Their marriage may be over, but singers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have come together for a new TV show that seeks out talent from throughout Latin America. It's been airing on Spanish language TV in the U.S. and in 21 countries. And as NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports on today's All Things Considered, the show will also premiere on Fox this weekend, with English subtitles.
You may well be aware that Lopez and Anthony aren't together anymore, but last fall, they joined up with Jamie King, who has directed and choreographed stage shows for everyone from Rihanna to Cirque du Soleil. The trio traveled through Central and South America and the Caribbean and filmed their search. Unlike a lot of other TV talent judges, they weren't just looking for singers, but also for instrumentalists, dancers, and others. (Expect to see some fire-breathing acrobats.)
The resulting show, called Q'Viva! The Chosen, is part reality show and part international talent show.
King isn't just in this for the TV show; he says the end product of Q'Viva will be a Las Vegas spectacular he's producing in April or May, just after the series ends. "We want to create greatest Latin show ever seen," he says.
The show is a mix of English and Spanish, sometimes weaving them together in the same comment, and it has subtitles as needed on both Univision and Fox. It also links Lopez with a familiar producer: Simon Fuller, who also founded American Idol, where she's now a judge.
Naturally, as excited as everyone is about showing off the talent, everyone is also excited about the possibilities inherent in showing Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony to an audience that's undoubtedly curious about what their relationship is like these days. King acknowledges that watching them interact may draw in some viewers who wouldn't necessarily otherwise flock to an international talent show. In one scene, for instance, Lopez bops her estranged husband on the head as he ogles some sexy salsa dancers in Puerto Rico.
Ah, banter — the international language.
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