stars of the future

The National Theatre, a gorgeous, newer building downtown that is completely incongruous with the rest of Accra's architecture, plays host the Friday-night live broadcast of "Stars of the Future," which is the Ghanaian equivalent of American Idol. (Apparently, there is an actual "African Idol," but it is based in Nairobi.) We went to the show to kick-off the weekend, and came away with some highly entertaining (and free!) comparisons between our American original and the Ghanaian interpretation. Their Ryan Seacrest-equivalent is a large Ghanaian woman with a British accent, and their panel of three judges could probably, with a big stretch, be aligned with Randy, Paula and Simon. But the whole set-up was highly informal -- nothing like you'd ever see in the states -- with people loudly singing along with the performers, jumping in front of camera lenses and interrupting the commentators. Even the selection process for contestants is Ghana-ified: the judges travel all over the country, making stops in big cities and small, obscure villages, to seek out talent for the show. There are no auditions, just luck and fate. The judges didn't have a fancy table or strategically placed Coca-Cola cups, but instead just sat in three front-row seats and passed a microphone between them. Also, at one point during the show, Ryan Seacrest mistakenly took a commercial break. Because they show the broadcast feed on two projection screens in the theater, we all stared awkwardly as she flipped through her cue cards, peeked off-screen, and then finally, realizing the error, clicked back in to continue hosting. It was one of those gaffes that seldom happens on American live television, but is probably pretty common in Ghana. We also happened to come on Gospel Night, and each of the eight remaining contestants sang a hymn or contemporary song -- one of the theme nights that American Idols haven't yet adopted. The audience was ecstatic, and knew every lyric to every song, but we mostly stayed in our seats and strained to follow the tunes. I think that everyone gets hair and makeup assistance from production staff, and all the show's personalities, especially the women, looked very Western. From hair to clothing styles, it was all very different from what we see in our daily interactions around the city. Most of the audience, which seemed to be mostly high-class and wealthier (even though the taping is free), were more-sophisticatedly dressed than the majority of Ghanaians. They also seemed to mostly be faithful, repeat attendees, having come to spectate since the premiere and closely following along, keeping an eye on their favorite contestant. During some performances, audience members proudly punched signs or painted sheets into the air, to show support for their favorite performer. Nobody was eliminated during this show, and I haven't actually figured out when they incorporate that part of the program, but voting is all done via text-message so somehow, sometime, they tabulate figures and give someone the boot. Our new favorite is Adina, whom the fans and judges also adore. It's a little frustrating that, with two weeks left in Ghana, we'll miss finding out who wins, but by the time I return to the states there will be plenty of other competition reality shows (Project Runway, for example!) to keep my mind otherwise occupied.