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Tuesday, March 7, 2000

Local grad to be on ABC band special

Documentary traces a pop band's making

Jim Dyar
D.A.T.E. editor

He starred last summer in a Shasta College production of ''Grease,'' but it appears Ashley Parker-Angel will soon take his talents well beyond Shasta County.

The 18-year-old Central Valley High School graduate will be featured during an upcoming ABC special entitled ''Making the Band,'' which premieres at 9 p.m. March 24, a Friday.

File photo / Record Searchlight IT'S SHOWTIME: Redding's Ashley Parker-Angel, appearing here in a Shasta College production of ''Grease,'' will be among those featured in the ABC television special ''Making the Band.''

The show has been described as a real-life documentary of the making of a pop band. Show creator Louis Pearlman of Trans Continental Records has formed such groups as the Backstreet Boys and N' Sync.

Parker-Angel has survived several auditions to become one of eight finalists for the five-member band. He was later picked as one of the final five, according to Rebecca Olson, Parker-Angel's personal manager and acting coach in Redding.

ABC has not formally released the name of the band nor its members.

''He's got a lot of charisma and his talent is across the board,'' Olson said. ''I think his success helps establish Redding. It shows you can get your training here. You can get auditions here. Your dream doesn't have to be stifled by miles.''

Parker-Angel originally auditioned Nov. 9 in Las Vegas, one of several cities to hold auditions for the group.

The hourlong premiere of ''Making the Band'' will follow ''Who Wants to be a Millionaire'' on March 24. Future half-hour episodes of the show will air on consecutive Fridays for 13 weeks, according to ABC spokeswoman Mosell Miley.

The show will follow the creation of the group from auditions to final selections and ultimately performances. The lives of Parker-Angel and the other finalists have been filmed continuously for the past four months, similar to shows like ''The Real World'' and ''Road Rules'' on MTV.

Olson said Parker-Angel was followed by a film crew when he returned in late January to Redding to visit his family and friends. He was also filmed during a visit to Olson's Act Now studio on Bechelli Lane in Redding, where he was studying acting.

''He came into the studio and talked to the students. We all had to sign releases,'' Olson said of Parker-Angel. ''It's strange. You almost can't say what you want to say. It's intimidating to be on a wire the whole time. I told him to never forget where you came from because you may be back there tomorrow.''

In July, Parker-Angel played the role of Danny in the Shasta College production of ''Grease.'' He has also worked as a voice actor for PlayStation and Sega video games.

The other seven finalists for the group include Trevor Penick of Fullerton; Jacob Underwood of San Diego; Bryan Chan of Santa Barbara; Ikaika Kahoano of Honolulu; Robert Paul Martin of Clinton, Miss.; Micheal Miller of Coral Springs, Fla.; and Erik-Michael Estrada of Palm Bay, Fla.

D.A.T.E. editor Jim Dyar can be reached at 225-8227 or jdyar@redding.com.