“Asher Book, the sweet-and-sincere singer Marco in the new “Fame,” is already on his way to being well-known as part of V Factory, an R&B pop boy band whose first album comes out this fall. The 21-year-old who got his break as Chip the teacup in a touring company of “Beauty and the Beast” did his homework and watched the old “Fame.”
“It was a lot edgier than I thought,” he said of the R-rated version that touches upon abortion and religion, topics that are MIA in the new PG rendition. Still, he says, “It’s a great movie and a great message.”
One thing he couldn’t connect to, however, was the dated characters, who have been replaced by 21st-century counterparts. “We bring a new flavor. Our film is very based in today, what it’s like to be in the industry now.” For those worried this “Fame” is sanitized Disney Channel make-believe, Book assures, “There is the realism of what artists go through and the work ethic involved, what it’s like to be rejected and not giving up afterwards.”"
Tell US: Did YOU SEE “FAME”? THOUGHTS?
