'Opening Act' Recap: Arielle

Opening Act may prove to be another hit. Nigel Lythgoe, producer of American Idol, has put together another reality show that is showing promise.

In the premiere show, Nigel Lythgoe and his talent acquisition team scout the internet for a possible opener for Rod Stewart. The new talent is given only five days to prepare for the opportunity of a lifetime. Martina McBride is on the acquisition team along with Jason Derulo, Pete Wentz, Antonina Armato, Tim James, and Nick Cooper.

Arielle O'Keefe, 21 years old, is one of two possible talents to open for Rod Stewart. The group is split between Danielle and Arielle. In the end, Jason has the deciding vote and he picks Arielle.

Olivia Lee flies to Allen, TX to surprise Arielle with the news. They plant hidden cameras at Opening Bell, a coffee shop that brings in talented music artists to sing and play instruments. Arielle arrives thinking she has a business meeting.

She's surprised by Olivia and doesn't actually believe that she has been chosen to open for Rod Stewart's upcoming performance at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in just five days...but then Rod tells her himself in a pre-recorded announcement and she is blown away with joy!

Arielle is asked to fly to Hollywood that same day and begin her transformation. Her parents, Jamie and John O'Keefe are overwhelmed and completely excited for their daughter.

Arielle arrives in Hollywood to meet the acquisition team and prepare for the opening act. Nigel asks her to sing right away-no time to rest. She sings a song that she has written and sings it beautifully. The team loves the song but they agree it's not the right song for the opening act. They ask her to sing a song written by Rock Mafia instead.

Arielle's demons begin to haunt her. She hears the voices in her head from some people that have told her she's not good enough, she can't sing, and she won't succeed. She has to dig deep. Her nerves begin to take hold and she misses notes.

She teams up with Nick Cooper, voice coach, to help her reach a big note that she has struggled with. She only has two days until the Opening Act. Nick digs deep within Arielle to build her confidence. Her new mantra becomes, "I'm allowed to be me."

Arielle heads to Vegas, her very first visit to Sin City. She sees her name in neon lights with Rod Stewart. It's show day and she gets a makeover. While she's getting her hair done, Chuck Kentis, Rod Stewart's Musical Director, comes into her penthouse suite. He delivers great news. Rod has asked her to perform a duet with him, "Have I Told You Lately."

It's opening night and Arielle's parents come to see her on stage with Rod Stewart. She comes out in a flowing, teal colored dress with teal tendrils in her hair. She hits the big note and receives a big round of applause. She sings the duet with Rod and nails it. She tells herself she just won the lottery. A new star is born!

Keep your eyes open for Arielle. There will be more of this rising star on the horizon.