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DECEMBER 21, 2010
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
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Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: January 28, 2010 01:56 AM
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Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyIdol Season 9: Auditions -- Dallas
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: American Idol , Fox , Joe Jonas , Neil Patrick Harris , Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV
, Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Singing , Talent Contest , Entertainment News
RATINGS UPDATE: Idol drew 24.7 million viewers
on Wednesday, down 10% from the 27.4 million it
reached one year ago, per The Hollywood Reporter.
SHOW COVERAGE: American Idol finally has a
breakout star this season. Unfortunately, it's not an
unknown talent but the very popular TV, movie and
Broadway star Neil Patrick Harris. He was funny andsharp, blunt without being rude and a nice foil for
Simon. (And one more person Simon should keep in
mind when staffing The X Factor .) The only missing
element to make his guest stint perfect? A sexy male contestant. Since Simon and Randy get to fawn over
any women they find appealing, it would have been fun to see Neil sparked by one of the guys who came
in. Joe Jonas was the other guest judge and he proved that hordes of screaming fans have taught him theuseful skill of maintaining a polite persona during insanity. Otherwise, he barely was seen making a
comment, much less a memorable one. Probably just too polite to make good TV, I imagine.
Overall, after the ghastly dearth of talent in Los Angeles, it was a relief to come to Dallas and discover 31
people worthy of going to Hollywood. To no one's surprise, some of them had tear-jerking backstories.
Oh well.
LLOYD THOMAS -- Sang "Overjoyed," perhaps the last great pop tune written by Stevie Wonder. We
saw Lloyd with his family and working the docks as a manual laborer. And though his performance was
fine, Neil Patrick Harris was succinct in saying he wished Lloyd showed as much personality in hissinging as he did before and after. Still, a winning personality can't hurt down the road.
KIMBERLY CARVER -- Sang an original, one of a shocking number of people who chose to do this
very unwise option. People, you may have written a very good song (not likely, but possible), but surely
there's a pop classic out there that might just be slightly better and therefore a smarter bet when
auditioning? This ain't Nashville Star. Nonetheless, Kimberly had a nice jazzy sort of voice, though a bitcabaret as Simon might have said. So Randy Neil and Kara sent her through with Simon dismissing her
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as too one-note in her style. Though of course that hasn't stopped country gal Carrie Underwood, rocker
Chris Daughtry et al from succeeding.
ERICA RHODES -- Sang "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue. This is the former kiddie star on Barney &
Friends who showed up in a leather outfit and with a whip. God knows the kooks who think a Let's Make
A Deal costume will help their chances don't need any encouragement. Fortunately, her sweet personality
made it less of a stunt than it might have been and she can actually sing. In this case, I'd say the singing
overcame the gimmick of her outfit. A light pop voice (just like her idol Janet Jackson), cute and with
lots of charm. Hmmm.
DAVE PITTMAN -- Sang "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke. Dave has Tourette's, which means
he sometimes has facial tics (like eyes blinking and head movements and throat clearing) but says that all
disappears when he sings. He was solid and his looks grew on me while he chatted. Still, the camera cutaway once or twice when his twitching became notable as he talked and the judges discussed him. Got
through but it's possible that on live TV Tourette's could prove a stumbling block in making people
comfortable with him -- or humanize him and make people root for him more. Done with empathy, but
not a sympathy vote.
TODRICK HALL -- Another original song? Oy! And yet, this one had Idol -specific lines that were
relatively clever and cute. Appeared on Broadway (credited as Todrick D. Hall) in the role of Bobby in
The Color Purple during Fantasia's acclaimed run. He has a limited but appealing and distinctive voice
with loads of confidence and experience in front of live audiences that could serve him well if he makes itthat far.
MAEGAN WRIGHT -- Sang "To Make You Feel My Love," which was written by Bob Dylan and
covered by a gazillion people and is the last charting single (to date, I won't give up hope) by Billy Joel.
Maegan's backstory is that...her parents divorced. Really? Is that even worth mentioning in this day and
age? Still, she seems to have custody of her little brother, though I didn't catch that if it were spelled out.To me, she seemed rather tentative and colorless on the low notes but finally gained a little steam (as shegot louder) towards the end. The judges all liked her more than me, but even listening again I didn't
quite hear it. Not bad.
CHRISTIAN SPEAR -- Sang "All I Could Do Was Cry," the breakthrough hit by Etta James. Spear
fought off leukemia at eight years old, which explains why the judges called someone they just met very
brave. Good for her, of course, but I really didn't think much of her performance. It was very hard tofollow the words she was singing (a sure sign of someone who isn't paying attention to the lyrics but just
following the melody), stopped for a moment in the middle of lines and was generally loud but not
especially good. On the plus side, she didn't oversing, especially for a 16 year old. I would have said, keeppracticing and sing whenever and wherever you can and come back in two years, but the judges sailedher through.
