Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 12:19 pm by Diana Nollen Life
Alisabeth Von Presley, "American Idol" contestant from Cedar Rapids. (americanidol.com photo)
By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia
Cedar Rapids singer Alisabeth Von Presley, a powerhouse on the local theater and music scene, has come to the end of her “American Idol” Season 12 journey.
She made it to Hollywood Week, but was cut by producers, so she was not among the singers who performed in the a cappella and group rounds that aired last night (2/13/13) on the Fox channel.
This morning on her Facebook page, she said: “I got to perform for the judges twice! ) just cut in the end by the producer.”
During the show, while lots of her hometown friends were scanning the faces to find hers, she posted: “Hey y’all – I had a crazy Hollywood Week experience on American Idol!! BUT you probably won’t see me on TV because I wasn’t cut by the judges I was cut by the producer. Bummer! But other great opportunities have come from this!!!!!”
Marion contestant Gabe Brown saw his journey end in Hollywood, as well.
Both attracted the talent scouts’ eyes and ears during 2012 auditions in Iowa City and Chicago.
This won’t be the last time we see these two singers in the spotlight. Nobody loses on “American Idol,” right Jennifer Hudson?
Friday, February 8, 2013 at 9:24 am by Diana Nollen Life
Congratulations to Joan — a wonderful photographer!
From a press release:
The Minneapolis Institute of Art recently purchased three of the photographs of women taken in the 1960s by Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret of Iowa City.
The three are silver prints of “Women’s Club Bowling,” “Bridesmaids” and “Grandmothers and Wedding Guests,” all taken in Cedar Rapids.
“Joan’s photographs offer a rare glimpse into the important civic activities of women during a historical period — all too recent — when their contributions to society were overlooked, if not invisible,” said David Little, curator of photography for the Minneapolis Institute of Art. “Joan captures the hidden labor and pleasure of women with a loving humor that just makes viewers smile.”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has two of Bourret’s photographs in its collection: “Nan Wood Graham” and “The Junior League Christmas Party.”
The photographs in both museum collections were taken in Cedar Rapids except for the one of Graham, which was taken in her home in Riverside, Calif.
Ten of Bourret’s photographs are in the exhibition, “The Restless Spirit: American Art from the Collection,” opening Feb. 16, 2013, at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The museum has 261 of Bourret’s photographs in its collection, according to curator Sean Ulmer.
Many of Joan’s women photographs are in her autobiography, “Pictures and People: A Search for Visual Truth and Social Justice,” which won first place in the Benjamin Franklin Contest of the Independent Publishers of America last June.
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 11:45 am by Diana Nollen Life
"American Idol" contest Alisabeth Von Presley stars as Maureen in the Theatre Cedar Rapids 2010 production of "Rent." (Rob Merritt photo)
Two Eastern Iowans have won a golden ticket to the Hollywood rounds of “American Idol” season 12.
Gabe Brown of Marion and Alisabeth Von Presley of Cedar Rapids wowed the celebrity judges in Chicago, after catching producers’ eyes and ears last August during “Idol’s” Small Town Bus Tour stop in Iowa City.
Both were invited to the Adler Planetarium to join hundreds of other hopefuls auditioning for celebrity judges Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban.
The hit Fox television talent show has launched superstar careers for past winners and finalists Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry. Competition is open to singers ages 15 to 28.
Brown and Von Presley are among 46 Windy City auditioners who advanced to the Hollywood rounds, which will air later this winter.
Viewers got to see Brown’s wild Chicago audition Thursday night, but not Von Presley’s. Both are well-known in local circles. Brown is lead singer for the power rock band, Helforsout, which has been making the scene since August 2011. Von Presley is a regular on the Theatre Cedar Rapids stage, belting out an unforgettable star turn as Maureen in “Rent” in 2010, among other leading roles.
Brown’s band covers everything from AC/DC and Led Zeppelin to Foo Fighters and Soundgarden, so it’s no wonder he blew the judges away with a full-out a cappella rock blast of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Urban shouted out, “I love it. You’re deafening at that volume.”
