Some of the best and brightest from the “Idol” auditions

By Michelle Fong | Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 10:04 PM

While we wait to see who will stand out from the 181 contestants who made it to Hollywood Week, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of the audition rounds from Boston to Denver.

The best:

Tonight (Feb. 3), “Idol” showcased some of the best and brightest from the audition rounds. Here are some people to watch for during Hollywood week who we hadn’t seen in the earlier episodes this season.

• The Lisa Loeb lookalike Jessica Furney, who scored points by singing a song co-penned by judge Simon Cowell himself.

• Drama queen Amanda Shectman, who is a great singer (and actress) … I loved the Britney impression before her audition more than the audition itself. Hard to believe this girl has a theater background.

• Crystal Bowersox, a hippie chick from Ohio who carries around a guitar like a blankie.

• Season 8 Top 50 contestant Lacey Brown, who made the judges feel warm and fuzzy inside with her performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

• Super talented teens Rachel Hubbard, Thaddeus Johnson and Genesis Moore.

• Dad-to-be and personal trainer Michael Lynche, with a voice as big as his guns, won over the judges with “Unchained Melody.”

Inspirational stories, strong voices:

A winning combination when it comes to “Idol,” no doubt.

• Didi Benami, who sang “Hey Jude” in honor of her late best friend, her biggest fan.

• Aaron Kelly whose song choice, “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, was very fitting given his challenges early in life.

• Hope Johnson, who hoped to sing her way to a better life with “I Hope You Dance”

The headscratchers:

• Stephanie Fisher, whose “Fever” audition left the judges cold. At least she got to trade fashion tips with her fashion Icon Victoria Beckham.

• The 6-foot-8 swimmer Adrian “Blondzilla” Chandtchi, aka “the beautiful manflower,” had a really tiny voice that didn’t at all match his body.

• Goth chick Kimberly Bishop, who sang a frighteningly weird version of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl.” Thankfully, Perry wasn’t at the judge’s table to see that one.

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Move over bikini girl … you’ve got some competition

By Michelle Fong | Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 09:07 PM

Move over bikini girl. Make way for bikini boy.

Yep. Tonight on “American Idol,” this guy stooped pretty low to get his 15 minutes of fame.

The judges had to walk out in disgust when Ty Hemmelgarn strutted in the Denver audition room wearing a two-piece.

“Achy Breaky Heart” in a bikini was more than they could stomach. Let’s just be glad he wasn’t rockin’ a mullet Billy Ray style.

Does anyone else predict a bikini duet in the finals?

Now onto the rest …

Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham was back at the judges’ table with Randy, Simon and Kara this week during Denver auditions on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Her fashion, not surprisingly, was more memorable than her commentary. She wore a bright purple awards-ceremony worthy dress on day one and then a big bun on top of her head on day two. Well, at least she looked good.

Now onto the contestants …

Superstar potential: Triumph over adversity alert! A premature baby called a miracle and who later lost her father shared her dreams of becoming a black pop-country singer. Haeley Vaughn, who auditioned to Carrie Underwood’s “Don’t Even Know His Last Name,” makes my Top 12 prediction list because she’s so unique and has a really likable personality.

The very emotional live karaoke host and covers band member Danielle Hayes, who sang “The Only One” by Melissa Etheridge.

Tori Kelly, the beautiful 16-year-old, who sang John Mayer. Simon called her voice annoying, but the others loved her. I’m not sure what planet Simon was on during that audition. She was really good, and so darn adorable.

Nicci Nix, who has a really high-pitched speaking voice (sort of like Jennifer Tilly’s, actually), but a surprising lovely singing voice. Her 14-hour flight from Florence paid off. Love the superstar name, by the way.

Not too shabby: Now this one threw me off. Mark Labriola, the Jack Black (and sort of Jack Osbourne) lookalike who shared his love for cheese and tales of his life on the run, sang “Tempted” surprisingly well. He just looked like someone who would, well, totally suck. It’s true. When it comes to “Idol” auditions, you can usually tell if the person will be good or bad at first sight.

