Coverage: American Idol Live! Tour 2012 – Manila Press Conference

Filipino fans of the Top 10 finalists in Season 11 of the reality singing show, “American Idol”, are definitely in for a treat this week as Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, DeAndre Brackensick, Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, Hee Jun Han, Skylar Laine, Colton Dixon and Hollie Cavanagh are coming to Manila for a one-night live performance on September 21 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Yesterday, the Top 10 American Idol Finalists arrived in Manila and held a press conference at the grand Manila Hotel. Everyone has not yet experienced travelling to the Philippines and although they admit the 14-hour flight was exhausting, they are still thrilled to perform to their Filipino fans. Everyone in the press room cheered for their favorite American Idol especially to our very own Jessica Sanchez who is more than excited to finally meet her fellow kababayan.

Here are Orange Magazine TV’s photo coverage during the press conference:

It’s a riot covering press conference like this because everyone tries to have a better photo of the American Idols and some photographers are rude and unruly that’s why I didn’t get good photos during the press conference. Add the fact that I am multi-tasking that time, taking videos using my iPhone 4S while taking photos using my Canon EOS 550D camera.

But lucky me because I had the opportunity to do a round table with the them in a separate room and that means more up-close and much better photos. The media (minus the rowdy press photographers) were divided into two groups. I was assigned first to interview Jessica Sanchez, Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, and Hollie Cavanagh and later, with Phillip Phillips, Joshua Ledet, Hee Jun Han, and Skylar Laine. DeAndre Brackensick didn’t showed up in the round table interview as he was reportedly not feeling well that time.Here’s what happened during the round table interview:

This round table is much better because even if we were allowed to ask questions for 15 minutes only, I managed to squeeze in some questions and of course, took a lot of photos with them, this time, asking them to look at my camera and not just stolen shots. The round table was fun because the Idols are more at ease answering questions and boy, do they laugh a lot! Hee Jun Han joked a lot, talking about pranks, while Joshua Ledet keeps on speaking “charot” a Filipino gay word he learned during a round table with the other press. He was also making ‘fun’ of Charice in a good way saying stuffs like how he love the Youtube sensation so much.

Check out clips of our video coverage below:

We all didn’t get the opportunity to have our pictures taken with the American Idols and when we finally accepted that fact, then came my celebrity friend JM Rodriguez who also works with Yahoo! Philippines. I’ve known JM Rodriguez for quite sometime because we always get to see each other in events where he parties or sometimes, hosts. Another luck hits me as he approached me to ask a favor. He was supposed to do a one-on-one interview the American Idols and his crew haven’t arrived yet at the venue. He asked for my help if it’s okay to use my Canon camera to video his interview. Of course, I automatically said yes. Although I am not that confident because this is the first time I’ll be recording a video using my EOS 550D camera, I gave it a go because I wont get offer like this everyday, and of course, I wont deny that I would love to have a photo op with any of them since it’s harder to do so because I am not yet a big media outfit like Yahoo! Philippines. And the American Idols are of course, a popular international celebrities.

We did managed to interview Phillip Phillips, Joshua Ledet, Hee Jun Han but not Jessica Sanchez. But that’s okay because during the American Idol Season 10, it was actually Hee Jun Han that I’m rooting for. Anyways, here’s our solo pictures with Phillip Phillips, Joshua Ledet, and Hee Jun Han:

I already gave the copies of JM Rodriguez’s interview and I will just wait for them to upload it so I can post it here as well.

Here’s more information about the tour:

“American Idol Live! Tour 2012” brings together on the same stage on the same night the powerhouse cast of 10 new discoveries in the hit reality singing competition in their first Asian engagement following a 45-date US tour that took them to major cities in North America. The Top 10 finalists are expected to perform some of the numbers they did during the four-month talent search, with Sanchez drawing from her song list that includes, among others, “Change Nothing,” “Stuttering”, “Sweet Dreams” and “I Will Always Love You.” An online post of the tour’s repertoire indicates that Sanchez has seven production numbers and three solo spots.

The AI superstars will also grace Ayala Malls and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls to promote not only the concert but also their American Idol Highlights albums under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines). Catch your favorite American Idol Top 10 finalists at the following malls: September 19 at Eastwood City (with Jessica, Elise, DeAndre, Heejun & Erika) and Glorietta Activity Center (with Phillip, Colton, Joshua, Skylar & Hollie) and on September 20 at Alabang Town Center (with Jessica, Elise, DeAndre, Heejun & Erika) and Venice Piazza McKinley Hill (with Phillip, Colton, Joshua, Skylar & Hollie). With special guests: Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart Sabrina and Philippines’ foremost boy band 1:43. Album selling is from 10:00 am onwards. Program starts at 5:00 pm. Buy your AI albums at the Odyssey selling booth and have it signed after the show!

“American Idol Live! Tour 2012” is produced by Ovation Productions in association with ETC, 2nd Avenue and Jack TV, and with the support of The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld, Inquirer.net, Philstar.com, RJ 100.3 FM, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Mellow 94.7, 97.9 Home Radio and Optima Sign Solutions. Special thanks to: MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines) and Odyssey Music & Video.

Albums of the TOP 10 FINALISTS of AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 11 are available in CDs at Odyssey Music & Video exclusively under MCA Music.