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From Bradenton to the big timeBy ERIC DEGGANS, Times Television Critic © St. Petersburg Times published June 13, 2003
She knows it sounds crazy, even now. Packing two young children and her husband in a car to drive eight hours from Bradenton to Chattanooga, Tenn. Waiting with hundreds of other families to audition. Heading home after two days with no idea whether her little girl had made the cut. But sitting in a Beverly Hills, Calif., hotel room Wednesday, less than a week before her daughter, Danielle, would face a nationwide audience as part of Fox's American Juniors talent contest, Jean White can say this with complete conviction: It was all worth it. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Mrs. White, 33, speaking by telephone from California. "She loves (music) so much, she's drawn to it. Although I have reservations about the exposure, I can't hold her back now . . . it's all about the experience." Danielle has experienced nothing but success as part of American Juniors, a kiddie-sized spinoff of Fox's popular American Idol series. The 11-year-old dancer/singer is one of 20 semifinalists picked from nationwide auditions shown in the series' first two weeks of telecasts. (More than 2,000 children auditioned in four cities in May, with about 60 invited to Los Angeles.) Beginning Tuesday, Danielle will perform with nine other children on the show, learning a special song and dance routine taught by professional coaches. Wednesday, viewers will pick five kids from the group to head into the finals; the next week, the process repeats with the other 10 children. By July 1, viewers will begin picking their favorites from the 10 finalists to create a five-member group, scheduled to perform together in the Aug. 19 finale. USA Today has called Juniors a "cruelty-free Idol," because judges aren't expected to criticize the performers the way Simon Cowell's cutting barbs sliced up Idol's less talented competitors. Viewers vote kids in, not out, and the unflattering portrayals are saved for parents, who often come across as hopelessly indulgent or nightmarishly controlling. "I know it comes off like there's all these crazy parents out here," said Mrs. White, who has not been shown on camera much (husband Brian, an actuary for Progressive Auto Insurance, was shown dancing after Danielle passed an audition). "But . . . these people are just trying to give their kids an opportunity." One parent who bore the brunt of American Juniors' sting was Riverview resident Kristin Catalani, whose 9-year-old daughter, Alex, seemed a shoo-in but was cut during the Los Angeles auditions shown this week. On TV, Mrs. Catalani seemed a typical stage mom, saying that she has an out-of-body experience when Alex begins singing. Even now, the family has trouble accepting that Alex didn't make the cut. "The only negative thing for us is that Fox would not give us a reason (for cutting Alex)," said dad Jay Catalani, who called WFLZ-FM 93.3 radio personality M.J. Kelli after the host's insults - he called Mrs. Catalani a "psycho mom," among other comments - made Alex cry (Kelli has apologized to the child). "They told us going in that they were looking for a "look' and the most talented people might not be the ones," Jay Catalani said, noting that Alex has also auditioned for CBS's Star Search Live and NBC's America's Most Talented Kid. In a move befitting a diva in training, Danielle, who has appeared with Tampa's Entertainment Revue and also auditioned for Star Search, isn't speaking to the press. "She's saving her voice," her mother said. AT A GLANCEAmerican Juniors airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on WTVT-Ch. 13.  © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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