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Kidz Bop World Tour headed to Coliseum
By Dan Craft
dcraft@pantagraph.com
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You'll know Markelle Gay when you see him. He promises that. And who are we to doubt him?

As one of the six pint-sized stars of the Kidz Bop World Tour coming Wednesday to Bloomington's U.S. Cellular Coliseum (7 p.m., tickets still available), he'll be the flashiest dressed.

The 13-year-old Atlanta native is a self-described "shoe-aholic," especially where the Vans brand is concerned.

You name a Vans, he probably has one on a closet rack.

And hats.

Boy, does Markelle Gay love his hats.

Once again, a brand name gets the plug: the stylish berets produced by Kangol.

The first thing Markelle was asked when he landed his role in Kidz Bop was, "What am I going to pack to wear?"

The response from an elder: "You're doing a show. Nobody cares what you wear."

No matter.

It's a fact of his life, says Markelle: "I love dressing up. I'm a great dresser. It's just me. I got it from an aunt, who's a model and a singer, too."

Oh, yes: "And my uncle loves to dress up."

And did he mention that one of his two younger brothers, 7-year-old Malik, is also a professional fashion model?

Markelle supposes his love for Vans,

Kangols and duds in general is a genetic thing, right alongside the DNA that has programmed him to be a seasoned showman at an age when most kids are still out in the back yard, slinging mud.

As every Kidz Bop fan knows, the KB formula involves the spectacle of pre-pubescent voices doing slick cover versions of post-pubescent pop and hip-hop hits.

Until about a month ago, Kidz Bop tunes were strictly something consumed via CD.

Now, with the launch of the first-ever Kidz Bop World Tour, the concept springs to life as a way of introducing the pre-teen demographic to the world of live arena rock concerts.

Markelle is having a double-whammy fall.

Not only did he snag one of the six coveted Kidz Bop World Tour roles, he also landed a role on CBS's new reality series, "Kid Nation," in which 40 kids are assigned to create a functioning society in a privately owned town (erected on the ruins of Bonanza City, N.M., near Santa Fe).

No mean feat for a kid who turned 13 around a month ago.

It all began several years ago, when he was 10.

The national tour of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" was coming to the Fox Theater in his hometown of Atlanta, Ga.

A casting call was issued for local kids to sing in the chorus.

Markelle's mom said, "Yeah, you should go. It sounds like fun."

Only more so than either could have imagined.

Instead of being chosen for one of the anonymous chorus parts, he was called back and asked if he wanted to play the billed role of Chip the Teacup.

Yes, scene-stealing li'l Chip.

"I was excited and had a couple chills," he recalls. "I was just ready, ready to do it."

And he did it, and did it again, winning roles in other shows, from "The Music Man" to "Evita."

Then came "Kid Nation," which led to him being interviewed by "The Today Show," which led to someone from Kidz Bop who caught his camera-friendly personality in full flower.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Ironically, since he's become so busy with Kidz Bop, "it's really weird ... I haven't gotten to see an episode of 'Kid Nation' yet."

So he's not sure how to gauge his success as a TV star, which started to happen around the time the Kidz Bop rehearsals kicked in.

Also weird is the fact that one of the stars of Kidz Bop, which is designed to introduce kids to the rock concert experience on a clean-and-safe scale, has never been in the audience of a rock concert.

"Nope, I've never seen a rock concert," he confirms.

But he has made progress in one area: the veteran of several Broadway-level stage productions received a birthday present Sept. 24 of seeing his first Broadway show, "Hairspray."

"I was so happy," he says. "I love Broadway musicals, too."

For his first concert, Markelle would be happy sitting in front of a stage occupied by Usher or Chris Brown or an old-school Motown act like The Temptations.

"Anybody like that who performs and has fun," he adds.

Which is what Markelle says he does when he's on a stage facing a throng of screaming pre-teen fans, many of them accompanied by parents, elder siblings and beyond.

How far beyond?

"Grandmas!," he swears. "We've got grandmas dancing in the aisles!"



At a glance



What: Kidz Bop World Tour

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: U.S. Cellular Coliseum, 101 S. Madison St., Bloomington

Tickets: $18 to $33

Box office number: (866) 891-9992



Tour trivia



Ten things every clueless parent with a Kidz Bop-loving child should know about the Kidz Bop World Tour coming Wednesday to the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington:

• Before it became a World Tour, Kidz Bop was strictly grounded -- as a series of pop music CDs aimed and marketed for pre-teens (ages 4 to 11). The marketing is achieved largely via strategically placed TV commercials on kid-centric channels like Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network.

• The World Tour is produced by the VEE Corp., the company founded in 1980 to produce live stage touring shows for "Sesame Street." The result: the longest-running live children's stage show in history (VEE strikes the Coliseum again with that show, "Sesame Street Live: Elmo Grows Up," on Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.)

