Maddie Poppe free Cedar Rapids concert canceled

American Idol winner and Iowa native Maddie Poppe will not be giving a free performance after all at Market After Dark in Cedar Rapids on Aug. 25.

Poppe's manager, Jonathan Shank of Red Light Management, said Poppe, of Clarksville, has commitments with ABC, the network that runs American Idol, on the day of the scheduled appearance.

'It was beyond our control. She had really looked forward to doing it. We're certainly trying to figure out any remedies we can make to the Cedar Rapids community,” he said.

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, which organizes the free downtown market, had booked Poppe to play the market before she was on American Idol. She won the contest May 21, garnering national fame, $250,000 and a recording contract. She is on tour this summer with 'American Idol Live!” The tour has no Iowa stops.

Economic Alliance events planner Jenn Draper said after Poppe's win, Alliance staff worked with the company booking the 'American Idol Live!” tour to make the logistics work so Poppe still could come to Cedar Rapids. Market After Dark falls between stops Aug. 24 in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Aug. 27 in Salem, Ore.

However, Shank said though initially he thought Poppe would be able to honor the Cedar Rapids engagement, ABC had other commitments for her that day, and the decision ultimately was out of her hands.

'We had tried to make special arrangements since the tour was off that day. We have really tried to go above and beyond to make it all work, but it just became impossible,” Shank said.

Poppe will return to Iowa for at least two shows after the American Idol tour is over. She recently announced performances Sept. 22 at Wild Rose Casino & Resorts in Clinton and Sept. 28 in Jefferson. The Jefferson show is sold out, but the Clinton show still had a handful of tickets available Tuesday.

Market After Dark, the nighttime version of the Downtown Cedar Rapids Farmers Market, attracted about 30,000 people last year. With Poppe's cancellation, Cedar Rapids singer Alisabeth Von Presley now will begin her performance at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 on the main stage on Third Avenue SE and Fifth Street SE. That will be followed by jazz and brass band 10 of Soul at 9.

l Comments: (319) 398-8339; alison.gowans@thegazette.com