Kimberly Kerbow, the single mom who managed to criticize Simon’s hair in song.

Casey James, the motorcycle accident victim who beat the odds and was able to play the guitar again. Casey only impressed half the judges with his voice … but his good looks saved him. At the ladies’ request, he pulled his hair down from a ponytail and took off his shirt. In a competition like this, looks do matter. But that was a bit ridiculous. I felt sorry for the poor guy.

Shame of a nation: Mario Galvan, the trenchcoat-wearing nicotine addiction counselor, didn’t get a get out of jail free card with his lackluster “Jailhouse Rock” performance.

Austin Paul, the incredibly arrogant college music student and football player, who wasn’t horrible, but not good either. He should really stick to football.

The self-proclaimed world’s best singer, aka the male Mary J. Blige Kenny Everett couldn’t live up to his claims of grandeur with his screeching audition. Kenny was so shocked that the four judges couldn’t see his true talent.

The worst? I appreciated the montage of Vegas singers, cat killers and horrible dancers. But I’ve gotta go with bikini boy.

Stay tuned for the final audition round to air Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. (EST) on Fox.

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Shows about hair and drag return to reality TV

By Craig Schrolucke | Sunday, January 31, 2010, 10:16 AM

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Airs on Logo TV - Mondays at 9 PM

RuPaul’s Drag Race - Photo LogoTV.com

This campy-glam reality TV competition features 12 drag queens decked out in all their finnery vying for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

One the best parts of the show is the “lip-synch for your life.” This appears near the end of the show where the final contestants on the chopping block claw, strut and lip-synch to stay in the competition for another week.

Returning for another season as judges are Merle Ginsberg, fashion journalist and Project Runway crazy, Santino Rice.

Guest stars and judges slated to appear on the show include:Kathy Griffin, Cloris Leachman, Jackie Collins, Henry Rollins and a slate of celebrities sure to make to the queens swoon. Not too bad for a show Bravo took a pass on.

LogoTV.com

Shear Genius

Airs on Bravo TV - Wednesdays at 10 PM

“Shear Genius” is back on the air after a makeover. Jaclyn Smith has been cut as the show’s host and if Entertainment Weekly is correct the new host - Carnila Alves, fiancee of Matthew McConaughey - may be even worse. Hair reality TV star Jonathan Antin, star of Bravo’s reality TV series “Blow Out,” will serve as judge along with Kim Vo. Orlanda Pita will serve as a mentor to the stylist wannabes.

The competition each week includes the shortcut challenge - where each of the designers’ technical skills are evaluated and of course a dreaded illumination challenge.

The show helped to create another reality TV series on Bravo. Season one winner Tabatha Coffey has starred in two seasons of her own realityTV series on Bravo called “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover.”

http://www.bravotv.com/

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From Barney to dominatrix … some “Idol” highlights

By Michelle Fong | Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 09:07 PM

Texas, the place where dreams came true eight years ago for the original American Idol Kelly Clarkson.

Wonder if any of tonight’s Texas contestants will live out the same dream? The search continued for the next American Idol, Jan. 27, with the help of guest judge Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), who said he joined the judges table in hopes of singlehandedly crushing peoples’ dreams. He must be after Simon’s job.

Surprisingly it took 15 minutes for the first Doogie Howser joke. On second thought, maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise. Things do tend to drag on for awhile on “Idol.”

Joe Jonas, one of the (insert squeal here) Jonas Brothers, took over at the judges table for day two of the Texas auditions. Did he even speak? If so, I didn’t notice.

