Friday, March 29, 2024

EUR First Look: S13 of ‘The Voice’ Q&A with Exec. Producer Audrey Morrissey & S12 Winner Chris Blue

*EURweb got a first look at the new season of “The Voice.” The show’s newest coach Jennifer Hudson is going head to head with Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, mixed with a little girl power camaraderie with returning coach Miley Cyrus.

Though some may call her a rookie, this diva demands the stage and her respect as an artist with Grammy’s, Oscars, and Broadway shows under her belt.  Hudson is coming out swinging and is definitely here to win.

Team J-Hud looks strong as she picks big voices to cultivate to give Team Blake a run for his money. J Hudson equipped with big voices, Adam and his crew’s eclectic choices, Miley’s girl power stance, plus Blake’s team country sound viewers are in store for a lot of surprises.

During a private screening of the Season 13 of “The Voice,” which debuts tonight (09-25-17) at 8/7c on NBC, EURweb associate Miss Conversation Piece got some quality Q&A time with Executive Producer Audrey Morrissey and Season 12 winner Chris Blue.

Is there any way to hide the guests until the end of the show?

Audrey Morrissey: I guess anything is possible. We haven’t thought of that. We haven’t done it for a variety of reasons but we are constantly looking for new things.

Chris Blue: At one point I was a viewer before a contestant and I personally really enjoy being able to see them because I know what you look like and sound like and it kinda puts me in the coaches’ seat but not in the coaches’ seat because I have the vantage point from both parties. I get to yell at the TV ‘Push your button!” and that’s the fun part about it that I love.

How do you decide the amount of contestants that don’t get any chairs turned around to put into an episode?

Audrey Morrissey: Every episode has to have some no’s because that’s life right?, and some people don’t get a chair turned so there has to be stakes. If everybody got a chair turned

Chris Blue: ….I wouldn’t watch the show. I’ll be honest with you. I wouldn’t watch the show if everyone had a yes and no, no’s it’s like OK I know what’s going to happen.

Audrey Morrissey:  Chris is absolutely right; we have to have some no’s. It is crushing but there are some people we think could get a four chair turn and they don’t deliver their best performance and its heartbreaking. The judges are very empathetic and always have something great to say and give some nugget of advice and encourage them to continue on.

Can you share the number of people that get to do the blind auditions and how many don’t get a turn?

Audrey Morrissey: We know that we need 48 people to fill teams we usually have between ninety and one hundred here ready to go and it varies whether we are able to get through all of them.

What makes this season stand out from other season in your mind?

Audrey Morrissey: Each season stands out to me and it’s really a combination of the singers that we get and the coach dynamic. It’s always great when we have a new coach and in this case we have Jennifer [Hudson] who is a force to be reckoned with. She goes toe to toe with absolutely everybody. She is a world class vocalist and the young artists know that. They are really happy to have her as a possible coach. She is the first coach who has ever been a coach before. She just came off the UK [show] and she won. So she has experience even though she is new to this season with us. She is also somebody who has won so many different awards and she brings that element with her as well. She is also a person who has been in their position before…she is the first coach that has ever been on one of these.

Did Jennifer doing the UK version make you say we have to get her here?

Audrey Morrissey: That was one of the factors we always look at coaches from around the world but Jennifer has been on the list and she also has a relationship with NBC having just done ‘Hairspray” so it just seemed like great timing.

You never know what you’re going to get when you put somebody different in, when did you know that she was awesome?

Audrey Morrissey: From the beginning. You’re right. You never know it is a crap shoot every time and we are so fortunate that every mix has been incredible. We knew right away when she sat down in that chair and she was holding her own.

How do you keep the team size even?

Audrey Morrissey: We let everybody go with their heart but what does happen is we shoot over 4-5 days and every coach knows there a great people every day so it’s at their own risk. So they are their own governor basically [they can say] okay I’ve hit my button a lot today I’m going to cool it unless there is just a voice I cannot let pass. Then once a team is full they can no longer push.

Does it put the later people at a disadvantage because the team they want may be full?

Audrey Morrissey:  It obviously does but through the luck of it all… I mean look at this guy [Chris Blue] he is the perfect example that it’s so crazy how life works.

Chris Blue: …and it’s all real everything that she is saying. I remember day 5 [Season 12]

Audrey Morrissey: …for those of you who may not remember, Chris was absolutely the last person chosen last year on Alicia’s Team. There was only one spot left. She was holding out singer after singer and everyone was like when is she going to push and she was like ‘no not good enough. I’m waiting’ and here he is.

Chris Blue: I was pretty nervous day four because you just know the teams are filling and the chance of you being able to get on stage is extremely slim. So day four I was extremely nervous and day five I said to myself ‘if it’s meant to be, it’ll be’ and it was meant to be.

There are several contestants coming from viral videos, is that becoming more of a go to in searching for talent?

Audrey Morrissey: It’s definitely a big element for sure. We’ve always looked at it. There a people putting videos up all the time and it is an efficient way… [however] even if we source people thought that method we like to get them to send us videos where we can tell they are performing live and hasn’t been doctored and we have everyone fly here and we listen to them sing in person.

Chris Blue: Its definitely different recording something on vide it can be stopped and started a hundred times. When you’re on that stage you get one shot and that’s it. You also have to take into account you’re not in your bedroom with that one shot you have four stellar done it all amazing giants listening to you and critiquing you and your opportunity to go from where you are to where you want to be lies in their hands.

Audrey Morrissey:  You have 90 seconds to show people what you are made of and it’s hard to figure out what song to sing that fits you that shows off what you can do, and confidently deliver.

Is it surreal to be back for the new season and see how much your life has changed?

Chris Blue: I didn’t even think I would get a shot to sing. I didn’t get to go until day five and the numbers were down so I was like ‘maybe I’m going home’ but you fast forward months later and now I’m here at a premiere with the beautiful Audrey. I’ve been recording. After season 12 finished, I got a call from Alicia [Keys] and she has been hands on with me ever since then. Here is an exclusive for all of you who may not know I signed a management deal with Alicia Keys & Johnny Wright. I signed a deal with Republic Records and had three sold out shows. Life is good and my fiancé that was on the show last season is no longer my fiancé she is now my wife, we got married. I have the voice and Audrey to thank for that.

Have you ever thought about doing a where are they now special?

Audrey Morrissey:  We have. I just spoke with NBC about that this year. I’ve had that idea too that so many people get invested and they don’t really know what happened. I’ve actually been working on ideas to put a special like that together who would we focus on what are they doing now so I wouldn’t be surprised if we did a special like that soon.

Chris Blue: That would be extremely cool. I really pray that that happens.  I was in touch with Brian from season 10 and he seems to be doing pretty well.

Audrey Morrissey: One of the reasons I personally wanted to do it is because I hear about all their successes but I don’t necessarily think that others do. One thing that we have done here is look at each season as a graduating class, Voice University, so to speak that we need a director of alumni affairs to keep track of these people. I personally would love to do a special like that to really highlight the successes of the show and the people that have been on it.

Get MORE info HERE and tune in TONIGHT for Season 13 premiere of “The Voice at 8/7c on NBC.

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