So what did you think of NPH and Joe Jonas as judges? And what about the people who got through?
Any strong agreements or disagreements with the judges?
--30--Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Related News On Huffington Post:
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Being 'Available' (VIDEO)
Ayla Brown, daughter of newly-minted Massachusetts Senator ScottBrown, was a guest on CBS's The Early Show to talk about getting
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Ellen Vs Simon As Cowell Is Very Late For First Day Of Taping
It was American Idol's newest judge Ellen DeGeneres first day of taping
the Hollywood segment, and she was excited and nervous, sources tellus. But...
Michael Lynche Disqualified From 'American Idol' After Dad Talks
To PaperMichael Lynche (a.k.a. Big Mike) was reportedly told to pack his bags
after his father revealed to his local Florida paper, The St. Petersburg
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: January 28, 2010 01:56 AM
BIO
Become a Fan
Get Email Alerts
Bloggers' Index
1
0
views
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyIdol Season 9: Auditions -- Dallas
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: American Idol , Fox , Joe Jonas , Neil Patrick Harris , Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV
, Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Singing , Talent Contest , Entertainment News
RATINGS UPDATE: Idol drew 24.7 million viewers
on Wednesday, down 10% from the 27.4 million it
reached one year ago, per The Hollywood Reporter.
SHOW COVERAGE: American Idol finally has a
breakout star this season. Unfortunately, it's not an
unknown talent but the very popular TV, movie and
Broadway star Neil Patrick Harris. He was funny andsharp, blunt without being rude and a nice foil for
Simon. (And one more person Simon should keep in
mind when staffing The X Factor .) The only missing
element to make his guest stint perfect? A sexy male contestant. Since Simon and Randy get to fawn over
any women they find appealing, it would have been fun to see Neil sparked by one of the guys who came
in. Joe Jonas was the other guest judge and he proved that hordes of screaming fans have taught him theuseful skill of maintaining a polite persona during insanity. Otherwise, he barely was seen making a
comment, much less a memorable one. Probably just too polite to make good TV, I imagine.
Overall, after the ghastly dearth of talent in Los Angeles, it was a relief to come to Dallas and discover 31
people worthy of going to Hollywood. To no one's surprise, some of them had tear-jerking backstories.
Oh well.
LLOYD THOMAS -- Sang "Overjoyed," perhaps the last great pop tune written by Stevie Wonder. We
saw Lloyd with his family and working the docks as a manual laborer. And though his performance was
fine, Neil Patrick Harris was succinct in saying he wished Lloyd showed as much personality in hissinging as he did before and after. Still, a winning personality can't hurt down the road.
KIMBERLY CARVER -- Sang an original, one of a shocking number of people who chose to do this
very unwise option. People, you may have written a very good song (not likely, but possible), but surely
there's a pop classic out there that might just be slightly better and therefore a smarter bet when
auditioning? This ain't Nashville Star. Nonetheless, Kimberly had a nice jazzy sort of voice, though a bitcabaret as Simon might have said. So Randy Neil and Kara sent her through with Simon dismissing her
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOSTBIG NEWS: Ellen Degeneres | LeAnn Rimes | Levi Johnston | Movies | Smarter Ideas | More...
LOG IN | SIGN UP
Get Entertainment Alerts
Email Comments
Don't Miss Tonight's Rare
Full Moon Eclipse
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Repeal Passes Senate
Procedural Vote
WATCH LIVE: Rare Lunar
Eclipse On Winter Solstice
Timothy Karr Obama FCC
Caves on Net Neutrality --
Tuesday...
Al Franken The Most
Important Free Speech
Issue of Our Time
PHOTOS: 10 Things We've
Accidentally Learned From
Crime Dramas
Sarah Palin Jabs Michelle
Obama's Anti-Obesity
Campaign
Like 40K
Like 40K
Like 7K
Like 9K
Like 11K
Like 1K
Like 5K
as too one-note in her style. Though of course that hasn't stopped country gal Carrie Underwood, rocker
Chris Daughtry et al from succeeding.
ERICA RHODES -- Sang "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue. This is the former kiddie star on Barney &
Friends who showed up in a leather outfit and with a whip. God knows the kooks who think a Let's Make
A Deal costume will help their chances don't need any encouragement. Fortunately, her sweet personality
made it less of a stunt than it might have been and she can actually sing. In this case, I'd say the singing
overcame the gimmick of her outfit. A light pop voice (just like her idol Janet Jackson), cute and with
lots of charm. Hmmm.
DAVE PITTMAN -- Sang "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke. Dave has Tourette's, which means
he sometimes has facial tics (like eyes blinking and head movements and throat clearing) but says that all
disappears when he sings. He was solid and his looks grew on me while he chatted. Still, the camera cutaway once or twice when his twitching became notable as he talked and the judges discussed him. Got
through but it's possible that on live TV Tourette's could prove a stumbling block in making people
comfortable with him -- or humanize him and make people root for him more. Done with empathy, but
not a sympathy vote.
