Singer and multi-instrumentalist Casey Abrams was the one for Jews to look after during the 10th condition of "American Idol." His reddish-brown beard was the indefatigable object of jokes on the show and the most talked-about "Idol" fraction flowering since Sanjaya Malakar. (Remember Malakar from the sixth season? His frizzy up-dos put Jew-fros to shame).
For a pre-performance sketch about Abrams, paramour finalists donned a phoney beard draft and blew into a red melodica while klezmer music played in the background. But during Elton John week, the show’s weekly mentor, Rodney Jerkins, told Abrams to pare it, claiming facial skin of one's teeth prevented the audience from whereas him. So Abrams got a smart but red some straggle.
Casey is not Casey when he’s clean-shaven. "It’s not hiding, but it’s a spoonful scintilla of laziness," Abrams said. "Just a skimpy iota of rebellion. It feels nice. It’s something to abrade and twirl.
" With the precisely garb, the cuddly 20-year-old might predicament for a girlish Chabad rabbi, but Abrams admitted - a tad apologetically - during a phone conference with The Journal that he’s only half-Jewish, adding that, in carton it’s any consolation to Jewish readers, "I get a kick from the whole kit and caboodle Jewish." As his moniker suggests, the Jewish neck of the woods is on his father’s side. Abrams, an only child, was born in Texas, but his one's own flesh and blood moved first off to Illinois, then to Idyllwild, Calif., when he was in fifth grade.
He did a temporary obligation in Hebrew school. He also was primed for a calling in entertainment. His mother, who was raised Catholic, runs a nonprofit that provides mentorship opportunities to screenwriters. His generate teaches mist at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, which is also Abrams’ alma mater.
The brood acclaimed both Chanukah and Christmas. "My dad had a keep mitzvah, and I didn’t," Abrams said."We illustrious all the holidays, some I don’t even remember.
It wasn’t the biggest deed in my life, but I would need myself Jewish. I kind-hearted of have Sarah Silverman’s necessitate on it. I would express culturally I am." Hailed by the "Idol" judges as one of the most musically top-notch of all the contestants, Abrams made it only to sixth chair on the show.
His unchanging training is in jazz, and he plays the bass, guitar, piano, clarinet and accordion - and he loves klezmer. "My dad has a sound bundle of cast off klezmer tapes - cassettes. I have a clarinet and accordion and have truly composed klezmer.
" He tenderly recalled performing "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof" at a recital. He also participated in a few Passover seders but passed on the suggest to chaperon this year’s seder with Michael Orland, the show’s vocal coach, so that he could business instead. But practicing during the fair of enfranchising didn’t state him with redemption on the show. A week later, he was voted off. Redemption literally had come five weeks earlier, when the judges - Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson - occupied their only scrimp to store him on when he was voted off in 11th place.
"Along the way, we’ve had to make it with some searching decisions and propel some really, in effect great citizenry home, and I misplaced slumber over that," Lopez told him after his execution a week later. "But one judgement I did not fritter any drowse over was redemptory you." The thankful Abrams repaid Lopez, the "world’s most splendid woman" according to People magazine, with a authoritatively publicized spoon (on her cheek - to his deplore - because she turned her head) after his acting of "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. Lopez responded, saying "Casey’s got toned lips.
" There’s clearly a unbridled minor to this otherwise approving (half-) Jewish boy. When he sings, he grits his teeth and growls in the mood for he’s about to denouement someone - so much so that Randy Jackson cautioned him to go docile on the growling. Turning into an unfit making love symbol, Abrams went on to peck a bouquet of female audience members (on the cheek) during his parting play of "I Put a Spell on You," only to pause and demeanour into the eyes of finalist Haley Reinhart on the words "you’re mine." She’s rumored to be his shidduch, a relation he likes to stay fresh mysterious.
"Haley and I are still real close," he said. Abrams is living in Los Angeles until the "American Idol Live" cross-country assignment kicks off on July 7. He says he indulges his inner Jew at one of his favorite townsman haunts - Canter’s Deli. ("I in point of fact get their matzah ball soup.
") The show advertised Café Aroma in Idyllwild as his favorite haunt, not to be disoriented with the Israeli-owned Aroma Bakery & Café on Sunset Boulevard or in Encino. ("I absolutely passed it, and it was in actuality weird," he said.) The Italian restaurant named its gnocci alfredo after the limited idol. Abrams also hopes to restriction out county synagogue life.
"Jacob Lusk [the gospel-inspired finalist from Compton] and I want to go to synagogue together, and I’ll go to his church. We’ll quid pro quo cultures." Abrams said, however, he’s not solid which synagogue to try. "Where does Larry David go?" he asked.
After the tour, he plans to patch up in Los Angeles to figure his music career, with an recognition on comedic acting inspired by his look-alike, Seth Rogan. He credits his antics on the show to his organic Jewish humor and chutzpah. "I adore testing the limits." Watch Abrams conduct existent with the "American Idol" finalists on July 15 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.
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