Teen Needs Votes To Be Named Next ‘Gleek’

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Jonathan Allen

Thanks to the Fox hit TV series Glee, singing and dancing as part of the high school chorus has gotten teens all over the country out of their seats and onto the stage.And executive producers of the show are hoping that’s just where they’ll find their next star.

A nationwide casting search went out earlier this year for anyone age 16 and older to find their inner “gleek” and submit an audition tape to http://www.myspace.com/GLEEAUDITIONS. Among those answering the call was Campbell High School senior Jonathan Allen.

The Ewa Beach teen had to provide a personal statement citing why he wanted to be on the show and why he felt people will vote for him. He also had to choose one of 10 preselected songs - ranging from Barbra Streisand’s ballad Don’t Rain On My Parade to the Kayne West hit Gold Digger - to perform for the camera. Allen, who counts Ozzy Osbourne, Rihanna, Ludacris, George Strait, Metallica and Green Day among his artistic inspirations, chose to tackle And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going from Dreamgirls.

“His range is really wide.He can go from opera to country to R&B, show tunes and heavy metal,” said mom Joselyn Allen. “This is his dream; it’s his passion. Not many 17-year-olds have a passion,and he’s had this same passion since he was 5. He wants it bad.”

Added Allen: “Singing is what I really love to do.”

Voting ends April 26. Go to the Web site, search “Jonathan,” and look for the guy in the Ewa Beach T-shirt.