http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGdzxxr-O9o
By Ken
The web is being torn up by Cindy Chang from America’s Got Talent. She wowed the judges with her goofy laugh with snort in tow and a huge operatic voice. Singing Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” from Gianni Schicchi, Chang moved the audience and even Piers Morgan to a standing ovation and cheers for “Cindy!” And now they’re trying to take her down.
In her intro, Chang said that she was unemployed and just a 42 year old housewife, that her family didn’t know that she was auditioning, and that while growing up her parents didn’t approve of her singing career. Well, a quick Google search brings up her resume with musical theater credits including ensemble work at the Ravinia festival, ensembling for Patti Lupone in Annie Get Your Gun, film work in next year’s Family Weekend and 2009’s bomb, Baby on Board. Her IMDB ranking this week has dropped but expect to see a huge pop in her numbers next week. Chang is repped by Gray Talent Group in Chicago which is not hiding their handling of Cindy on their Facebook page.
Murmurs of fake and sandbagging are afloat on the web now, capitalizing on Chang’s suggestion of amateur status. However it’s quite clear there was definite snips in editing both Chang’s package and intro statements to the judges.
Did NBC intentionally manipulate this to cause a controversy? Or backlash? Britain’s Got Talent didn’t try to de-emphasize Susan Boyle’s professional career as much as it focused on her awkwardness. So why set up Chang to fail?
Bottom line: She is American, and she has talent. Give her her due.
ABOUT KEN: Ken Choy is an actor, writer, community organizer, and producer of Breaking the Bow. He is gay, green, and gluten-free.
