"The Voice"--Now That's Entertainment

The Voice offers viewers one of the most refreshing concepts brought to a televised talent contest.  In the first epidsode, judges Christina Aguilara, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine sit on high-backed chairs while contestants perform behind them.  If a judge feels the person has promise, s/he hits a button, and the chair turns 180 degrees, so that the contestant and the judge face one another.  If more than one judge turns, the contestant must choose whose team to join.  Eventually, each team has eight members.  Once the teams are chosen, the judges assume the role of coach to each team member--another unique concept.

I haven't seen every episode, but the staging and performances I did watch absolutely knocked me out.  In many ways, The Voice surpasses Vegas shows because of the variety of songs and styles displayed.  These performers are not yet jaded by fame.  While only one person can win, all of these hopefuls have what it takes to make it in the music business.  Viewers are seeing tomorrow's stars as they enjoy the show.

A few minutes ago, the semi-finals concluded, with one member of each team chosen to progress to the finals.  Blake and Christina used the same strategy in giving both remaining team members a score of 50 out of 100 each.  Cee Lo split 51 to 49, and Adam gave Javiar Colon 65 and Casey Weston 35.  Levine said he did that to ensure that Javiar would advance to the finals, since he's been in the business for several years already.  He told Casey that she is just 18, and  he assured her she will eventually have a successful singing career.

Christina's finalist, Beverly McClellan, commands the stage with her energetic rock performances, reminiscent in some ways of Janis Joplin.  Adam's strategy paid off, although Javiar would have won anyway, without Adam's help.  Blake's finalist, Dia Frampton, has talent as a musician and songwriter, in addition to her singing ability.  But Vicci Martinez, Cee Lo's protoge, projects one of the most powerful voices on the show.  Each finalist has a style different from the others, so it's difficult to predict the outcome.  I'll take a chance and choose Beverly as the one who will win it all.  In appearance, she's an unlikely star.  She sports numerous tattoos and has no hair, but she can turn an audience on the minute she steps on stage.  Don't miss next week's show!  The final episode is guaranteed to keep you smiling and might even spur you to jump out of your seat and cheer for your favorite.