Hollywood Week Round 1
Ellen and instruments and talent, oh my! American Idol’s 9th season, the part that counts at least, is finally underway. These are the episodes I look forward to every year, Idol’s so-called “Hollywood Week” (which was filmed at the Kodak Theatre in January and will be broadcast over the course of 4 episodes) where the real talent is given the opportunity to shine. This year Hollywood Week also marks the debut of new Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres, whose engaging sense of humor brought a lighter tone to the most recent round of eliminations. Say what you will about Ellen’s judging credentials; she’s always good for a laugh. I love her closeness with Ryan Seacrest, too. The two have been good friends for years, and I’m looking forward to their playful banter as the season progresses. Watch out Simon!
As for the contestants, it was great to see the audition hopefuls step up literally and figuratively on the Kodak stage. Many of my early faves continued to impress me (and the judges); Katie Stevens, Haeley Vaughn, Michael Lynche, Tasha Layton, and Todrick Hall all swiftly advanced to the next round. A few other contestants whose auditions didn’t do much for me definitely turned things around in Hollywood, most notably Casey James. I’d written the blonde cutie off as just another pretty face when he auditioned in Denver, but his bluesy guitar and soulful voice really stood out as a highlight of the first round of Hollywood week. Fellow guitar player Janell Wheeler is a new face/voice that caught my attention too.
However, my absolute favorite performances of round 1 came from three other guitar players: Andrew Garcia, Didi Benami, and Crystal Bowersox. Garcia’s cool acoustic version of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” reminded me of season 7 champ David Cook’s stripped down renditions of pop songs (his “Always Be My Baby” is still one of my all time favorite Idol performances). Benami sang a beautiful song called “Terrified” written by Idol’s own Kara DioGuardi; I don’t know which was more impressive – DioGuardi’s song or Benami’s performance. Bowersox’s “Natural Woman” was nothing like Kelly Clarkson’s rendition from season 1, but it was equally moving. These are definitely three contestants to watch!
Next up is the infamous group round… dun dun dun… which is as much (or more) about creating tv drama as it is about showing off the singers’ vocal abilities. There are usually one or two standout groups (like last year’s White Chocolate featuring future Idol winner Kris Allen, 5th place finisher Matt Giraud, and twice elminated cancer survivor Justin Williams), but the emotional breakdowns and bitchy catfights are generally more entertaining and more memorable than the performances. Hollywood, let’s get ready to rumble.
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