Carey wanted to hear something “a little more mellow,” so Brown then launched into “We All Die Young,” but couldn’t resist cranking up the rock power with that one, too. Minaj declared, “I like you Curly,” referring to Brown’s untamed hair. Jackson said he liked it, too, especially since they hadn’t heard a real rocker up to that point.
“When you’re doing your rock thing, I believe you,” Minaj added.
“Guys who have big, massive belting voices have big hearts, too,” Urban said, right before the panel gave Brown a resounding round of yes votes.
Brown then ran screaming through the Planetarium auditorium, waving his golden ticket.
True to her theatrical roots, Von Presley sang “I See a River” from the musical “Urinetown,” along with Otis Redding’s R&B classic, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.” Let’s hope America gets to hear her sing in the Hollywood rounds.
“American Idol” airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on the Fox channel.
Here are Brown’s and Von Presley’s “going to Hollywood” tapes:
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 9:16 am by Diana Nollen Life
Diana’s note:I love our area film festivals, and this one is terrific for showcasing the Iowa connection. I always see something I love onscreen and thoroughly enjoy the lobby meet-and-greets. Last year’s little gems included “The Wedge,” about a pizza delivery guy caught in the middle of a casino heist, and “Collapse,” my new favorite zombie flick. Here’s the scoop on the 2013 call for entries, from the festival organizers’ media release:
Zombies roam the world, wreaking havoc for a small-town Iowa farmer trying to protect and provide for his family in "Collapse." The big-budget feature film was shot in West Branch in October 2009 and made its big-screen debut in the 2012 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival at Collins Road Theatres. (Storybench photo)
CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Independent Filmmakers are proud to host the 13th annual Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival on Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, at the Collins Road Theatres in Marion, Iowa.
But before we can have a festival we need some films to screen.
*Submission Deadline is Feb. 8, 2013, but entry fees are discounted if we receive your film by Jan. 25.*
We accept films of all genres and types: narrative, documentary, animation, music video, etc. from all kinds of filmmakers (students, amateurs, part-time professionals and full-time professionals). There is no date-of-completion requirement; however, films submitted to previous Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festivals will not be eligible.
The Iowa Connection
This is what makes The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival unique.
Any film you enter must have a connection of some kind to the Hawkeye State. It can have a story set in Iowa or about Iowans. It can be produced (in whole or in part) in Iowa. It can have a key actor or crew member who has some connection to the state, whether that connection is through birth, residence, work or educational experience. Whatever else your film is about, Iowa must, in some way, be a part of its story.
About the Festival
The festival provides a unique opportunity for Iowa-connected films and filmmakers. After our panel of independent judges has culled its official selections from among all the submitted films, we will screen all the selected films in front of an open invitation audience. All official selections will be in the running for the coveted Eddy Awards as well as other valuable prizes. Filmmakers will also have the chance to view their fellow entrants’ films and to network with their peers.
Filmmakers will also have the option of introducing their films to the audience prior to the screening, either in person or via a written statement to read by festival emcees.
All filmmakers who submit their films for consideration will receive one:
(1) Full Event Pass and one (1) commemorative 2013 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival T-shirt (with official selections and credits printed on the back) for each film they enter. The Full Event Pass entitles each filmmaker to free admittance for every screening of every film throughout the two-day Festival.
All entrants will also have the opportunity to attend a critique session with the panel of judges in the days following the festival. This critique session will give each filmmaker a chance to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their films with the judges as well as consider possibilities for any future projects.
Be sure to visit our website at www.crifm.org to get all the information about the Festival and our film submission process. You can submit your film there through our online submission form.
We also have our own Facebook group. Search for Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival. Join our group to stay up-to-date with all the latest festival headlines and information.
Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids is still trying to wrap her head around her million-dollar win on last night’s “Survivor: Philippines” 25th season finale.
We chatted by phone this afternoon (12/17/12) from Los Angeles, where she’s faced a whirlwind of red carpets, interviews and photos since her win was announced lived on CBS television. Her husband, Brad, and daughter, Sydney, 9, were in the second row to share in the anticipation and joy.
Entertainment Weekly caught up with Malcolm Freberg, the 25-year-old bartender who struck up an alliance on Day 1 of the 39-day odyssey. He was pretty hard on Denise at the final Tribal Council back in April, which aired on last night’s finale.
