missing a single beat, his movements not even leaving him out of breath as he finished.
“Niiiiiice,” Celestino replied. “Great control and tone. You've taken singing lessons too haven't you?”
“Oui,” Christophe replied. “Since I was quite young. I thought I might get into theater, but I found I preferred performing live music better.”
“What do you play?” Yakov asked. It was again telling; Yakov almost never the contestants about themselves.
“Guitar, mostly rhythm,” he replied.
“I think you're great, the total package, actually,” Minako smiled. “You've got the looks, the swagger, the voice, I think this is going to be a very easy decision.”
“I say yes,” Yakov said. “And I'm going to fire the man who rejected your song submissions to Agape Zurich.”
Christophe's eyes went wide. “Oh! Merci!” He clasped his hands together, genuinely surprised. A kudo from Yakov Feltsman was absolutely nothing to brush off.
“Absolutely 100 percent yes,” Celestino nodded. “You've got it, brother.”
Minako picked up the Platinum Ticket then, letting it cover all but her eyes like a veil, her voice momentarily silky. “You know what thaaaaat means.... You're going to Hollywood!”
Christophe even managed to make Yakov crack a smile as he literally squealed with glee, clapping his hands. “Thank you, merci, thank you thank you thank you!” He hurried to the table, saying “thank you” about 500 more times and shaking each judge's hand before he spun around... and attempted to exit through the wrong door, catching himself and turning sharply on a heel before leaving. A few seconds later, there were some very loud cheers coming from outside the conference room the auditions were being held in.
“Well after that, these last four better step it up. But I think we found our first potential superstar,” Minako said.
“He's damn good. He's got everything you need to be a great frontman or solo artist,” Celestino agreed.
Yakov was texting someone on his phone, another uncharacteristic move, causing both of his fellow judges to look over curiously. He closed the wallet case with what appeared to be a very satisfying slap, then looked over at them both.
“I hate when people I hire waste my money. At least I got rid of that,” he grunted.
Minako and Celestino both looked at each other as Yakov picked up his notes for the next auditioner, both barely containing the laughter that wanted to burst forth. If nothing else, Yakov was a man of his word.
Judges' Round Auditions, Week Five – Moscow, Russia (Day One)
Yakov was more than thrilled to be back in Russia, even though his home base had always been St. Petersburg. He'd made sure to have a few extra days between the auditions in the United Kingdom and those in Moscow to show Celestino, Minako, Takeshi and Morooka around and treat them to his favorite Russian foods. His ex-wife and soon-to-be vocal coach for the show, megafamous opera singer Lilia Baranovskaya, had also been invited along for the trip so she too could get back on home soil for a while. The pair lived most of the year in Los Angeles until the nicer weather hit in Russia and they'd arrived at just the perfect time to enjoy it. It was a much-needed respite, and Minako and Celestino especially got a bit more insight into Yakov and in turn, a bit less intimidated.
Today though, they were back at it at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow, settling in for the first of the usual two days, with 150 auditions in each. As they looked through their notes Yakov mentioned that they would possibly see quite a few young people; he fully expected it with how many of them get into sports at an early age to try to find a way out to a better life for themselves and their families.
As the auditions proceeded throughout the day they found that Yakov (and Lilia) had been spot on. A great amount of the auditioners were all in their mid to late teens to early 20s at most. With the minimum age being 15 it invited a lot of hopefuls who came with their parents; Seung Gil had a very hard time explaining why entire families weren't allowed into the audition room with their child, finally becoming exasperated enough for Yakov himself to walk out into the waiting area and explain that the audition process was pressure enough without the expectations of those close to you and that no family members would be allowed in.
It wasn't long after this that the first potential star walked into the room. As Minako read over his file Celestino appraised the edgy little punk that shuffled in, long blond hair partially obscuring his face, thin, reedy frame, and piercing green eyes. This kid was pissed about something... either that, or ridiculously determined. Dressed in a t-shirt emblazoned with a tiger face, black skinny jeans, black and leopard-print high tops and a matching leopard and black zip hoodie (the hood of which was drawn up over his head), Celestino was already figuring this would be yet another “but I'm awesome because everyone tells me I am, you have to put me through!” auditions. Yakov began by asking in Russian if the kid spoke English, to which he replied yes.
