2009 Adam Lambert's AI 8 Performances

Grease 2000
Adam Lambert (lower right) in "Grease."
(Photo courtesy of Moonlight Stage Productions)

More than 88 million votes were cast for the “American Idol” finalists and the winners, Ryan Seacrest told us, were “only” a million votes apart. No surprise that San Diegan Adam Lambert moved on to the final round. He has long been the judges’ favorite.

He’s San Diego’s darling, too. Adam received a hero’s welcome when he made his Homecoming visit, and he made a particularly poignant stop at MET2, the Metropolitan Educational Theatre where he got his musical theater start, singing, dancing and acting in shows from age 8 to 17.

They unearthed a few old photos of Adam, when he performed in “The Secret Garden,” as both the magical Dickon and the grieving Archibald, as well as the masked Ellipsis in “Beauty and the Beast.”

But MET2 wasn’t the only local theater company that got an early glimpse of Adam’s talent. He also performed a number of shows with Moonlight Stage Productions, including “Grease” (he played Doody) and “Peter Pan” (he was Captain Hook).

Moonlight founding artistic director Kathy Brombacher remembers him well.

“He was with us during his high school years,” Brombacher recalls. “He was a gifted performer with an incredible voice. When he was in a production, he had a good sense of the play, and a good sense of himself. He seemed to be a very grounded young man. And his parents were always there to support him. That’s very important to a young performer.

“He was blond and freckle-faced in those days,” Brombacher chuckles. “It took me a while to get used to his current look. But he always had huge amounts of positive energy, and a great desire to pursue the business. He was clear on that early on.”

In “Hello, Dolly!,” Adam played Ambrose Kemper, the poor artist who wins the dance competition with Vandergelder’s niece, Ermengarde.

“He’s not a professional dancer,” Brombacher admits, “but he moves well. They did a wonderful job training him at MET2.”

During his years at Mt. Carmel High School, 1996-2000, Adam’s drama teacher was Doug Smith, who now teaches at Westview High, also part of the Poway Unified School District.

“He did six shows with me at Mt. Carmel,” Smith recalls, “and he was absolutely fantastic. He had light hair then, but he always liked to dress up and be flamboyant.”

It might surprise the “Glamberts,” Adam’s diehard fans, but not all the shows he did in high school were musicals. He appeared in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” in his sophomore year.

“He played a small but memorable part – the marshal, Willard,” says Smith. “He was very convincing.”

In his junior year, in Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker,” the non-musical inspiration for “Hello, Dolly!” he was Horace Vandergelder. And in his senior year, Adam played the hilarious, ass-headed Bottom in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“Oh my god, he was funny,” Smith recalls with a laugh. “He has great comedic talent, which you haven’t really gotten to see on ‘American Idol.’”

Of course, Adam also displayed his musical talent in high school, in “The Pirates of Penzance,” and as anguished Uncle Archibald in “The Secret Garden.”

“When he sang ‘Lily’s Eyes,’” Smith says of the show’s beautiful memory ballad, “he got a standing ovation every night. I always felt he’d go on to big things. He was a consummate entertainer, even then. He really knows how to bring a character forth in a song. There’s a power and force to his interpretations. That’s one of the reasons he’s so successful at so many different types of songs.

“Adam’s ability to understand the character of a song comes from his musical theater training,” Smith asserts.

“He could certainly have a career on Broadway. But when he was recently here for his Homecoming visit, he told the kids at Mt. Carmel High that he wants to focus on singing now, with a variety of music styles, not just rock. He’s so great with an audience. Whether it’s in live theater or concerts, I think he’ll be great. In the 30 years I’ve been doing this, I’d rank him in the top 1% of performers.”

Director/choreography Ray Limon, co-founder of LimonCarr Productions in Tustin, also directed Adam, and never quite forgot him from his days performing at Moonlight Stage Productions.

“He was a great kid when he did ‘Grease,’” recalls Limon. “He always had that voice. One year, when we were doing our annual fundraiser, ‘Broadway at the Moonlight,’ spotlighting all the former Moonlight performers who’d gone on to Equity and Broadway, we added him into the mix. He was the youngest performer we’d ever had in the production. He was just in high school then. And ‘Chess’ was another very adult show he appeared in. It was very impressive for him to be cast. He had the lead song, ‘Pity the Child.’ I’d love to hear him sing that now.”