EW: “Why lay into Denise like that at the final Tribal about the head nodding and appeasing?”
MALCOLM: “I didn’t go into that ever not voting for Denise. I was pissed off, but I didn’t hold it against her. I understand that it’s the right move to get rid of me at that point and I was turning on her first so there’s no way I could be mad at her. But it was very clear to all of us that Denise was going to win. But I wasn’t going to let her off the hook. She was brilliant at deflecting hard questions with very politically correct answers so I was trying to get her to say something nasty at that point and just get under her skin a little bit. And it came off a lot meaner than I wanted it to. But there was absolutely no way I was never not voting for Denise and I think she absolutely played brilliantly and absolutely earned it.”
Denise told me she was surprised when Jonathan Penner called her a bitch on national television during that Tribal Council, adding that neither he nor Malcolm apologized for their harsh words.
“That was a little rough — I was not expecting it — but at the same time, that final Tribal is where they’re really pushing buttons. I think that was stemming off of a lot of interactions with Abi. The jury’s trying to light a fire, and he did. He and Malcolm did a good job of lighting that fire under me.”
We’re thrilled her torch wasn’t extinguished.
I’ll reveal much more of our conversation Thursday in Hoopla and on HooplaNow.com
Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 10:43 am by Diana Nollen Life
Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids (CBS-TV photo)
By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia
I’ve been following Cedar Rapidian Denise Stapley’s quest for the “Survivor” million-dollar payoff since before the first Season 25 episode aired Sept. 19, 2012.
She has played with class, grace, strength and intelligence every step of the way, except perhaps for last night’s Abi rant. I’m sure the rest of us would have ranted long ago — if we’d even lasted 10 minutes in a Philippines paradise rife with sharks, snakes and megabugs.
I’ll be following the season finale and cast reunion, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, on CBS.
I’d love to include your opinions in my report. What do you think of the way Denise played so far? Join in the conversation. Please include your name, age and city of residence.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 9:29 pm by Diana Nollen Life
Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids
By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia
She’s outlasted 14 other castaways, and now it’s down to the season wrap-up.
Denise Stapley, 41, a mental health counselor and certified sex therapist from Cedar Rapids, has made it to the final rounds of “Survivor: Philippines.” The finale for the 25th season of the popular television reality game show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday (12/16/12) on CBS.
She’s such a strong player that at times it looked like the tables were turning on her in tonight’s 12/12/12 episode, but the numbers aligned in her favor, and the unpopular Abi-Maria Gomes, 32, a business student from Los Angeles, got booted off the island 4 to 1 and into the jury box for the grand finale.
So the Final Four now stands at Denise; Lisa Whelchel, 49, a former TV teen actress from Dallas, Texas; Malcolm Freberg, 25, a bartender from Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Denise’s ally from the beginning; and Michael Skupin, 50, a professional speaker, author and coach from White Lake, Mich., who was airlifted out of the show’s second season, “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” after falling into a fire and suffering severe burns.
Denise and Malcolm are original Matsing Tribe members, while Skupin and Lisa are original Tandangs. No one from Kalabaw made it that far.
The 12/12/12 episode began in a most unusual manner, with Abi actually sounding sincere and humbled that she survived the Night 33 Tribal Council in which nice-guy Carter Williams, 24, a track coach from Shawnee, Kan., was voted off the island.
Abi said she was “over the moon,” but to everyone else, that comment was cheese.
Day 34 dawned with Abi declaring she was off to get water. Her antics took their toll, and the others jumped at the chance to mock her behind her back. Good-girl Lisa, however, told the camera she wanted to vote off Denise, who was a bigger threat in the million-dollar quest, but she admitted it might be wiser in the long run to kick Abi out of the game.
That afternoon, everyone gathered on the beach for a Reward Challenge ring toss, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Nothing ever is on this survival of the physically and emotionally fittest competition. Denise did well, scampering up and over a steep ramp and running into the ocean to untie bags of rings to then toss at six pegs.
