Janet Jackson’s reality show hosts open call audition
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
It was the hip-hop version of American Idol, except with more attitude and a lot more soul.
“Atlanta does have flavor,” said Shaggy Bajirami, one of the casting directors at the open-call audition Wednesday.
Hundreds of performers swarmed Dance 411 Studios last Wednesday with hopes to be cast as one of the 10-20 aspiring stars for — yet another — MTV reality series: Janet Jackson’s search for her prodigy.
After her wardrobe malfunction, a couple of not-so-hot album releases and a tiff with her record label, Ms. Jackson — like many other pop stars on the wane — is going after reality television in an attempt to re-publicize herself.
Wright-Crear Management, 25/7 Productions and Doron Ofir Casting, the force behind a slew of popular reality shows, collaborated with the famed flasher herself to find the best raw talent to mold into a singing/dancing pop sensation.
“Janet will be in every taping,” said Doron Ofir, executive casting director. “This is not like Randy Jackson’s dance crew.”
Whew, that’s a relief.
Jackson specifically singled out Atlanta as one of the four cities to host an open-call audition. “Every city brings something different,” Bajirami said. “New York had Broadway, Chicago had break dancing, and Atlanta? Atlanta has the energy, the hoopin’ and hollerin’.”