• The Kidz Bop albums are comprised of kids singing popular grown-up rock and rap hits, some sporting objectionable lyrics that have been sanitized or censored (for example, Justin Timberlake's "My Love," a cut from "Kidz Bop 11").

• The albums are declared by their producers to be "the most popular and most recognized music product in the United States for kids ages 4 to 11."

• The series began in 2001, and has since earned nine Gold-certified albums.

• After conquering the CD market, the Kidz Bop empire has moved above and beyond into an online destination (www.kidzbop.com) and a slew of licensed products, including products from Hasbro's Tiger Electronics.

• There have been 12 Kidz Bop albums to date, with a 13th due either by the end of this year or in early 2008. That's an average of two albums per year since the first arrived in 2001.

• A typical Kidz Bop album cut includes an adult singer doing the verses, with the kid singers handling the choruses.

• A typical Kidz Bop World Tour concert features six kid singers (three boys, three girls, ages 11 to 13), two adult singers and four adult band members.

• Yes, it's true: even grandmas dance in the aisles at a Kidz Bop World Tour concerts.

Take a look
The popular Kidz Bop CD series goes live Wednesday with a touring group at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
The Kidz Bop World Tour team consists of six roles for kids, plus two adult singers and four adult band members.
You can count on Markelle Gay to be sporting some of the snazzy hats and shoes he cherishes when he performs Wednesday at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
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Reader comments on this story - 14 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

kay wrote on Feb 27, 2008 5:16 PM:

" weird kidz pop come on give me a brake people they are just coping songs. "

To UGH wrote on Dec 6, 2007 8:04 AM:

" That's hilarious my friend! I thought I was the only one that couldn't stand kids!!?! Well, my own is the only exception. "

UNCLE JIMMIE wrote on Nov 15, 2007 6:09 PM:

" MARKELL WE LOVE YOU IN SUFFOLK,VA. YOUR FAMILY'S HOME WHERE PLANTERS PEANUTS ARE MADE. "

To lulz: wrote on Nov 10, 2007 9:57 PM:

" You're absolutely right. I cringed a couple years ago when I heard one of the Kidz Bop commercials. I couldn't believe the songs they had picked out. Take "Hey Ya." "I don't wanna meet your daddy/I just want you in my Caddie" and "I don't want to meet your mama ... " If I complete the line, the Pantagraph wouldn't print my comment. On the latest CD, they have Avril Lavigne song, "Girlfriend," where she uses the "MF" word. To be on the safe side, I'd rather just buy my son a Wiggles CD. "

khart wrote on Nov 9, 2007 10:10 PM:

" Markelle, I am impressed. The family have been keeping up with you while on KIDS NATIONS I pray that you get that Gold Star. Continue to make your mom and family proud. Stay focus on your new adventure. Love and peace to you! Aunt Kat "

Rozanne wrote on Nov 9, 2007 8:32 PM:

" I am glad to see that they have something for the kids, after all the Arena was bulit for everyone needs. Why shouldn't the kids have some fun also. "

UGH wrote on Nov 9, 2007 7:00 PM:

" While I hate kids, I do LOVE watching their parents blow all their money on their little money pits! "

Todd the Bod wrote on Nov 8, 2007 10:21 PM:

" Tickets still available, haha, no kidding. Shouldn't these kids be in school? "

marks best friend wrote on Nov 8, 2007 5:29 PM:

" this is so awesome!!!mark has been my best friend for years and i am so happy that he got the opportunity to do this. and i have to agree with all the other comments, kidzbop takes great songs and messes them up. i heard "how to save a life" by the fray, and it was awful!! that is my favorite song and it hurt to see it ruined like that "

lulz wrote on Nov 8, 2007 3:47 PM:

" Another point to bring up: Do your kids even understand what all of the lyrics mean or have the emotions/experiences to relate to the songs or does it just 'sound cool'? "

Adam wrote on Nov 8, 2007 3:08 PM:

" Kids dont read this, their parents do, the lesson in taste starts there. "

To: Adam, Oh.. wrote on Nov 8, 2007 2:35 PM:

" Perfect. A couple of childless men taking shots at a kid's shows, speaking for the musical tastes of 8 year olds. "

Adam wrote on Nov 8, 2007 12:59 PM:

" To Oh mannnn!!! Cant say it much better, in a world with so much good music, who would subject their children to this?! I mean these songs are terrible when they are released by the original artists, then re-recorded to add that special annoyance factor. "

Oh mannn!!! wrote on Nov 8, 2007 12:16 PM:

" How annoying will this be for parents to listen to contemporary radio and hear a bunch of kids sing these songs. I make CDs for my 2 oldest nieces and they are the real songs, not garbage. "
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