Alas, Skupin prevailed, winning the chance to hop onto a helicopter then onto a boat for a pizza and pop feast, then into the ocean to snorkel with a whale shark. As a bonus, he was allowed to take two others for the afternoon jaunt. he quickly chose Malcolm and Lisa, and they spent most of the boat ride scheming their next moves and cementing their alliance.
Meanwhile, Denise was stuck for the afternoon with everyone’s least favorite castaway. Abi wasn’t thrilled either.
“I was crushed when I wasn’t chosen for the reward,” Abi whined. “To make matters worse, I have to go home with Denise. She’s a horrible person.”
Denise vowed “to make nice” with Abi. “It’s like being on a date with the kid who pulled your hair in first grade. I’m just going to try to get through the afternoon.” A bit later, she gave the most comical quote of the 25th season: “I want to hang myself, gouge my eyes out and stick needles in my eardrums. Then I’d be good for the afternoon.”
Perhaps karma bit her for those biting, yet hilarious, words. On Day 36, the dawn of a crucial Immunity Challenge day in the 39-day odyssey, Denise woke up with two bite marks on her neck and a horrible stinging sensation. Clearly in agony and reduced to tears, it looked like her journey might end just inches away from the final payoff.
But, survivor that she is, she shook it off and made her usual scrappy showing in the puzzle challenge, where the castaways had to create and navigate a rope bridge, gather puzzle pieces along the way, then assembly them in the right sequence to create a maze that a ball could navigate to land in a hole.
Malcolm fell off his bridge and into last place, then stunned everyone by winning. So he not only was safe from that evening’s elimination vote, he also still had a Hidden Immunity Idol that he could bestow onto another player. He chose, instead, to take it home as a souvenir.
That meant the other four were fair game for the vote. Each made their plea, with Abi ditching her lie about having another immunity idol. Despite her valiant effort to convince them to keep her in the game, she got the boot.
The surviving four cheered and danced their way back to camp and into the series finale.
Earlier Wednesday, all five appeared on host Jeff Probst’s afternoon talk show. They flew out to Los Angeles several days ago to tape the segment, which marked the first time the “Survivor” producers had allowed any contestants to talk before the series finale.
(I scored an interview with Denise before the season began airing in September, but the telephone interview was monitored by a CBS representative. I would assume the others got to talk to their hometown media, too, before the competition played out on TV.)
Probst asked about their chances and strategies, one by one, then in a group, and fielded questions from the studio audience.
Jeff asked Abi point-blank if her unpopularity was truly due to a “cultural disconnect” — she’s Brazilian — or was she “just entitled and kinda bitchy.”
“I’m hoping to be dragged to the end, to put together a big case to win,” she replied. She said the hardest part of the game was the emotional aspect of being unliked, calling it “a horrible feeling.”
“I’m a crazy Brazilian with great intentions,” she declared.
Probst lauded Denise for her physical dominance, calling it “impressive for a small woman.” He also noted that could work against her in the final voting, if the others see her as a threat. He then asked her if her strategy would be to downplay that.
“I can’t stop being who I am,” she replied.
And we wouldn’t want her to.
See the finale and season 25 reunion beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, on CBS.
Monday, December 10, 2012 at 9:54 am by Diana Nollen Life
Denise Stapley
Denise Stapley, the “Survivor: Philippines” finalist from Cedar Rapids, will be interviewed Wednesday (12/12) on “The Jeff Probst Show,” airing at 3 p.m. on KWWL, channel 7.
Stapley and the other four finalists flew to Los Angeles last week to discuss the lessons they learned on last spring’s 39-day endurance odyssey on a remote Philippines island. Probst serves as host for the popular “Survivor” reality game show, which wraps Sunday when the million-dollar prize winner will be announced. The finale begins at 7:30 p.m. on CBS 2.
Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 10:54 am by Diana Nollen Life
Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids (CBS-TV photo/from Facebook)
By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia
Viewers and players needed a whole box of tissues to get through all the surprises on the Dec. 5, 2012, episode of “Survivor: Philippines.”
Day 31 began with a Reward Challenge in which the six surviving castaways — including Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids — were teamed up with a loved one. The shock on their faces and the instant tears all around proved how much these people needed that emotional and psychological boost.