Limon is about to direct “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Welk Theatre in Escondido, for which he recently auditioned 300 actor/singers.

Adam Lambert in "The Secret Garden." (Photo courtesy MET2)

“As talented as they were,” says Limon, “Adam’s talent is way beyond that. He’s like the little cartoon character, Vavoom, the little tiny guy who goes up to the mountains and hits a note and the mountains crumble. He’s like that!”

Limon used to present musical theater workshops at Moonlight, and after each participant sang, he’d give them notes and critiques. Adam was in high school when he took the workshop. “And for the first and only time,” Limon says, “I said to a performer after he sang, ‘I have nothing to tell you.’

“He’s very savvy and very smart, and always two steps ahead of the game. He never takes the common or expected path. You can see that repeatedly on ‘American Idol.’ As a performer, he took direction well, but he came to the plate with a full plate. He came to rehearsal with good ideas. That’s very rare for someone that young. Very unusual. I always knew he was an amazing talent. Now everyone knows. Even if he doesn’t win, he’s already won. There are wolves waiting at the door with contracts, producers knocking themselves out to get him. This is just the start for him. I truly think he’s gonna be up there at the top. Do it all: movies, tour concerts, Broadway, rockstar.

“I hope he goes to Broadway,” Limon says. “It’s his roots, his first love. I hope he doesn’t turn his back on it.”

Pat Launer is the SDNN theater critic.

Adamgasm: Definition/(n).
The peak of one's sexual excitation caused by anything
that involves Adam Lambert and his ultra sexiness.

Hmmmmm.

You probably didn't hear it here first, but you've most likely heard it. It's a term from the urban dictionary describing an experience related to a certain idol named Adam Lambert. The American Idol runner up is doing just that....running up the charts, and driving his tweeter/facebook/myspace fans straight up the flagpole and into stellar orbit. And they're happy to be waving his flag. Not since Elvis or the Beatles has there been such a frenzy of excitement. Though I must confess, I don't endorse the comparison to previous idols; it doesn't do anyone justice. And this one in particular is in a league all his own. He has earned a separate designation.

"Glambert", I believe...

As for the anatomy of the Adamgasm, we look to the essence of Adam Lambert and his wide appeal to man and beast alike. Start with the Rolling Stone magazine cover where Lambert left a respectable portion of the population breathless with snake envy. Since then, almost every other part of his anatomy has been scrutinized, sending his devotees on the quest for oxygen and cold showers. His public appearances have sparked a near riot with young and old, gay and straight, and more than a few caught somewhere in between. He's even left some confused about their own image of sexuality.


Adam Lambert is redefining everything.

Whether you like him or not, his talent and influence cannot be denied. He's commanded some serious attention, and a lot of people are waiting to see and hear what this wonderlust has in his glittery bag of tricks. Unpredictable and devilishly aware of his own sexual power, he entices the masses with seemingly little effort. This guy could make mopping the floor a carnal experience. Men and women of all ages and orientations are showing up to the American Idol concerts just to witness Adam unleash himself from the confines of television censorship. As he recently twittered before a show in San Jose..."dance with me and I'll set you free..."

Get the dancing shoes on and attend one of these gigs. What you'll see are thousands of unabashed, shrieking admirers ready to "dance" the night away with Adam. Frenzied followers of the glambert tribe also patiently stand outside venues in hopeful anticipation of a mere glimpse, an autograph, or a personal encounter with the man himself. Early reports indicate that he has graciously attended some "meet and greets" with his fans expressing excitement and gratitude for his rapid fire success.

What a nice guy.

There is an interesting dichotomy to Adam Lambert, though, that is worthy of exploring. His persona offstage is that of a good-natured, unassuming, considerate, and modest type of fellow.

Onstage however, all hell breaks loose.

Right on cue, he frees the slick, hip thrusting, microphone straddling glam-boy, and storms the stage with the intensity of a hurricane leaving everyone in its wake. For the dancing, you get powerful, rhythmic moves that can only be performed by a member of the sexual elite. The songs are delivered in perfect pitch, and with a guttural cry here and there for effect.

A primal call to his mates.

