Casey Abrams’ ‘American Idol’ Chutzpah

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Casey Abrams was the one for Jews to watch during the 10th season of “American Idol.” His reddish-brown beard was the constant butt of jokes on the show and the most talked-about “Idol” hair growth since Sanjaya Malakar. (Remember Malakar from the sixth season? His frizzy up-dos put Jew-fros to shame). For a pre-performance sketch about Abrams, fellow finalists donned a fake beard piece and blew into a red melodica while klezmer music played in the background.

But during Elton John week, the show’s weekly mentor, Rodney Jerkins, told Abrams to trim it, claiming facial hair prevented the audience from seeing him. So Abrams got a trim but left some straggle. Casey is not Casey when he’s clean-shaven.

“It’s not hiding, but it’s a little bit of laziness,” Abrams said. “Just a little bit of rebellion. It feels nice. It’s something to scratch and twirl.”

With the right garb, the cuddly 20-year-old might pass for a young Chabad rabbi, but Abrams admitted — a tad apologetically — during a phone interview with The Journal that he’s only half-Jewish, adding that, in case it’s any consolation to Jewish readers, “I love everything Jewish.” READ MORE.

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