[kevkrom]

I hadn't been keeping up with Diana since she released Blue Skies. I did a Google news search to find out about the musical she's doing, and also found an article: Diana DeGarmo entertains U.S. troops... I always did like that gal.

[Wolfstar]

Excerpt from a USA Today article about how difficult the USO has found it booking stars for appearances in the war zone. Click link provided to read the entire piece.

USO cheers troops, but Iraq gigs tough to book
Posted 12/22/2005

Williams said he'd like to see more comedians in their 20s entertaining the troops, most of whom are that age. Pop singer Jessica Simpson and American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson are among the few young stars who have visited war zones.

Kelly has also lent her celebrity to the group "Cell Phones for Soldiers." Here is a link to their website, which has the following photo of Kelly with some of the kids raising money for this worthy cause:

For their generosity toward our troops in a time when the vast majority of celebrities run the other way, Kelly, Diana and Josh are the three former AI contestants that I most admire.

[Wolfstar]

I always did like that gal.

So did I. At 16, she was probably a little too green to win AI, but I always liked her better than Fantasia. Now more polished at the ripe old age of 18, Diana has gotten a really big break recently:

'American Idol 3' runner-up Diana DeGarmo lands 'Brooklyn' lead

UPI News Service, 01/07/2006

"American Idol" runner-up Diana DeGarmo has been cast in the lead for the U.S. tour of the Broadway pop musical "Brooklyn."

Tony Award winner Melba Moore will star as the 18-year-old's nemesis, Playbill.com reported Saturday.

Broadway director Jeff Calhoun will again helm the cast, which also includes Tony-winner Cleavant Derricks re-creating his Broadway role.

"Diana came in and auditioned for us, and she blew us away," Calhoun told Playbill.com. "Brooklyn is an 18-year-old pop star, and that's what (Diana) is. You're not going to do better than that."

The tour is scheduled to kick off in June in Hartford, Conn., with other dates yet to be announced.

The Broadway production of "Brooklyn" closed on June 25, 2005.

Moore won her Tony for her work in the musical "Purlie" while Derricks got his for "Dreamgirls."

Diana has a huge, beautiful, strong voice. With the seasoning and mentoring she'll get on this tour from a Broadway director and a Tony-winning star like Melba Moore, Diana may very well be on her way to Broadway stardom.