He has an intrinsic understanding of his own talent, and how to flaunt it. In doing so, he boldly tempts a new generation of guilty voyeurs and curious listeners to stand up and take notice.

And they have.

It's a new day in pop culture, and Adam Lambert is writing the book on cool, singing an anthem of sexual freedom, and dancing to the beat of absolute liberation.


And what does he think of the term Adamgasm?

It pleases him.

"I'm glad I'm causing people gasms", he laughs.

As if he didn't know..........

Adam Lambert-American Idol Top 5 Feeling Good (HD)

Full Steam Ahead

As Idol ended, Adam Lambert was just getting started. Since his "non win", (we certainly won't call it a loss), he hit the airwaves like a sonic boom. His appearances on radio, entertainment, and awards shows, have pumped rocket fuel into the raging Glambert fire. The momentum picked up even more with that smokin' hot magazine cover. Kudos to Matthew Rolston from Rolling Stone for giving us a sultry Adam lying on a bed with strategically placed accessories in all the right places.

A man sexed up for success is a very appealing package.

What's fascinating is who he's appealing to. We'll start with the obvious teens and pre-teens. What do they find appealing? I'll take a shot in the dark and say it's his sensual smile, smokey eyes, sultry voice, and the glam/goth clothes. They'll be standing in line for the posters, fan mags, charcoal eye liner, and black nail polish. A merchandising goldmine.

Next, are the 20 & 30 somethings. They are attracted to him for the reasons stated above; as well as the fact that he's in their age group, which makes him more attainable. He also provides a bit of the "forbidden fruit" syndrome since he has confirmed that he is gay. Don't we all want to believe that a beautiful man like that can be successfully converted by just one night of explosive passion with a woman? And you are just the one to do it, right?

Maybe.

He has provocatively suggested that a night like that could very well be in his future. Could it be so? Or not? He appears to be very sincere and almost boyishly coy as he makes this declaration. Or perhaps it's a masterfully executed promotional plan to keep his feverish female fans at their boiling point? It would not, after all, serve him well to discourage this fan base from thinking that he was accessible. They, and their teen counterparts, are the ones who will spend the most money on his C.D., which is set for release on November 24th.

Then there's the gay men. They will love Adam for casting a positive spotlight where they don't often see one. Whether he means to or not, Lambert will prove once again that real talent, success, and beauty should have nothing to do with sexual orientation. He may be the chosen one likely to dispel some misconceptions of gay culture in America. Again, this is not his platform, but it will happen as an ancillary benefit to his success. About time.

Now let's get to the most interesting of his admirers. The Cougars. Yes, middle aged 40-50 something women. Strong, successful, in their sexual prime. Mrs. Robinson to you. For them, Adam is USDA choice, and they are on the hunt. Many have said they don't even know why, since he is young enough to be their son. So why do they want to indulge in this guilty pleasure named Adam Lambert?

I think I know.

I am a Cougar myself, and I can speak for my pack. Lambert encompasses all things sexual, without the conventional ties that bind. He reminds us that love, freedom, and sex can and should, go hand in hand. The freedom to be who you are, on your terms, with no restrictions, no inhibitions, and no limitations.

That's sexy as hell.

The fact that he reveals these truths with one smirk on the Rolling Stone cover punctuates my point. This man knows exactly what he is doing. He is in full control of his destiny, and he intends to navigate his own way. And he clearly isn't afraid of the snakes.

That's sexy as hell too.

And it will serve him well as his quantum leap into super stardom continues. While he's on his way, we'll all be standing by eagerly cheering him on. Eye candy for teens, a daring conquest for 20-somethings, a beacon for gay men, and a Cougars timely reminder that she can still take a walk on the wild side. How many men can offer so much to so many?

Adam Lambert can...just watch him.

And listen.

"Really?" the guy at the Alamo Rental Car place said, when I'd told him about Burning Man. "I heard it was just a lot of naked people running around on drugs."

Coated in gypsum dust, and still high not on drugs but on the altered consciousness of radical creativity and community, I had just tried to describe what Burning Man is, somehow. I think I'd said something like, "It's a temporary city of 50,000 people, devoted to radical self-expression. So you'll find anything you'd find in a regular city -- art museums, dance clubs, yoga studios -- only in the middle of the desert, with no money, and with more creativity than you've ever seen."