“Yuri Plisetsky. Sixteen, from Moscow,” Minako continued. “Would you mind taking your hood down so we can see you better?” He took the hood down, flicking his hair out of his eyes temporarily with a jerk of his head, hands going back into his pockets.
“So what made you come here today, Yuri? And who are you here with?” Celestino asked.
“My grandfather brought me. And I came to go to Hollywood and become a star so I can take care of him and my mother.” Yakov gave one of his usual faint nods in response.
Celestino figured he wasn't going to get a lot of small talk out of this one, but what he'd already said explained a lot about his demeanor. Ciao Ciao had some experience with kids like this in the industry, and they really had absolutely no idea what they were getting into.
“That's pretty noble of you,” he replied, not quite sure what else to say. “What are you going to sing for us today?”
“Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns n' Roses,” he replied.
“Great song. Go for it kiddo,” Celestino replied, whereupon Takeshi began to play a truncated version of the intro riff to the song on the piano. Yuri stared down at his feet until the intro ended, then broke into a voice that no one in the room saw coming. Celestino was floored by how much the kid sounded like Axl Rose; he'd obviously been practicing a lot. If anything it was almost a bit too carbon copy, but that was to be expected; he was pretty sure the kid had very little experience and probably had no idea what kind of musician or performer he even wanted to be. By the time he got to the end of the abbreviated version of the song, for the iconic “where do we go” final breakdown where the original had Axl's voice going from quite deep to rock star wail, Yuri nailed it. Yakov had even sat forward in his chair by this time, hands folded and chin resting on them as he remained fixed on the Yuri as he finished the song.
There were a few moments of silence as everyone in the room took it all in, then Minako finally broke in. “Wow... how did you learn to sing like that Yuri? That was pretty incredible.”
Celestino thought he may have seen the barest hint of a smile on Yuri's face. “My mom has lots of old records from that time. I grew up listening to them because she was a singer too, she still is. That's why she's not here, she's touring. She taught me how.”
“I knew there had to be some vocal training involved,” Minako agreed. “Your control is amazing. I'll be honest and say I did not expect that big voice to come out of you.”
Yuri did crack a satisfied smirk this time. “No one ever does. That's why I like it.”
“Have you ever been out of Russia?” Yakov asked.
“No, not even out of Moscow.”
“Well after today I think you will be going somewhere. It's a yes from me,” Yakov replied.
“From me too,” Celestino added. “That voice is going to take you places, kid.”
Minako picked up the Platinum Ticket. “You're going to Hollywood!” she grinned, holding it out to Yuri. He seemed to be trying for all the world to keep calm – if Celestino was calling it correctly, to “be grown up” – but as he paused to listen to something Yakov said in Russian and extended his hand to shake the older man's, Celestino saw Yuri's hand trembling. Celestino decided not to remark on it as Yuri shook hands with Minako and him before taking his leave.
“That's a hell of a lot to have on your shoulders at sixteen,” Celestino said.
“It happens a lot here. That is why there are so many athletes. Many of them compete to support their families. He's probably already more independent than some adults,” Yakov said. “He will need guidance though, because Los Angeles is very different than Moscow.”
“Having said all that... that kid is going to be star. Even if he doesn't win this competition? He's amazing,” Celestino replied. “I know grown men that can't pull that song off.”
“Exactly,” Minako said. “He's probably the best of the teens we've auditioned so far. He has a lot of potential.”
From across the room, over where Takeshi was sitting at the piano, Lilia had been observing. “He is still quite rough. I can mold that voice, his technique is good but there are ways he will need to sing to preserve it with that style. I feel he will make it to the final twelve though. He is very driven, that is easy to see.”
“Definitely. This kid just raised the bar for sure,” Celestino agreed.
It was nearing the end of the first day with just a handful of people left, when a very confident-looking young woman walked into the room. Her hair was naturally a striking auburn and the way she had it clipped back on top revealed an undercut. Dressed in leather jeans, a cami top and a leather fitted jacket with a pair of studded black heels Minako was already eyeing, she took her place on the X on the floor before the judges' table.
