In yet another season 10 twist from American Idol, tonight's top 13 performances were pre-taped...again. A FOX rep told People magazine, "We have pre-taped shows at this stage of the competition before ... although it's rare." Why the hold up, you ask? This being only the second time in Idol history that there are 13 finalists instead of 12, producers wanted to make sure all of the performances fit into the 2 hour time slot.
So in fact, the top 13 performed on the revamped Idol stage on Tuesday night, prompting producer Nigel Lythgoe to tweet: "It's been a tough day trying to get the sound right. With a mix of live band, Jimmy Iovine's amazing producer's tracks and live vocals."
This week the contestants had to adjust to the first ‘theme' of the competition, singing songs by their own personal idols. The result was performances that walked the fine line between perfect and predictable. Additionally, the singers benefitted from words of wisdom from mentor Iovine and his team of Grammy-winning producers.
Lauren Alaina kicked the night off with Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine." She chose the song because she thought it showed off her personality, and that it certainly did. Her performance didn't blow me away, but she was solid as usual. Steven wished the song was more ‘kick ass,' and Randy and JLo agreed that she didn't quite bring it.
Casey Abrams' performance of "With a Little Help from My Friends" brought the crowd to its feet. Of course channeling the bluesy Joe Cocker version instead of the uppity Beatles original, he couldn't have picked a better song. Randy told him that "you make listening to you fun." Steven, who clearly whipped out his thesaurus before the show, commented that Abrams is a "rainbow of talent" and a "plethora of passion."
Sporting full Dianna Ross hair, Ashton Jones sang "When You Tell Me That You Love Me." While I definitely enjoyed her performance more than last week's, she left me feeling underwhelmed. Randy pointed out that her performance was good, but safe, and the others agreed.
Paul McDonald chose to sing Ryan Adam's "Come Pick Me Up," and his performance didn't really show anything off. Steven pointed out that he loves his tone but the song was pitchy. I don't care what you sing, Paul. Just keep flashing that Bradley Cooper smile and I'm sure the votes will keep coming in.
You would think that topping her stellar performance last week would be next to impossible, but Pia Toscano got pretty close. She chose Celine Dion's emotional ballad "All by Myself" to show off her pipes. Her performance left JLo speechless, and Randy commended her for having the courage to belt out a Celine song- flawlessly.
I was I little nervous for James Durbin when I found out he was singing "Maybe I'm Amazed." Where are the scream-belt notes in that song? Don't worry- he found a spot for a few of them. I found myself liking him more than ever, as this was probably his most vocally controlled performance thus far. Randy was impressed by how he can ‘slay' any song, while Steven and JLo thought he hit it out of the park.
Haley Reinhart took on LeAnn Rimes' "Blue" with a very throwback country sound. I applaud her for her versatility, but it didn't blow my socks off. All the judges were impressed by her ability to switch from R&B to country with such ease, but thought that she seemed a little ‘sleepy.'
First turned on to the song when he saw ‘Space Jam,' Jacob Lusk sang "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly. He had a rough transition into his second verse, but I'm willing to overlook it, because the rest of the song was jam packed with gospelly belting perfection. The judges loved the passion he brought to his performance and the signature sound he brought to the song.
Thia Megia took Randy's advice and sang "Smile," made popular by Michael Jackson. I thought the ballad was beautiful, but a little too similar to her performance last week. I'm ready for something different, Thia! The judges thought she was pitchy, but liked how she moved around a little bit.
Wildcard Stefano Langone left the judges happy that they saved him from elimination last week. Singing a remixed version of Stevie Wonder's "Lately," he quickly proved that he is here to stay. Randy loved that the song included a major tempo change, and the others agreed that that he brought his own flavor to the classic.
Karen Rodriguez sang a Selena song...again. Though I admit that "I Could Fall in Love" is one of my Selena favorites, Rodriguez failed to connect to the song. And the sucking up to JLo failed to work this time, as Ms. Lopez told her that she seemed uncomfortable singing it. Randy and Steven echoed her thoughts, saying that she wasn't her best.
Singing Garth Brooks' country standard "The River," Scotty McCreery highlighted his signature twang in yet another great performance. I can't say that Scotty's singing gets me excited and energized but it certainly puts a smile on my face. JLo loved that he opened up as a performer and embraced the audience for the first time.
Naima Adedapo gave a very upbeat performance of "Umbrella" by Rihanna. Featuring some interesting dance moves, the reggae infused arrangement certainly showed off a whole different side to Adedapo. JLo said that she has to work on her control, and Randy and Steven pointed out her pitchiness and cutoffs.
Don't forget to check in with BroadwayWorld's IDOL WATCH tomorrow night to find out which finalist will be voted off first! American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm on Fox. Vote for your favorite contestants at
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Emmy Award-winning AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive produced by Simon Fuller, Founder, 19 Entertainment, a division of CKX, Inc.; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; and Nigel Lythgoe, President, Big Red 2 Entertainment.
Among the many American Idol finalists and winners to appear on the Broadway stage are Fantasia, Justin Guarini ,Jordin Sparks,Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Tamyra Gray, Constantine Maroulis, Frenchie Davis, Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks.
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