Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Talent

National news and comment is doom-laden, so a bit of fluffy, unimportant meandering to counteract the gloom. Nero did it - fiddled while Rome burned - he probably didn't understand the complications of the situation and neither do I. So.........

We've been following the final few episodes of "America's Got Talent". I love to watch ordinary people getting close to achieving their dreams of a career in the spotlights. The five finalists (all vocalists or musicians, who beat the dancers, magicians and other variety acts) will discover tomorrow night who is 2008's winner, set to walk away with a million dollars and a contract to perform in Las Vegas.

I've been unable to find birth dates for any of the final five (listed below), so individual astrology isn't possible. The chart for tomorrow night's finale might indicate what type of singer/musician the planets favour, adding a helping of luck to one contestant's talent.

The finale chart is set for 9pm New York on 1 October 2008. The chart for final performances/voting, 24 September, doesn't vary a lot from the finale chart, apart from Moon position (Leo instead of Scorpio) and the degrees of faster moving planets. I'm not certain of the venue, but planets will be in the same signs, even if New York is incorrect.



Finale Chart: Sun, Mercury and Mars all in Libra - ruled by Venus which has strong connection to music and the arts. Venus in Scorpio, along with Moon semi-sextile (mildly harmonious) to Libra Sun - a hint of Scorpionic emotion and passion the contestants will experience while waiting for the results and finding out whether dearest dreams have wings or will, for the moment anyway, die a death.

Uranus in Pisces opposes Saturn in Virgo: a contest here between older, classic style and a more contemporary approach. Jupiter in Earthy Capricorn trines Saturn in Virgo, favouring the classic style, yet Jupiter also sextiles Uranus (but a sextile aspect isn't as powerful as a trine). Chiron, the Wounded Healer is conjunct North Node of the Moon (a sensitive point in the chart) and trines Mercury (communication and mental processes), but lies irritably quincunx Saturn. I see this as representing the "wounds", of one kind or another, each finalist has spoken of - disappointments, physical wounds, emotional wounds, and the ways in which they've all soldiered on in spite of these.

The finalists, four vocalists and a duo of avant garde violin players, are as follows:

Donald Braswell: Operatic-style tenor. He's handsome and seems like a very nice guy. Also sings classic standards. Was headed for a glittering career some years ago, but when cycling, on a visit to the UK, he was hit by a car. Severe damage to his vocal chords meant that he was told he may never speak again, let alone sing. He has fought back. Voted off in earlier rounds he was voted back by viewers as "a wild card contestant" when another act dropped out. Judge Sharon Osborne, for some reason, seems to want to put the audience off him, saying he's old fashioned, or belongs "on Broadway", not on a Las Vegas stage, yet she gives fulsome praise to the next contestant whose style is quite similar. This is puzzling!


Neal E. Boyd : Another tenor. A big, big guy who easily gets emotional - tears come very readily to him. He sings operatic areras and popular songs, and has been a favourite of the judges from day one. He's good, no doubt about it, and audiences love him.


Eli Mattson: Possibly the youngest and most contemporary in style of the 4 singers. Plays piano and sings - a la Elton John, his idol. He's good, and another favourite of the judges.






Queen Emily: Diva-type vocalist - in the UK they'd say "she's a belter" - great big voice, big gal. Probably right for Las Vegas or night clubs generally.








Nuttin' But Stringz: Two brothers, who previously played in the New York subways, have invented an altogether new way to play violin and mix it with a form of rap music. Very original. Piers Morgan praises them to high heaven every week. I see them as an excellent act, but not necessarily able to hold an audience for a full 1 and a half hour show which is what this is all about. To me, all their pieces sound the same.

****** ***** *****

So, is there a hint in the sky as to which contestant will walk away with the prize? Not a clear indication, without having each contestant's chart to compare - but for fun I'd say that it looks as though Jupiter (the lucky planet) is more in tune with the classic style of Braswell, Boyd or Queen Emily than the more contemporary Mattson or Nuttin' But Stringz.

Bearing in mind that it's the TV audience who will pick this winner and not the three judges, and adding logic to the mix, I suspect the audience will not care as much about "what is right for Las Vegas" as to whom they feel an emotional connection. I'd guess that more women than men will vote, and likely for a male. More older than younger viewers will be interested in voting, as this programme is probably not considered "cool" by many in the younger age groups.

Neal E. Boyd has been a consistent favourite with judges and audience. I'd favour Donald Braswell, on looks, voice, and possibly stamina, over Boyd, but I'm afraid Sharon Osborne may have swayed many viewers against Braswell. I'll guess the winner will be Neal E. Boyd then. He's quite similar, coincidentally, to Paul Potts (below), the tenor who won "Britain's Got Talent" last year.


UPDATE:


YAY!!!! I guessed correctly, with the assistance of tonight's planetary line-up!
Neal E. Boyd is the winner ! The classic (Saturn) triumphed over the modern (Uranus), the trine of Jupiter proving stronger than the sextile, as expected. Eli Mattson came a very close second with just one half a % between the two finalists. (Queen Emily 5th, Donald Braswell 4th, Nuttin' But Stringz 3rd).

4 comments:

anthonynorth said...

I don't usually like this kind of programme, although the one I can watch and enjoy is Strictly Come Dancing.
That can be fun.

Twilight said...

Hi AN ~~~ Many feel the same way about such shows, I know. I like only those where singing or music is involved, haven't watched any others in the USA.

Strictly Come Dancing has a USA counterpart but we don't watch that. It's just another arena for celebrities, not ordinary people. I did watch a few episodes of it in the UK though, so can see the attraction.

Anonymous said...

Caught that myself and you just hope that we hear alot more from all four of those finishers. Esp since Elton is older now and Pav. has left us . Two for two there don't you think.

Just a blogger out here. :)

Twilight said...

Hi lelablonde, thanks for your visit and comments.

That's a good point you make - yes, two for two, definitely!

Also, Donald Braswell, whose future seems assured after the compliment by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, might be seen as replacement for the late Robert Goulet. :-)