Sort of by accident, Kris Allen has become the 21st century's Antonio Salieri.
I don't mean all the negative baggage. The brilliant play (and splendid, Oscar-winning movie) "Amadeus" depicted Salieri as cruel, envious, narrow and vindictive. Kris is none of those; by all accounts, he's an extraordinarily decent guy who deserves much of the good fortune -- cute face, super-cute wife, "American Idol" championship -- that has happened to him.
What I mean is the theme at the core of the mostly fictional "Amadeus": Salieri was more popular and successful than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Still, he was a good enough musician to realize that Mozart was much better. Knowing that -- while the public didn't -- haunted him.
That, sort of, is Kris. "Adam was the most consistent person all year," he said Friday, two days after winning. "He is one of the most gifted performers I've ever seen."
In short, he's in awe of Adam. So are we.
This is a guy who grew up in the San Diego theater world. At 10, he was Linus in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He did "Peter Pan" and "Grease" and more; he got his Equity union card doing "Brigadoon" in Houston. He settled into the Los Angeles theater world; in "Wicked" -- a big-deal, long-term production -- he was in the chorus and sometimes got to step in as understudy for the role of Fiyero, the pleasure-loving playboy.
"It was a great job and I had lots of friends and it was paying the bills," Lambert said Friday. "But I thought, 'Is this it? Is this my life?'"
It wasn't. He soon became the most complete performer in "Idol" history. Since the show is based in Los Angeles, he could even use his own hair-and-makeup stylist and his own costumers -- three friends of his, under the business name Skin Graft -- who designed his "Idol" jackets.
That gave him the visual flash, but there was much more. Lambert hits notes beautifully, throwing in flair. There's nothing wrong with theatrical rock 'n' roll, he said, citing David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Madonna and more.
Allen, by comparison, avoids all flash. "I've always been a procrastinater ... I'm kind of laid-back and low-key," he said.
His real passion is sports. ("That's kind of my life during football season.") As for music -- well, he actually dropped out of the University of Central Arkansas for two years and tried to make it as a musical professional. It didn't take hold; it rarely does for laidback guys."
He was back in college when he auditioned for "Idol" (waiting 14 hours while "really, really sick") and got on.
Even then, he was too laidback to get any screen time. "There was a little bit of 'Wait, they're not showing me. But that's the way I live my life."
How did he beat the amazing Adam? Was speculation about Lambert's sexuality a factor? "Probably," Lambert said.
He said it without a hint of rancor. "I'm totally OK with this," Lambert said of Allen's victory. "I'm happy for Kris. He's a good friend."
Besides, there are easier explanations. Kris is a cute guy, the sort that little girls love to vote for. He has that shy, apologetic smile. He's mainstream.
It's not terribly surprising that he would win. It's nice to know he'll have a pleasant career. The only problem is the same one faced by Salieri -- the knowledge that he's a decent, pleasant talent who was in the company of genius.