Of the two descriptions, surely Rental Car Guy's is the more familiar. When Adam Lambert revealed that he'd gotten the idea to go on American Idol while on mushrooms at Burning Man, America groaned. The image, I assume, was of a drugged-out weirdo coming up with a loopy idea in the middle of wild, crazy party.

The truth, though, is that Burning Man is an ideal place for self-reflection and self-transformation, whether substance-aided or not, and as someone who's just gotten back from his 8th Burn, Lambert's revelation didn't surprise me a bit. Friends of mine have changed their names, their professions, and their entire lives at Burning Man. And not because they were stoned or tripping, but because Black Rock City -- the temporary city (built and erased within a month) where the event goes on every year, the week before Labor Day -- has a tendency to expand horizons, reveal possibilities, and question the assumptions most of us make about how we're supposed to live our lives.

Burning Man does this, I think, because of a combination of factors. One of them is the sheer size and scope of the thing. 50,000 people. Hundreds of cars and trucks modified to look like dragons, whales, radios, and steamboats; many breathing fire; most with dozens of revelers dancing on them. It's like "Mad Max" meets "Blade Runner" meets "The Ten Commandments," and it's real, it's actually happening.

And it's happening without capitalism. There's no vending at Burning Man -- it's a gift economy. Entire "theme camps" exist just to give away spaghetti, to serve people free margaritas, to make pancakes. Yes, it does cost a lot to get in (between $150-350), but that mostly pays for the rental of the land from the government, the porta-potties and other infrastructure, and grants made to large-scale art projects. No one -- not the celebrity DJs who were there this year, like Armin van Buuren and Carl Cox, and not the people who build the solar electrical grid -- gets paid. No one is making a buck.

This is incredibly liberating. It's not sustainable, but it is a temporary autonomous zone of bullshit-free living. And just being there, just participating in the creation of an entire city devoted to what we want to do, rather than what we have to do to make money, has the tendency to invite self-reflection like Lampert's. Who am I? What do I really want to be doing? If people can create a twelve-ton sculpture of a bird's nest made entirely out of plumbing pipe, what are the limits on my own creativity? "Once you are free," said Baudrillard, "you are forced to ask who you are."

The freedom is more than just freedom from conventional economic life, though. Yes, there are some naked people running around on drugs, because the culture of Black Rock City is a very, very liberal one. (It's not free of law enforcement -- this year in particular, I heard many stories of people being busted for drugs, and for giving alcohol to minor-aged-looking undercover cops.) Of course, how people choose to exercise that freedom is up to them. For every NPRAOD, I'd guess there are two people wishing they had the courage to do so, one person playing the violin on a sofabed in the middle of a desert, two people cooking pumpkin ravioli, and another person writing the name of her beloved on the wooden walls of the Temple -- this year a three-story, Lotus-shaped construction just north of the center of the city, that was burned last Sunday night.

Of course, we don't hear about these other people, which, to me, says more about the puerility of the default world than the sexuality of Black Rock City. It's as if radical self expression is boring, but if it means naked people on drugs, then it's titillating, easy to condemn -- and also comprehensible. Oh, I get it.

You don't get it. You don't get what it's like to have 50,000 people circle around a wooden effigy, with 1000 people spinning fire and 500 more playing drums, all encircled by 200 art cars -- and then all roaring in unison as the effigy is set afire. You might think you get it, and it may scare or tempt or delight you, but I assure you, you don't get it. None of us do, because it's not about any one thing in particular; "it" can be an orgiastic celebration, or the sad mourning of a lost loved one. Or a warm, hippie-like community. Or a mean, Mad-Max-like apocalypse. "It" is chiefly a space in which all these things are possible.

The temporary erasure of societal, social, and personal boundaries is, for most of us, terrifying. Such boundaries help build the structures of society and self; they give form to human life, which is often chaotic and unpredictable. Thus they have been the bedrock of religious and civil life for millennia, even before the Furies were imprisoned under Athens, and Moses descended from Sinai.

But if religion creates boundaries, mysticism and spirituality efface them. In the transcendence of ordinary distinctions, peak experiences such as those encouraged at Burning Man give a glimpse of the ultimate, the infinite. It may seem absurd to suggest that Burning Man is a mystical event. But then, if it's just a big party, why is there a temple in the middle of it?