American Idol’s Hollywood Week came to a close, with 100 contestants (out of the 327 who were sent to Hollywood) competing as soloists this time. There was a band onstage, and they were given the choice to sing with the band or a cappella. Some of them chose to accompany themselves, usually on keyboard or guitar.
As tonight’s show opened, we saw the contestants emerging from their hotel rooms, eating breakfast, rehearsing and preparing for the day’s competition.
The first to sing was Haley Reinhart, who gave a fine performance of “God Bless the Child.” This was followed by strong performances from Ashton Jones and Thia Megia, a 15 year old who sang “What a Wonderful World.
Some of the contestants were out of sync with the band, including Caleb Johnson. It was remarked that it was obvious that some of them were not used to working with professional musicians.
Clint Gamboa gave an outstanding performance of “Georgia on My Mind.” Others also chose that song, including Kendra Chantelle and Sophia Shorai, who gave good performances.
Rather than choose a “safe” kind of song that everyone else might choose, Chris Medina wanted to be different. He chose “My Prerogative.” Surprisingly, Carson Higgins chose the same song. Carson Higgins was described as having an “outgoing personality” that dominated the stage during Group Night. His performance of “My Prerogative” had the audience standing, clapping and singing along. However, Chris Medina also gave a good performance, in his own way and his own voice.
We were then presented with a series of contestants who chose to accompany themselves. These included Julie Zorilla (keyboard), Caleb Hawley (guitar), Colton Dixon (keyboard), Brett Lowenstein (guitar), Robbie Rosen (keyboard) and Casey Abrams (bass). All of them did nice jobs, but Casey Adams stood out with a great jazz rendition of “Georgia on My Mind,” complete with a long-held final note.
Unfortunately, Jacqueline Dunford became very ill and she had to bow out of the competition. This was very upsetting to Chelsee Oaks, who had also had to say good-bye to her ex-boyfriend, who had been eliminated from the competition during Group Night. Chelsee sang “Because of You” in a broken and emotional way.
Lauren Alaina gave a great performance of “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
One of the outstanding performances of the day was given by Jacob Lusk, who came out with an astonishing rendition of “God Bless the Child.” His style included a powerful mix of jazz and soul, including some scat singing. He put so much of himself into his performance that he broke down afterward, backstage.
John Wayne Schulz had a hard act to follow, but he sang in a soft, beautiful and affective way, accompanying himself on his guitar.
Ashley Sullivan attempted to sing “Everything” to her boyfriend, who was in the audience. She sang a cappella. She forgot the words, became emotional and fell apart. She feared that this would ruin her chances of being passed to the next level of the competition.
Good performances were given by Stefano Langone, Jovany Barreto and Jacee Badeaux, who sang “Time of My Life.”
Scott McCreery and Tatynisa Wilson both sang “I Hope you Dance,” and they both had trouble remembering the lyrics.
After everyone sang, the three judges, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, had the job of eliminating half of them. This was difficult, because, as Randy Jackson said, it was a very, very talented group this year.
The contestants were divided into four groups and sent to four rooms. The three judges went from room to room and announced to those present that (1) they had all made it to the next level or (2) it was the end of the line for everyone in the room.
Everyone in Room 1 was passed to the next level. These included Jacee Badeaux, Ashley Sullivan and Brett Lowenstern.
I confess that I was very surprised that Ashley Sullivan was passed to the next level after her meltdown earlier in the day. Show business requires iron nerves. Someone who cannot stay in control onstage and who buckles under pressure is going to be eaten alive by the demands of the profession. If she wants to have a career as a singer, Ashley is going to have to find a way to access her inner strength if she is going to be able to stand up under everything she will be subjected to.
The contestants in Room 2 and Room 3 were informed that none of them had made it to the next level. These included Brielle Von Hugel, Chelsee Oaks, and many others.
Those in Room 4 were also given the good news that they had made it. These included Carson Higgins, Scott McCreery and Jovany Barreto.
Next week, American Idol will get down to some really serious business, as the best of the best compete against each other.