“Mila Babicheva. Eighteen years old, from St. Petersburg,” Celestino began. “Why did you decide to audition?”
“I've been doing music in some form most of my life. I've been in a band for a bit but I mostly want to be a solo artist. I have been trying to write some songs, but I'm just starting on that,” Mila replied.
“What kind of artist do you want to be?” Minako asked.
“Well I love Pink, for example. She can do all kinds of music but she is always a bit edgy and leans toward rock. I've always been into rock music mostly. I think my voice works with that kind of music best.”
“Which brings me to what you're singing for us today,” Minako said in a curious tone.
“I'm doing “My Immortal” by Evanescence,” she replied.
“Tough one,” Celestino said. “Let's hear it.”
Takeshi began playing the song on the piano, and Mila's voice began very softly; Celestino was impressed with her control on the lower register, which was the most difficult part of the song for most. As the vocals slowly built up to the chorus, Mila held a very soft falsetto, keeping the verse light. As the shortened version of the song moved into the change, she switched over to belting that started out light then by the end of the chorus, was powerful and perfectly on pitch. Lilia noticed a bit of inexperience with breath control but for the most part, it was evident that Mila had been working on her singing for quite some time.
“Well you certainly have the concepts of how to accent a song down,” Celestino said. “I feel like maybe it was a bit of a safe choice for you though. I want to hear you really let loose.”
“Singing full on is easier,” Mila replied. “I like the challenge of doing songs that need more emotion than just singing loud, even though those are fun to do.”
“Do you have anything else you can sing that might show off your belting though?” Minako asked, interest piqued but there was still something she was looking for with Mila.
Mila thought about it for a moment. “One of my favorite old songs is “Barracuda” by Heart,” she offered. “I didn't bring the music for it though.”
“Go a capella,” Minako encouraged, and Mila did just that, using her midrange and higher belting range to do the first verse, change and chorus of the song which proved she did indeed have a voice suited for rock; Celestino mentally noted that she and Grace Potter would sound great together.
Before there could be any more banter, Yakov cut in. “I say yes. She has a good range. I think there is some inexperience with proper technique, but that can be fixed. You are still young enough to learn the right ways to sing so you don't damage your voice.”
Minako nodded. “It's a yes from me too, I like you. Great voice, you already have the look and the confidence. I think you'll do well.”
Celestino picked up the Platinum Ticket and held it out. “You're going to Hollywood darlin'!” he grinned, at which Mila let out a triumphant yell and nearly ran the few steps to the table, thanking them all profusely before nearly heading out the wrong door in her excitement.
“Russia's bringing it,” Celestino remarked when Mila was gone.
“Definitely. We've got so many good people and definitely a few stars,” Minako agreed. “We'll definitely get our quota filled by tomorrow.”
Judges' Round Auditions, Week Five – Moscow, Russia (Day Two)
“Otabek Altin, from Kazakhstan, age 18. Says here you like to DJ and that you love motorcycles,” Celestino noted.
“Yes sir. I am also currently in a band, though we just play cover songs,” Otabek replied.
Minako looked over the quiet young man standing before them, resplendent in what could best be described as a biker outfit right down to the fingerless leather gloves. If someone could be both modest and confident in their demeanor and carriage, it would be him, she mused. She almost felt like he might be a tough nut to crack.
“What kind of music do you like?” Celestino asked.
“I listen to everything, from heavy metal to EDM. You have to as a DJ. I just got old enough to work in clubs so I do that on the weekends, trying to get my name out there. But I do DJing that pays the bills too, you know. The usual stuff.”
Minako had the absent thought that it would be difficult to picture this rocker boy in a tuxedo spinning wedding love songs. “And what are you going to sing for us today?” she asked.
“Wake Me Up” by Avicii, he answered.
“Okay, let's hear it,” Minako nodded, and Takeshi began playing the intro. To the surprise of the judges, Otabek's voice was rich and melodic with a bit of vibrato, and he carried the melody of the song well, including the higher notes in the chorus with a few small runs of notes.
“I find you very interesting,” Minako said. “Your voice is very good on a technical level, but there's still something missing for me. I think you need to open up a bit more.” Otabek shifted back and forth on his feet but only nodded respectfully in reply.
“I'm with Minako on this. I think you have a lot of potential, but there's just a lack of emotion for me that I can't pin down. I do think you could probably work on it though. To be fair, if you're not connected to a song, you won't let that come out and I feel like you chose this because it's probably something you play a lot as a DJ. At least, that's the vibe I get from this audition. So for me, I'm still going to say yes because I think you have it in you and Hollywood could bring it out,” Celestino replied.
Yakov had listened to the points both of his fellow judges had made. “We have made stars out of people who were less polished than this at Agape,” he noted. “Sometimes it just takes the right situation to help someone shine. I am going to say yes and give you that chance.”
Minako grinned then, picking up the Platinum Ticket; she decided that her “no” decision was best left unsaid, as Otabek's face had gotten more worried as the two judges had spoken. Instead, she broke into a winning smile and exclaimed, “You're going to Hollywood!” Otabek smiled and walked forward, shaking each judge's hand and thanking them before taking his leave.
“Quiet one. I think he's going to need some work but I bet he's the type that will realize what he's got when he measures up to the other talent we've put through. I think he's probably so isolated he's not seeing it in himself. I think he's confident though and I'm interested to see where this all takes him,” Celestino said.
Much of the rest of the day was very uneventful, and soon they were down to the final auditioner for the Russian dates of the judges' tour. Minako had been staring at the man's head shot for several minutes, and Celestino caught her shaking her head.
“This guy... I'm going to say it, he's hot,” she noted. “Apparently he's a pretty well known YouTube star, supposedly having a voice in the vein of Adam Lambert or Freddie Mercury. At least, that's what he said on the application.”
“I'm apprehensive of anyone who thinks they sound like Freddie Mercury. Spoiler alert: they usually don't,” Celestino replied.
Yakov was reading over his copy of the notes on the final auditioner as well. “I've never heard of him but it seems he has quite the following on his channel. Let's see if he lives up to all this talk.” He nodded to Seung Gil, who ducked out into the hallway; a moment later, the contestant named Victor Nikiforov walked in.
Dressed in black jeans, black boots, and a Queen t-shirt under a red and black leather military-inspired jacket, standing nearly six feet tall, the most striking features about Victor were his piercing blue eyes and shimmery silver hair which was carefully styled with his left eye mostly obscured by a perfectly-formed swoop.
“Hello Victor,” Minako said; Celestino noted a slightly dreamy tone in her voice and looking at the guy, he honestly couldn't blame her. He completely looked the part of a star.
“Hello, Привет,” he replied. “It looks like you've saved the best for last. It got a bit lonely out there in the last hour or so.” Celestino smirked; this one was a bit cocky. Sometimes that didn't bode well for the voice.
“Well, we'll find out if that's true,” Minako said. “But first, tell us a bit about yourself.”
“Well, I have been in a few bands, and I self-recorded and released an EP of my most liked YouTube covers in my home studio. I do write my own songs too but on YouTube they seem to like my covers best. I like to change things up and not always do them like the originals. I like putting my own self into it and surprising people. I've had my YouTube channel since 2010 and at first it was only popular in Russia, but then I started doing more Western music and it took off. But this is probably the biggest chance I've ever had at getting known so I decided to go for it,” Victor replied.
“And what are you going to sing for us today?” Minako asked.
“Dream On” by Aerosmith,” he answered.
Celestino raised an eyebrow. “That's a pretty big one, can you handle it?” he asked, half-joking and half serious. He had a nagging feeling about this guy he couldn't shake.
“Let's find out, shall we?” Victor said with a wicked smirk that read 'challenge accepted'. He waited through the abbreviated intro Takeshi played, then began to sing in a rich, slightly raspy voice that was already charged with emotion as he seemed to really feel the lyrics. The further he went into the song his eyes closed, and by the time the big ending came up including the high, controlled wail that was Steven Tyler's trademark, Victor had the room in the palm of his hand. Even Yakov's eyes went wide at the ridiculous high notes Victor hit, perfectly replicating that signature iconic scream. There was silence in the room for several long moments when Victor finished.
“Well... I can definitely say you've surprised us all,” Celestino finally said. “Where have you been hiding dude?”
“In my apartment in St. Petersburg with my dog, Makkachin,” Victor replied.
“Well I think you need to get out of that apartment pronto, that was crazy, scary good,” Celestino replied.
“I'm not gonna lie, I had chills,” Minako said. “I think you've got it all: the sound, the looks, the swagger. I don't understand how you're not already a superstar.”
“Well we will fix that,” Yakov said. “It is a yes for me. I think we did save the best for last. I think you are the best audition we have seen so far out of everyone.”
Victor's eyebrows raised at that and a flush colored his cheeks. “Thank you so much... I've worked pretty hard on getting my voice to this level. But I feel like I could benefit from learning from the best.”
“To be very honest, I think you can win this whole thing,” Celestino said, causing Victor's eyes to go wide as the surprise was turned back onto him.
“Really? That's a very high compliment from you,” Victor said. “I'm quite familiar with your work. I've always had an affinity for rock from different eras. It's the style I enjoyed singing in most.”
“Well we'll see how far that voice takes you. It's a yes from me,” Celestino said, adding his approval to Yakov's.
“I'm going to say yes too, and I agree that you could win this,” Minako said, which made Victor break out into a megawatt smile; Celestino was certain Minako barely held back from swooning as she held out the Platinum Ticket. “You're going to Hollywood!”
Victor came forward then to take the ticket, pausing to kiss the back of Minako's hand. “Thank you so much. I won't let you down,” he said. “And I'll definitely keep surprising you.” He punctuated his last statement with a wink from behind the lock of silver hair. He thanked Celestino and Yakov, who he conversed briefly with in Russian before taking his leave. Walking down the exit corridor on the direction of Seung Gil, Victor emerged to the waiting camera and Morooka.
“Well buddy, how did you do?” Morooka asked.
Victor held up his Platinum Ticket to the camera. “I made it. I had a good feeling I would. Fifth time's the charm,” he said.
“How's that?” Morooka asked.
“I have tried out for the Russian spot in Eurovision, Glavnaya Stsena which is our version of X-Factor, X-Factor UK, and The Voice UK. They all turned me down. So getting through here has been both surprising and very satisfying. I can't wait to go to Hollywood,” Victor explained, finally breaking into a grin.
“Well from what I heard I think the judges really liked you,” Morooka confirmed, extending his hand to shake Victor's. “Good luck, and we'll see you in LA!”
Minako flopped back into her chair as Victor's departure brought their day to an end. “What a way to end the first half of the audition run!” she said. “That guy is ridiculous. I need to look him up on YouTube and see what he's doing. I don't understand how he hasn't been discovered, he's phenomenal.”
“I am going to follow up with my people here and ask why they didn't know about him,” Yakov growled. “He could have been a star much before now.”
“He lived up to the hype, that's for sure, except for the fact that he doesn't sound like anyone. He might have elements of Lambert and Mercury but he's got a very unique sound to his voice. He's going to be a hit with the viewers right out of the gate.”
“God, we have so much talent already and we still have five cities to go,” Minako said. “But next week is Japan and thank god because I swear if I have to eat one more bowl of fake ramen I am going to scream. I cannot wait for Tokyo!”
“Are you saying Russians can't make good ramen?” Yakov asked; by now, she and Celestino knew quite well when Yakov was being serious, and this was not one of those times.
“I'm just saying it's best at home. Let's hope we find some crazy talent there too like we did in Moscow. I think this is the best city so far,” she replied.
“I agree, we've got some great potential from here. But it's going to take me a while to get over Victor. I'm still blown away.”
“I think the entire world is going to have it bad for Victor from the minute his face shows up on their screens. This show wanted a superstar, and I think they're about to get one,” Minako replied.
Lead-in... going live in 5...4...3...2...1!
Mooroka: And we are back as we say goodbye to Moscow and the first half of our auditions. We've really seen some potential stars here, along with some not-so-serious ones who while they were entertaining, just didn't have what it takes to make it through. Next week we'll see highlights from the rest of our audition cities as well as a preview of Hollywood Week! Until then... Morooka, OUT!