TODRICK HALL -- Another original song? Oy! And yet, this one had Idol -specific lines that were
relatively clever and cute. Appeared on Broadway (credited as Todrick D. Hall) in the role of Bobby in
The Color Purple during Fantasia's acclaimed run. He has a limited but appealing and distinctive voice
with loads of confidence and experience in front of live audiences that could serve him well if he makes itthat far.
MAEGAN WRIGHT -- Sang "To Make You Feel My Love," which was written by Bob Dylan and
covered by a gazillion people and is the last charting single (to date, I won't give up hope) by Billy Joel.
Maegan's backstory is that...her parents divorced. Really? Is that even worth mentioning in this day and
age? Still, she seems to have custody of her little brother, though I didn't catch that if it were spelled out.To me, she seemed rather tentative and colorless on the low notes but finally gained a little steam (as shegot louder) towards the end. The judges all liked her more than me, but even listening again I didn't
quite hear it. Not bad.
CHRISTIAN SPEAR -- Sang "All I Could Do Was Cry," the breakthrough hit by Etta James. Spear
fought off leukemia at eight years old, which explains why the judges called someone they just met very
brave. Good for her, of course, but I really didn't think much of her performance. It was very hard tofollow the words she was singing (a sure sign of someone who isn't paying attention to the lyrics but just
following the melody), stopped for a moment in the middle of lines and was generally loud but not
especially good. On the plus side, she didn't oversing, especially for a 16 year old. I would have said, keeppracticing and sing whenever and wherever you can and come back in two years, but the judges sailedher through.
So what did you think of NPH and Joe Jonas as judges? And what about the people who got through?
Any strong agreements or disagreements with the judges?
--30--Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Related News On Huffington Post:
Ayla Brown CBS Early Show: Performs Song 'No More,' Talks About
Being 'Available' (VIDEO)
Ayla Brown, daughter of newly-minted Massachusetts Senator ScottBrown, was a guest on CBS's The Early Show to talk about getting
dismissed from American Idol,...
Ellen Vs Simon As Cowell Is Very Late For First Day Of Taping
It was American Idol's newest judge Ellen DeGeneres first day of taping
the Hollywood segment, and she was excited and nervous, sources tellus. But...
Michael Lynche Disqualified From 'American Idol' After Dad Talks
To PaperMichael Lynche (a.k.a. Big Mike) was reportedly told to pack his bags
after his father revealed to his local Florida paper, The St. Petersburg
1 of 5
Billie Jean King
Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Is a
Big Deal
Al Franken
The Most Important Free Speech
Issue of Our TimeDON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS
HOT TRENDS
amber portwood johnston in
playgirl kim zolciak
pregnant miley cyrus
lap dance video
sarah palin
michelle obama
More Celebrity News at People.com
More Celebrity News at Popeater.com
PHOTOS: 13 Products
Most Likely To Be Made By
Child Or Forced Labor
Amanda Knox Court Makes
Crucial Ruling
Recommend 3K
Like 156
Ask Steven Tyler a
Question!
READ MORE
Missing Showgirl'sBoyfriend Abused Her,
Police Say
READ MORE
James Van Der Beek
Introduces Daughter Olivia
READ MORE
Video: ‘Glee’ Star LeaMichele at Age 12
Chris Brown Gives Keri
Hilson a Lapdance Onstage
Friend: 'Teen Mom' Regrets
Baby Tattoo
Comments 0 Pending Comments 0View FAQ
Survivor 21: Infants
vs Senior Citizens:
Fetuses...
Jud 'Fabio' Birza
Wins 'Survivor:
Nicaragua'
Shania Twain
Engaged To
Frederic Thiebaud
'The Fighter' Star
Amy Adams Talks
Weight...Times,...
More in Entertainment...TOP VIDEO PICKS
1 of 10
Vince Vaughn's New
Bundle of Joy
Paris Hilton's BikerBlunder
Scarlett and Ryan's DinnerDate
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW
HOT ON FACEBOOK
HOT ON TWITTER
Most Popular
NBA
Video
Poverty
Health
30 Rock
Immigration
Death & Dying
IslamHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGESRecency | PopularityBristol Breaks Silence On
Levi's New Girlfriend
186 Comments
Tracy Morgan Undergoes
Kidney Transplant
138 Comments
ENGAGED
234 Comments
PHOTO: Kardashian
Christmas Card Revealed
2,288 Comments
PHOTOS: Paris Hilton
Dons Leather Bodysuit
130 Comments
Guess Who Got A Tattoo
Of Her Daughter
752 CommentsComments are closed for this entry
View All
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ | Contact Us
User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type
Copyright © 2010 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved.