On March 5th, LeAnn Rimes and Ne-Yo were in Love Theater at the Las Vegas Mirage Hotel and Casino as part of a non-singing double act. The 31 year-old country and pop singer was teamed up with 31 year-old R&B singer/songwriter and record producer Ne-Yo were sharing a couch and the stage on a CBS pilot, that was advertised as being the world premiere, which featured a new type of singing competition.
This new singing contest has a working title of The Spotlight – which shares one half of its name with Spotlight the United Kingdom’s casting directory. Considering that the producer of this new television venture is Englishman Nigel Lythgoe it encourages the question of whether he was responsible for the name or if it is one of the coincidences that so often occur in the business.
The show was filmed in the Las Vegas Mirage Hotel and Casino in their Love Theater. A “casting call” of sorts was put out for “live” audience members via the On Camera Audiences company which specializes in providing bums in seats for shows that are shot in front of a living breathing group of people versus a dead studio and artificial crowd noises added later.
64 year-old producer Lythgoe came out and spoke to the audience and thanked them for being there and he explained the show’s format. 12 young people were contestants for a singing match that only allowed a minimal amount of time for each singer to belt out their best. As each round commenced, two of the contestants would have been voted off.
The biggest difference was in how the voting worked, but, at the risk of enraging the program’s makers, or CBS, no further information can be revealed at this time. However, suffice to say, the show looked good. All the participants were wildly talented and it was truly saddening to see these great performers get booted off after votes were collected.
It makes sense that this CBS pilot would be good. Lythgoe has a good track record with these sort of shows and having the delightfully beautiful LeAnn Rimes and the always cool and impressive Ne-Yo in the Love Theater to semi-officiate over the contest being held in the Las Vegas Mirage Hotel and Casino certainly made the show enjoyable.
Equally enjoyable was the work of Vegas resident Mike Hammer, whose home is usually at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino, who “warmed up” the audience between takes and at the beginning of the show. Taking time to speak to many and either poke good natured fun at or have them get up on the stage to sing, this funny-man delivered as the man who “softened up” the punters before and during the show.
Presenting the contest was Jason Kennedy who may be better known to folks as E! correspondent and co-anchor of E! News Weekend and E! Online . Very personable and focussed, He rolled with the punches while filming and made very few mistakes from his end.
LeAnn Rimes looked stunning as usual in a dress that many in the audience believed was about to have a wardrobe malfunction, or at least Ms. Rimes’ bra strap was by having an “off” day. People in the crowd kept shouting to LeAnn that her bra strap had “slipped down” on her arm. After a while Nigel explained to the eagle-eyed and concerned participants that her dress was meant to look that way.
Both LeAnn and Ne-Yo looked great and provided valuable feedback to the singers as they were put through their paces. At one point Ms. Rimes had given one crowd favorite a less than glowing report on his skills. When the audience booed their dissatisfaction Ne-Yo very calmly explained that the feedback was honest and meant to help the artist and that there was no need “to boo.”
The two performers dealt with each contestant in a compassionate manner and were both very honest about how they perceived each of their performances. LeAnn Rimes and Ne-Yo also interacted well with the, sometimes, overenthusiastic audience in the Love Theater. Folks who lined up patiently outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas were rewarded with a full four and a half hours of entertainment and, for some, education on just how these musical contests work. It seems safe to say that a good time was had by all.
By Michael Smith
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25 Responses
LeAnn Rimes is a fantastic singer and entertainer. She’s good looking too! If you get a chance to see her live by all means do.
There is no way I would ever watch anything with Leeann Rimes in it
That is your loss.
For all those talking about Eddie leaving Brandi, SHE KICKED HIM TO THE CURB, I’m not a “stan” but get your facts straight. Leann is a creepy hasbeen, I don’t even know that much about her, I don’t think people below 30 do
No one wants to watch LeAnn Rimes. Enough said. Sounds like her dress is a copy of the one Brandi Glanville wore on her latest book cover. Will her obsession with the ex wife and SWF her ever stop?!
Leann has a wonderful voice but her last few albums were commercial flops and aren’t the people who didn’t buy those albums the target audience of a show like this? She seems an odd inclusion. And this article is very oddly written, it sounds as though the writer is 8 or drunk!
I totally agree with Sheryl Crow…”Leann Rimes has one of the best voices in the business”. Great choice Nigel,can’t wait. Loved, Think You Can Dance……By the way,if I cared about the private lives of entertainers,i would miss out on Julia Roberts,Brad Pit,Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean,majority of rock stars,majority of actors,majority of sports stars……and lord knows I would have no politician to vote for.These trolling bottom feeders are becoming quite boring.
Seriously. They would have crucified Elizabeth Taylor.
Can’t think of a better person to mentor than Rimes,she’s been performing a long time.Sounds like a fun show,despite the haters remarks.Haters are gonna hate.Looking forward to the show.
Very excited to see LeAnn Rimes and Nee-Yo together along with the singers on the show! Can’t WAIT!
Leann Rimes is a disgusting person and not attractive at all, She hasn’t made any decent music in years and her last album about borrowed peen and destroying the lives of small children was pure filth. I used to like NeYo too, now, not so much.
LeAnn sucks, her latest album was terrible and she’s kind of a bad human being. I wouldn’t watch this if it was the only thing showing on every channel. rebecom30@g
Noting with Leann Will be good, audiences Will not watch, she has an awful reputation and is hated after all the things she do in her personal Life. This show Will be a disaster
Why would the tv audience care about a show where only the studio audience has control of the outcome? It’s a stupid concept. Ne-Yo is still relevant, but Leann Rimes hasn’t had a hit in a decade. What a weird choice as a mentor or judge. The fact that she’s on all of the most hated celeb lists won’t do much to help the show either. She basically ruined that Carly kid’s chance of winning X-Factor by singing over her and using the poor girl to hold herself up. It was a travesty. Shouldn’t they have people mentoring who actually have successful careers and aren’t faded child stars whose records of late have all bombed? It’s only a pilot. It probably won’t get picked up anyway.
“Leann Rimes hasn’t had a hit in a decade.”
Singles. #1 in 2008, #40 in 2010, #11 in 2011
2007 Album Family #2 Country #2 US overall
2011 Album Lady & Gentleman US Country – #7 UK Country #2
Please let’s not forget the critical acclaim from critics and fans alike for the past 3 albums. If you’re going to hate please get your facts straight before blindly insulting an artist.
I don’t hate Leann and regardless of critical acclaim, her music doesn’t do well commercially now and hasn’t for a while. She’s become more known as tabloid fodder. Her performance on X-factor was universally panned and mocked and she plays low end casinos now, rather than stadiums. I never hear any of her music on the radio either. If the show is going to succeed, it needs hosts/judges/mentors that will help draw public interest. She’s not relevant in country anymore and certainly isn’t a hot name in pop music. You obviously are a huge fan to take the time to reply with obscure international chart rankings, but it doesn’t change my opinion that her peak career was a long time ago.
her performance giving tribute to Patsy Cline made host Trace Adkins (you know him right? Bigtime country male singer) CRY. He said he was overcome with emotion after being in the presence of such a great singer. SO TAKE THAT BRANDI GLANVILLE stans. Eddie left Brandi for Leann Rimes, so get over it. It’s going on SIX years. HAA
You are very immature. Where did I mention her husband’s ex wife. I don’t watch any of the RealHousewives franchises and am not a Brandy Glanville “Stan’s” as you put it so maybe you should direct your anger towards the people who are. Trace Atkins and the whole audience may have cried but that doesn’t make her relevant in music today or the right choice for the show. I also don’t recall where I said that she couldn’t sing well. So HAA yourself. What are you, twelve.?
Yes I’m a fan and no they’re no obscure charts, They are from the two biggest places in the music industry UK and US. US Dance and Country charts. US Charts, UK Country charts. “The genre’s where she isn’t relevant” and as for low end Casino’s maybe she does do “low end” but it was only last year she was performing at the 02 arena to a standing ovation by thousands amongst other big venues in the UK especially.. Every person has a peak. I’m not tying to change your opinion, you’re entitled to it, I’m just staying facts.
I feel sorry for the bitter and scorned women who are tweeting CBS begging them to not have LeAnn Rimes on this new show. There’s like 40 of them. Haaahaaha Both the bitter brandi fans and Brandi Glanddville need to move on in life. LeAnn rimes owns their minds. They tweet about her 24/7. LeAnn is winning!
Just like me, you have a right to your own opinion. I don’t question her talent in the least but still think that with the glut of singing competitions, they need a bigger name to get an audience. I have no plans on marching in front of CBS studios in protest or anything. When I said that she’s become tabloid fodder, I wasn’t exaggerating. She has. It’s unfortunate that it has taken focus away from her talent and probably cost her record sales. I hope that she appreciates loyal fans like you who support her regardless and who don’t stoop to accusing anyone who doesn’t have the exact same opinion of being a fan of her husband’s ex. Neither of my posts mentioned any details of her personal life or said that she was a bad person and yet, an apparently unhinged fan responded as if I had, rather than responding with facts and figures like you did. Have a good day.
I can’t wait to see what positive things they can both bring to up and coming talent. Both are very skilled at what they do, Ne-yo being a great producer/songwriter and LeAnn being a great writer and one of the best vocalists to come out of the 90’s onwards.Both will have great advice to give to contestants. I’ll keep a look out for this!
It sounds awful and I would never watch anything with Leann Rimes on it.
F L O P
Leeann is so gergous n has a voice of an angle when is the show going to b on n plz ask her to friend me on face book n an autographed pic wud make my year plz