Drama Queen Survives Idol’s Hollywood Round 3

It looks like more faces survived this third cut of American’s Idol’s Hollywood week than didn’t as the judges sent contestants of only one of four rooms home.  Many of the top favorites put in stellar performances to seal their fate.  But also among the surviving was drama queen Tatiana Del Torro.

Should she have survived?

In her audition, she scared us with the creepy laugh and last week we saw Tatiana torpedo two groups with her drama.  Tonight, I was sure she’d be gone.  Her performance was mediocre, but what was really weird was how much she congratulated herself afterwards.

But if the judges wanted to see how far they could push this girl, they nearly succeed in sending her over the edge when they played musical rooms with her.  In the end, she got at least one more reprieve.

Overall, the evening moved quickly as we were shown glimpse of many of the final Hollywood solo performances.

The men put in strong performances to kick off the night.

Stage actor Adam Lambert chose to sing Cher’s “Believe.”  While I thought the song choice was a little weird he held his own and will be back tomorrow night.  Anoop Desai put in a decent performance of “My Prerogative.”  Jorge Nunez also put in a solid performance.

My favorite male is still roughneck Michael Sarver who sang Westlife’s “All or Nothing.”

Buddies Jamar Rogers and Danny Gokey will also be returning.  Jamar surprised me with a decent rendition of “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T.  I’m not a big fan of Jamar’s but I think his performances are improving.  However, I liked Ju’Not Joyner’s version of the song better.  Tonight was the first time we’ve seen the real estate consultant who auditioned in New York City.

Danny also chose a song that was better sung by another contestant.  But then again I thought Lee Ann Womak’s “I Hope You Dance” was a weird song choice for him to begin with.  I don’t think it highlighted his talents. 

However, I did think the song was better suited for Anne Marie Boskovich who will also be retuning.

Several of the contestants took the opportunity to add an instrument to their performance.  Maybe it was the keyboard that saved Stephen Fowler (he was in the first room to get the good news) who struggled with his solo performance.  Also returning was Nathaniel Marshall who played the guitar to Rihanna’s “Disturbia. 

But looking really at home behind that keyboard was pianist Scott MacIntyre who would have made Chris Daughtry proud of his version of “I’m Going Home.”

But MacIntyre wasn’t the only contesting banking on the hit of a former Idol for a pass to the next round.  Among the best was Jasmine Murray’s rendition of Jordin Spark’s “Tattoo.  Murray remains one of my favorites.

Kristin McNamara made it through with her version of Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You.”  Outside of last week’s drama, we got to see that McNamara doesn’t have a bad voice.  And Alexis Grace put in a solid performance of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheat” to return.

Lil Rounds, singing Jennifer Lopez’s “Baby I Love You” proved that she is a contender too.

Others were feeling the stress.  Despite struggling with lyrics, Joanne Pacitti, the contestant that had a previous contract, and bubble tea maker Casey Carlson will be returning tomorrow.  Kai Kalama was also reprieved even though he was having some issues with his voice.

The other big surprise of the night was Nick Mitchell who put on his Norman Gentle persona for “Georgia” and earned a reprieve.  The performance was funny, but the man can sing.

And although we didn’t get to hear them sing we learned that Arianna Afsar, Jackie Thon, Jackie Midkiff, Cody Sheldon, Matt Breitzke, Alicia Barton and T.K. Hash were also in the rooms that got the good news.

In the dreaded Room 3, we say goodbye to Michael Castro, Kaylan Loyd, Lenesha Young and India Morrison.

I really liked this round because we got to see more contestants sing.  However, the way they left the decision to the end made it difficult to see how everyone faired.

Tomorrow they cut the list to the Top 36.

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Bikini Girl Blows Idol’s Hollywood Round 2

Drama was the name of the game during the second round of American Idol’s Hollywood phase as contestants team up and the competition turns cut throat. 

A real diva is hiding behind that smile. Photo courtesy American Idol

Catfights, name calling, everything but hair pulling made this round of Idol look more like an episode of Survivor instead of a talent contest.  We endured 30 minutes of squabbling before we ever got to see anyone sing.

Producers might think that conflict sells, but we want to see it on stage!

Two familiar faces were leading the drama during rehearsals.

Showing her true side – and let me tell you it wasn’t pretty – was none other than Bikini Girl.  First Katrina Darrell bails on rehearsing with her team because she was “tired.”  Then her team had to come to her room to find her the morning of the performance and she blows them off.  Finally, at the last minute she shows up. 

And when Jasmine Murray became the only one in their group to make the cut – and Jasmine deserved it – Katrina refused to congratulate her.

But stirring up trouble worked out a little better for Tatiana Del Torro.  No sign of her creepy laugh as she jumped ship from her group during rehearsal, joined another group and then abandoned them to return to the original group.

However, everyone in Tatiana’s original group made it through to the next round including two that we saw for the first time – Kaylan Lloyd from the Louisville auditions and Muna Hiluf who auditioned in Phoenix.

The group that Tatiana joined temporarily did not fare as well.  Team Compromise was less than impressive, but the judges let through two of its three members – Nathaniel Marshall, who performed better tonight than in Round 1 and a new face from the Louisville auditions Kristin McNamara. 

Many others did not survivor Group Night including Emily Wynne-Hughes who bailed on her girl band to audition for Idol and Rose Flack who forgot the words.

But the most shocking cut was David Osmond.  What was so bad that the Osmond got cut so early in the competition?  We don’t know.  They never showed his team perform.

But among the wreckage a couple groups rose in harmony.

White Chocolate made an awesome quartet.  India Morrison from Kansas City along with Louisville auditioners Matt Giraud and Kris Allen joined a fresh face – Justin Williams from the Phoenix auditions – to make sweet music.  If these guys don’t make it on Idol, they should form a group.

The only other group we saw unanimously passed was the Rainbow Coalition that included buddies Danny Gokey and Jamar Rogers and 16-year-old Taylor Vaifanua.  I didn’t catch the name of their fourth member.

A few others we saw survived their group included Austin Sisneros, J.B. Ahfua, Alex Wagner-Trugman, Anne Marie Boskovich, Michael Sarver, Adam Lambert, Matt Breitzke, and Jesse Langseth.

In all 75 made the cut and will remain for Round 3.

 

 

 

 

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