Michael Skupin, 50, hugged eldest son Michael Jr. like he’d never seen him before. Carter Williams, 24, and his mom, Bianca, both cried. Denise, 41, jumped into husband Brad’s arms, sobbing, kissing and holding on for dear life. Lisa Whelchel, 49, practically melted into the arms of brother Justice Coleman, 20 years her junior. Tough guy Malcolm Freberg, 25, and his brother, Miles, were both in tears. Even stoic, bratty Abi-Maria Gomes, 32, seemed pleased to see her mother, Vera.
Here’s Denise’s reactions, via Facebook: “Sooooooo can someone pass me a tissue….apparently I have some snot and spittle issues!!!
“In all seriousness…seeing my husband Brad come running out from that jungle was simply OVERWHELMING. The instant I knew he was nearby I could just feel this giddy excitement…and the tears started flowing. A hug has never felt so good. And the smooches weren’t too bad either! I didn’t want to let go….
“He felt horrible after the challenge like somehow he had let me down. That could not have been farther from the truth. Just seeing him was again, more emotional fuel…last leg of the race……Game ON.”
Burying their emotions just below the surface, the family teams slogged through the physical challenge that promised an emotional payoff: the winning team would get to spend the rest of the day and night together back at camp. The players each tossed muddy bags to their loved ones, who then had to hurl the splattery bags at targets. The duo knocking over all their targets first would win.
In a surprising turn, Malcolm and his bumbling brother won, then host Jeff Probst let Malcolm choose two more teams to share in the reward. Surprisingly, he chose Lisa and Justice, then Skupin and son, disregarding ally Denise’s heart-breaking pleas. Watching Denise say goodbye to Brad was almost unbearable.
Malcolm’s explanation: He was rewarding Skupin and Lisa for sticking with him and Denise at the previous Tribal Council, where they voted Jonathan Penner off the island. “I needed to take care of them,” Malcolm said. Still, he was a little worried about bringing his “class clown” brother back to camp, where his tendency to “run his mouth” might work against Malcolm in his quest for the million-dollar payoff.
The usual plotting ensued, with everyone trying to figure out who they would vote off the island next. Malcolm was their target.
He turned the tables on their plan with his surprising first win in the Day 33 Immunity Challenge. He was the first to race across bamboo balance beams over the water, pick up three bags of sticks, tie them together and make them long enough and strong enough to knock over a target.
With Malcolm out of the running to leave the show, Carter felt all eyes turning toward him. He has been aligned with Abi throughout, and even though no one likes Abi, most feel they could beat her in the final showdown. Carter then pressured everyone to vote for the person who deserves to play the game, rather than the one no one wanted to be around.
His plea failed. Everybody wrote his name on the ballot — except for Carter, of course, who surprisingly voted for Abi’s game demise. So Carter left the game and joined the jury.
And now the field is whittled down to five. The end is near. Tune in next Wednesday to see how Denise fares as the million dollars draws closer.
“Survivor: Philippines” airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS-TV.
Another Facebook post from Denise expresses her sorrow in hearing of the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines on Tuesday and Wednesday (Dec. 4 and 5, 2012):
“My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and livelihoods in the wake of the most recent typhoon which recently hit the Philippines. You have a beautiful country and are an amazingly strong culture of people…after the grieving..the rebuilding will begin. To the fans that have posted here I truly hope that you are all safe and well….”
Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 11:56 am by Diana Nollen Life
Here's the plate of food "Survivor: Philippines" contestant Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids purchased in the Food Auction aired in the Nov. 28, 2012, episode. (SurvivorFever.net photo)
By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia
Cedar Rapids castaway Denise Stapley survived the Day 30 Tribal Council by one vote.
Carter, Penner and Abi voted to kick her off the island on last night’s episode of “Survivor: Philippines.” But cooler heads prevailed, and Penner got the boot, instead. He pulled in four votes that sent him to the Jury, where he’ll get to observe subsequent Tribal Councils, but won’t cast another vote until the end.
He did not go gently into that dark good night. He and Abi turned this Nov. 28 episode into “Castaways Behaving Badly.”
