It started with a tweet.
In late September, Alex Wong, a dancer from New York, tweeted, “American Idol is in Jersey today… I want to go audition… Hahaha.”
Well, apparently he wasn’t kidding.
Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of “American Idol, ” took to Twitter last week and tweeted this tidbit: “Wow, Alex Wong just auditioned for # AmericanIdol. The boy has a good voice.”
But why would Lythgoe tweet about a specific “Idol” audition-and, more importantly, why would he be naming names?
Because fans of Lythgoe’s other show, a little dance comp called “So You Think You Can Dance,” know all too well who Alex Wong is.
Wong, a “SYTYCD” fan favorite, famously exited the seventh season of the dance competition prematurely last year, when he ruptured an Achilles tendon. Fans-and Lythgoe-loved him so much that there was even buzz that Wong would return to the show this year to be an All-Star. But another rupture prevented Wong from returning to the dance floor.
Now he seems to have changed his tune-literally- and is headed for a new reality TV endeavor. But is it a coincidence that he happened to audition for another show that Lythgoe is a part of?
Wong already has his own fan base from his “Dance” days, so if he made it far in the “Idol” auditions he would have a hefty advantage over the unknown contestants.
Meanwhile, by tweeting about Wong’s audition, is Lythgoe trying to create “Idol” buzz?
And by singling out the talented dancer (and now singer!) by getting his name out there months before the auditions even air on TV, are the powers that be at “Idol” already playing favorites?
The buzz about Wong is reminiscent of another “Idol” contestant two seasons ago.
Season 9 contestant Andrew Garcia had a major Facebook and Twitter campaign going on weeks before his audition even aired on FOX, with “Idol” fans checking out his talent via YouTube videos well before his “Idol” season premiered. For now, Wong’s YouTube clips are still of the ballet and hip hop variety, but you never know what will turn up!
While there’s no word yet on how far Wong has made it in the audition process, footage from the audition that Lythgoe tweeted about will surely make the cut when “American Idol” returns to FOX in January.
Meanwhile, Wong apparently saw Nigel’s sweet tweet. He replied with a “Thank you Nigel!” And a smiley face.
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