American Idol Auditons--New York and Puerto Rico

I would like to say I have high hopes for tonight's show, but any time you take two cities' worth of auditions and put them in a single hour, I am not optimistic.

Maybe they'll get rid of some of the extra garbage they have been using lately. I don't want to see the judges bicker or kiss. I don't want to see bad auditions stretched out to the edge of awkwardness.

I just want good.

When you click, my thoughts will appear.


West Side Story is the bridge they use to connect these two different locales.

It seems they will flip-flop throughout the show between the two cities.

Heavily-accented Adeola Adegoke quit her job to pursue her American Idol dream. We start off bad. She begs, and they almost repeat the whole 'calling the boss to get the job back' bit they used years back.

Oh wait. They actually DO repeat the whole 'calling the boss to get the job back' bit they used years back. Cannibalizing from other shows is one thing; cannibalizing from your own? Tacky.

Jorge Nunez from Puerto Rico (an awful descriptor, I know) sings "My Way" in Spanish. He is very talented and sings powerfully. I don't know how versatile his voice will be for this competition, but he is strong. A bit breathy for me, but he is different. They take him.

Singing contest winner Jessika Baier sings some Celine Dion and she hurts my ears. She obviously has an ear but not the tone. She's not the worst singer I've heard, but I'm glad the judges said no.

Rejection montage. I think that this part of the show can be easily excised. It doesn't do anything for me.

Happy, positive naked dancer Melinda Camille wants to uplift humanity and make the universe happier. And you know what? She actually made me happier. Honestly. Not the best, but she has some chops and a very positive attitude. She borders on cruise ship cheese, but her skills outweigh the cheddar. Having said that, the grit of Hollywood will eat her alive. I'm hopeful but realistically pessimistic.

Jackie Tohn, entertainer since she was a wee thing, is unusual. When she sings, she has a very raw sound, but I really, REALLY like her. Her tone is not smooth (gravelly and striking, yet strangely pure), she doesn't show off her range, but she has a sound--a distinct sound that I like. Plus, she has a vibe about her that I dig. Her herky-jerky movements while she sings are distracting, but mayhaps she can tone those down. Is it possible that I have a favorite to root for? I hate liking someone a lot at this stage (been burned too many times before), but I really like her! Have I said that enough?

The set falls down in the middle of Simon's response to her. Four yeses.

Mark my words, this one will be a keeper. Top 12 and beyond. She stands out.

Rejection montage, part deux. Really? We need another one of these? We don't even get to hear the horribleness; we just see the sadness. Yawn.

Bad singing montage. Here are the bad signing auditions.

Puerto Rican crazy rocker and street performer Joel Contreras borders on entertaining. Dressed as a human iPod, he is obviously here just to mess around, and part of me respects that. It's performance art. When he broke out with "Circle of Life" whilst raising a lion puppet, I laughed deeply. For him, his mission was a rousing success. As I said, performance art.

Red-headbanded, sparkly shirted, Nick Mitchell AKA Norman Gentle comes out too strong, throws a few zings at Simon, and again tackles performance art. After being scolded by Simon, he sings "Amazing Grace" subdued and sweet (and pretty good!) but then flips the cabaret switch going full tilt Vegas (again making me laugh). I actually think this guy is funny. Every year they pick some wacko who has no chance of going far, and this year, Norman Gentle is that guy. Of course he stands no chance, but I will be honest that he made me laugh. Maybe it's just me.


Brief Shots:
Ashley Hollister can sing well but instantly bores me.
Kenny Hoffpauer sings some Mraz too much like Mraz.
Kendall Beard, long-haired blondie with white headband, looks like Cameron Diaz and can sing pretty well.

All three go on.

Golden ticket montage.

Bad singer montage.

16-year-old Monique Garcia Torres brings in her 9-year-old brother. He's a cutie. Her voice is pure and sweet but doesn't knock me out. Not strong enough. Simon breaks the tie and she is through to Hollywood. She is way too green for Hollywood, but the experience could help her further down the line.

Alexis Cohen, the rocker who cussed out and flipped off numerous cameramen when she was rejected last year, comes in this year with a new attitude. It is obvious that she just wants camera time, but I don't find her near as entertaining as the performance artists who came before her. She obviously knows she's bad. This is not for real at all. She brings back the fingers back at the end. Her mission is complete.

Patricia Lewis Roman (with the partying family) sings at the same location that her parents got married. Who needs a microphone with her lungs? The unfortunate thing is that her tone suffers with all that volume. You can tell she's talented, but I am not hugely impressed. She sings thirty seconds of something more restrained, and she's better, but I'm not getting the vibe. Sentimentality wins out. She goes through.

Nine total golden tickets from Puerto Rico (Yikes!) and twenty-six from NYC.

Overall, a mixed bag, but some goodies in the mix. I especially liked Jackie Tohn!

I will write a preview for Hollywood later, but I must say that Hollywood weeks are among my favorites!

Bring it on!