Abi and Denise clearly detest each other, to the point where Abi stuck out her tongue in her best bratty action and said, “I hope you go home tonight. Look who’s judging you now,” as Denise walked up to the sacrificial altar to cast her vote.
Ironically, Abi couldn’t even be kicked off the island last night. She stunned everyone by winning the Immunity Challenge earlier that day.
So Denise — along with Lisa, Malcolm and Skupin — ended the run for returning competitor Jonathan Penner, 50, a writer from Los Angeles who previously participated in “Survivor: Cook Islands” and “Survivor: Micronesia.” He clearly was not charmed by his third boot.
He hugged Carter, then refused to hug Abi (which I thoroughly enjoyed), then said, “Keep your sunny side up and suck eggs,” then whistled his way into the darkness. Completely low class, but an entertaining way to end an episode rife with bad manners.
(IOWA TRIVIA TIE-INS: Gazette colleague Sam Paxton informs me that Penner starred in the 1995 indie film, “The Last Supper,” directed by his wife, Stacy Title, and co-starring Cedar Falls native Annabeth Gish, Cameron Diaz, Courtney B. Vance and Ron Eldard. They played five liberal grad students who invite a string of right-wingers over for dinner, then kill them. Sam says the film takes place in Iowa City.)
Back to our show: Abi-Maria Gomes, 32, a business student from Los Angeles, is the Survivor everyone loves to hate — except for me. I do not love her, and am always astonished by how low she will go. She shamelessly bragged about “feeling like a queen” after winning a spa day and feast in a recent Reward Challenge; declared she was on a kitchen duty strike; and sat out most of the early team Immunity Challenges.
She turned the tables most adroitly last night, when the seven remaining Dangrayne tribe members gathered for the Day 29 Food Auction. Each contestant was given $500 to bid on various food plates — some of which were covered.
Denise bid her entire $500 on the first plate — pancakes, bacon and orange juice, enticed by the nourishing meat and carbs. One of the others (I think Penner) scoffed that the same meal would cost $1.99 at the local diner. (Here’s a link to a video I can’t embed.)
Other plates were laden with wine and cheese (Skupin, $500), iced coffee and donuts (Malcolm, $200), fried chicken and French fries (Penner, $100 in a blind bid) and a gigantic sandwich (Lisa, $320 in another blind bid).
Carter displayed his altruistic side by trading a $200 blind bid that nabbed him a loaded baked potato for bags of rice and beans for the entire tribe. He later spent $200 for a couple of veal shanks to be passed around for 60 seconds for everyone to gnaw upon. Those two moves no doubt bought him some loyalty.
Abi — who vowed not to spend any money on food, since she knew she would be the next one kicked off the game — swiftly pounced when a game advantage was placed on the auction block. She bid her entire $500 and ended up with a prize that advanced her to the final round of the next day’s individual Immunity Challenge.
Abi had to sit and watch as nemesis Denise bolted through the first round of the Immunity obstacle course. Penner and Malcolm won the next phase, which meant they advanced to the final three-story obstacle with Abi.
Who knew that little sprite could move so quickly, untying knots and scampering through the three levels of her tower? No one saw that coming. Her win meant she could cast a kick-off vote (for Denise), but no one could vote Abi off the island that night, no matter how badly they wanted to.
I totally love Denise’s Facebook posting last night: “Yes folks…this is it…it really happened…TODAY is the day that pigs flew…Hell froze over…money began to grow on trees…and I had to eat a hearty helping of crow….and now I must throw up… ”
Here are the castaways still vying for the million-dollar payoff:
Abi-Maria Gomes, 32, a business student from Los Angeles
Carter Williams, 24, a track coach from Shawnee, Kan.
Denise Stapley, 41, a mental health counselor and certified sex therapist from Cedar Rapids
Lisa Whelchel, 49, a former TV teen actress from Dallas, Texas
Malcolm Freberg, 25, a bartender from Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Denise’s closest ally
Michael Skupin, 50, a professional speaker, author and coach from White Lake, Mich., who was airlifted out of “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” after falling into a fire, suffering severe burns.
Who will outlast all the others on this survival of the fittest game show? Tune in at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS-TV to find out.
) just cut in the end by the producer.”
