You Oughta Be In Pictures, Part Troi

And now, the continuation of Hollywood Week…

It was Day 4 at the Kodak Theater and tonight the Idol producers decided to play mind games not only with the remaining 72 contestants but also with the viewers as well. For most of the show the audience was bounced back and forth from the auditions at the start of the day to the room announcements at the end of the day. It was a definite challenge to keep up with the tennis match unfolding on my TV screen. I’m still not sure that I picked up everything even after hitting the pause button on my DVR about 50 times.

The show began with the judges already sorting through the photos, and then we were transported to 7 am that morning for the final performances. For this round each contestant performed a song solo with band and back-up singer accompaniment if they wished. The contestants were also allowed to play their own instruments for the first time, continuing the format change from last season. To the contestant’s delight and to my dismay the judges were not allowed to comment after each audition was over.

First up was the guy from “Wicked”, Adam Lambert, who did a ballad version of Cher’s “I Believe.” He had a good voice but it still sounded like a musical theatre performance. Next up was dueling pianist Matt Gerald, who like a number of contestants sang “Georgia on My Mind”. Of course he sang while playing a keyboard. He too had a good voice but it still sounded like something you would hear in a piano bar. After them came the BFFs from Milwaukee, Jamar Rodgers and Danny Cokey. Both did fine with their songs though Jamar wasn't feeling it afterwards.

During the first break there was another Ford commercial, which reminds me to mention that I've gotten a number of hits due to Google searches for Cheyennis Doom, who I mentioned in my recap of the Jacksonville auditions. One could argue that it was the highlight of that show. One of those hits was from Cheyennis herself (no joke!), who did a search of her name and found my little blog. She too did not know the origin of her surname, but she was a very good sport about having it mentioned here. If you are reading this, Cheyennis, thank you again!

And yes, that is her real name and she still enjoys driving the Ford Focus featured in the spot. Take that all you pessimist haters out there….

Back to the future, we were treated to a rapid fire montage of good performances from the morning, including from Anoop Desai, Jorge Nunez, Kendall Beard, Stevie Wright, Lil Rounds, Miskavenna Hanson, and Scott McIntyre. Scott was kind of off tune during his rendition of Chris Daughtry’s “Home” but he still got a standing O from Drunk Chick either because he is blind or because Paula is deaf. Also in this package was Kristen McNamara, who endured the rants of Nancy Wilson and the panic attacks of Nathaniel Marshall during the group round and did a semi-soulful version of “Because of You” in her last audition. We also learned that she has a last name (though not the origin, I would guess it is Irish) and that she is from just up the street in Napa. These folks made up the bulk of Group 1, who was the first to be sent from the main holding cell to their own special holding cell.

Group 2 included Alexis Grace; Kenny Hoffpauer; Jasmine Murray, who also endured group night hell dealing with Bikini Girl; the dramatic Nathaniel Marshall; the ringer Joanna Pacitti; the oil rigger Michael Sarver; Kai Kalama; Casey Carlson, the bubble tea maker who forgot her lyrics in her final audition; and Steven Fowler. Steven was the guy who aced the Stevie song on Hollywood Day 1, but it was a different story on Day 4. Despite rehearsing all night and being allowed to stop and restart ala Brooke White last season, he still couldn't get through his song and walked off the stage ready to pack his bags. The lovable Tatiana Del Toro, who the Idol producers clearly favor as the next Sanjaya, was initially placed in Group 2 but then was called out of the room and sent back to the main hall. Everyone she left behind breathed a sigh of relief.

After playing it somewhat straight on group night, Nick Mitchell brought back “Norman Simple” for his final solo performance and sang “Georgia on My Mind” Liza Minnelli style. He was placed in Group 4 and Trained Seal did the full-on tease by suggesting that the other people in this group were afraid that they were being cut when they saw Nick in there with them. If this were in fact true, imagine how they felt when Tatiana walked through the door to join them. I couldn't help but notice that no one sat within 10 feet of Tatiana. You could really sense that Ryan was trying hard to make this group look like the losers. Also in Group 4 were Anne Marie Boscovich, the welder Matt Brietzke, and Juno Joiner, another guy who used his young son during his initial audition to get a ticket to Hollywood.

Kaylan Loyd, as creative of a name as I've heard, was doing fine during her final number until Captain Jack cut the band off mid-lyric. She was a bundle of nerves as she was assigned to Group 3 along with India Morrison, the KC rapper who is tight with her sister; Jason Castro’s brother Michael; and Laneshe Young, the Sob Story from the Louisville auditions. You might remember how the Idol producers played up how poor her family was. Laneshe was still bound and determined to succeed and showed some soul during her last audition.

It was now announcement time, but suspiciously Captain Jack had to bail to catch a plane for the UK so it was left to the other three judges to tell each group their fate. Since Simon was not around to force the others to just come out and make the announcement, both Drunk Chick and Sexual Chocolate went on and on about how difficult it was for them to decide and how uneven the performances were and how each of them should not give up on their dreams no matter what happens and so on and so on and so..... Every once in a while Horny Chick chimed in, but it was clear that she didn't know the drill and was leaving it to the pros. Group 2 was first and after the rambling they were told that they were through to the next round. While the folks at Vote for the Worst must not have been pleased that Joanna Pacitti passed, I for one was happy to see Steven Fowler go through. Group 3 was next and they got a shorter version of the spiel, which of course meant that for them it was the end of the line.

There was only 5 minutes left in the show and there were still two groups to inform. Group 1 was next and it was pretty obvious from the start that this group was going through given who was in it. The last group to hear was Group 4, and we learned why the Idol producers moved Tatiana to this group from Group 2. They clearly want drama from Miss Del Toro to close the show and she did not disappoint, as she started to have a nervous breakdown while the judges were doing their spiel. Finally Matt Brietzke raised his hand and asked “so it’s a no, right?” to try and stop the madness. I liked that guy at his audition and I like him even more now. I do wonder, though, how he will deal with Trained Seal’s teases should he make it to the Top 12. We may yet find out because Group 4, including Tatiana, Matt, and Nick/Norman, were through to the next round, which is….

The Chair Show!

50 contestants remain and they were invited back to “the judges’ mansion” to sit in the chairs and find out if they are in the semi-finals. Yes, that’s right, instead of folding chairs and folding tables in some abandoned dance studio somewhere, the chair show this year is being held in a plush mansion complete with plush chairs and presumably plush tables. Trained Seal didn't say, though, which judge’s mansion will be used for the shoot. We can probably rule out Horny Chick since she is new and still can’t afford a plush estate. Wouldn't it be ironic if they have it at Paula’s house, right after she complained to Barbara Walters about how Fox told everybody, including her former stalker, where she lived? Trained Seal did tease that there was a surprise waiting for the contestants. Apparently Captain Jack is going to ask one of them to sing while sitting in the chair. More manufactured drama awaits us all tomorrow night.