Life after "American Idol" has been good for Camile Velasco, who turns 20 today and celebrates with a rock-pop concert at Pipeline Cafe tonight.

Her first single, "Hangin' On," has been out for a week; it's a prelude to her full-length debut, Universal Motown CD, still in the making and writing, but destined for release in the first quarter of 2006.

On Sept. 14, Velasco — who was a Season 3 finalist on the Fox-TV talent competition — makes her stage debut in "Footloose," in a Carousel Dinner Theatre production, in Akron, Ohio. It's her first theatrical musical, enabling her to stretch artistically as she explores career options.

"I'm in no rush — but I want to do things right," said Velasco, who now lives in Los Angeles "to be close to the source."

Her mentors are attempting to diversify her artistry and identify her performing range.

"I'm happy that my first single's out; it's a writing credit," she said of her original song. "Yep, I wrote it — except for the chorus (which is an homage to Diana Ross & The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On") — and response has been awesome."

"Hangin' On," with a world-beat syncopation, suits Velasco's sensual, soulful vocal style. The tune, about trying to break away from the same old relationship games, was produced by Grammy-nominated Gen Ruben, who has worked with Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin and Babyface. A remix for the track features Pras, from the Grammy-winning, multiplatinum group Fugees.

But Velasco is treading the waters of fame slowly, "doing maybe one gig a week," she said.

Last week, it was a Filipino festival in the Bay Area, including a Tower Records promotion in San Francisco.

This week, it's the Pipeline gig, being dubbed a "birthday bash," since its her birthday.

"My manager set up 'Footloose' for me; they're trying to get me into acting," she said, and she's open to different opportunities. Still, she said, her focus remains on music. "I would like to be respected as a musician. But musical theater is something I like and would love to explore."

In high school, she said, she did "a couple of one-acts." But never a musical.

In "Footloose," a musical based on the hit film which was scripted by Hawai'i-born composer-writer Dean Pitchford, Velasco portrays Rusty, a secondary female character. She delivers one of Pitchford's breakout hit songs, "Let's Hear It for the Boy."

Velasco will do eight performances a week, through Nov. 12, in a production directed and choreographed by A.C. Ciulla, who was nominated for a Tony Award for the original "Footloose" production on Broadway. Rehearsals begin Sunday, and that will be a new experience for the Ha'iku, Maui, performer, "because there's some dancing involved."

"What I hope to gain is experience," she said. "It's definitely a challenge. But 'American Idol' opened my eyes and enabled me to focus on what I can do, what is possible. Obviously, it will take work to express myself on stage, to own the role. But I'm getting my feet wet, getting into another phase of the business. The experience can only help me down the line."

Movies are not yet on her radar, but she'd be eager to give them a whirl, too, in time.

The stage commitment has altered her life somewhat, temporarily tabling her music studies, which she had been pursuing in California. "My schedule does not allow me to take classes, because I'm also still creating music, working in the studio to finish my album, which I hope to be able to deliver in a few months," she said. "Whatever it takes for me to make it all happen, I'll do."

Her live shows — like the one at Pipeline — are relatively short performances that will include her single and another of her originals, plus two covers, including one by her early idol, Lauryn Hill. For now, she said, she is performing to tracks, not a live band.

She said she misses home and her family but realizes that a career means distance and sacrifices.

Velasco still maintains close contact with her fellow "Idol" troupers. "Jasmine (Trias) called me in the Bay Area, wishing me good luck," she said. "I talk regularly with Jennifer (Hudson) and Fantasia (Barrino).

"But everything is happening so quickly," she said. "There's no time to feel lonely." Or bored.

Velasco, who was born in the Philippines and grew up on Maui, worked as a waitress at her family's International House of Pancakes at the Maui Mall before auditioning for "American Idol." As a finalist, she was part of the show's 50-city national "Idol" tour, which enhanced her visibility and exposed her to an audience beyond the viewership at home.

"Doing 'Footloose' is like touring again," she said. "I get to be on stage before an audience — and that's cool."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.