But here are some things I did notice:

Superstar potential: Barney kids grow up to become, um, dominatrices, apparently. Erica Rhodes, who appeared on “Barney and Friends” as a child, is all grown up and ready for a more, well, mature sound to match her leather and whips. She sang “Free Your Mind” by En Vogue and impressed the judges with her vocals, her style and her sass. But I can’t help but wonder, what would that lovable purple dinosaur Barney think of this new Erica?

Maegan “Break the Rules T-shirt girl” Wright, who sang “To Make You Feel My Love,” has an absolutely beautiful voice.

And last but not least, leukemia survivor Christian Spear, 16, who sang “All I Can Do is Cry” by Etta James. I predict she’ll survive Hollywood week, too.

On a side note, has “American Idol” ever shown a contestant with an inspirational story who didn’t make it through? It’s just so obvious!

Not too shabby: Lloyd Thomas took a fashion lesson from Boyz II Men, with a dress shirt and tie paired with a baseball cap and some voice lessons from Stevie Wonder.

Jazzy Kimberly Carver sang an original song that split the vote 3-1 (Simon the odd man out).

Todrick Hall (who just happened to perform on stage with “Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino) performed an original song about his “Idol” dreams. Not sure about his songwriting skills, but he’s had one of the more memorable auditions of the season.

Another story of inspiration: Dave Pittman, who has Tourette’s Syndrome, got a big thumbs up from the judges for his soulful Sam Cooke song.

Shame of a nation: Eight seasons after trying out with a very high-pitched “Lady Marmalade,” Julie Kevelighan returned this season for another chance, this time with “Black Velvet.” She was much better than she was in Season One auditions, I’ll give her that much. But despite what her sign said, this was not her lucky year.

The very perky and annoying Vanessa Johnston (pink flower and spandex girl) couldn’t quite pull off Etta James. Simon called her his worst nightmare!

Cry me a river: Lots of tears tonight! The saddest of all: Dexter “Winkie” Ward, who had all the confidence when he strutted in the room, but couldn’t back it up with his audition to “If I Ever Fall in Love” by Shai.

»»Photos: American Idol season 9

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Finally, an “Idol” guest judge we can all appreciate

By Michelle Fong | Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 09:31 PM

Is it Hollywood week yet?

This audition episode after audition episode business is getting a little boring. Sure, there are a few standouts (good and bad) in each city, but for the most part, it’s all a blur, and I’m guessing few auditions will be really memorable by the time we get to Hollywood Week.

At least we had Katy Perry. The singer-songwriter (“I Kissed A Girl,” “Waking Up in Vegas”) was one of two guest judges on tonight’s (Jan. 26) episode of “Idol.” Avril Lavigne (“Complicated”) didn’t have much to say behind that horned hoodie.

Perry should be a guest judge every week. Finally, someone who wasn’t afraid to really speak her mind.

Here’s the rundown:

Superstar potential: Every show needs a Cinderella story. This week there were two. Andrew Garcia, a father seeking a better life for his son, gave Katy Perry chills with his vocals. Foster child Chris Colightly, who Simon said belongs in a boy band (he did sort of have a Corbin Bleu/Justin Guarini look about him), wowed some of the judges at least with his version of “Stand By Me.”

Not too shabby: Rocker chick Mary Powers, who sang Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” Simon called her look cliché, but gave her the thumbs up anyway. Pastor and dad Jim Ranger, who impressed the judges with his original song “Drive.” The very likable minister Tasha Layton, who sang Joss Stone’s “Baby, Baby, Baby.” How can you not like a minister after all?

Shame of a nation: The very animated Austin Fullmer, who sang Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.” His dance moves did not impress. Neil Goldstein sure can rock a vest, but couldn’t rock Meatloaf-style. Sandwich-maker and martial artist Dameon LaFavor … maybe he should try standup instead of The Righteous Brothers. A.J. Mendoza “the ventriloquist,” who managed to sing “Cult of Personality” while barely opening his mouth. Jason Greene, whose “I Touch Myself” performance made Katy Perry of all people feel dirty.

Just plain creepy: Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert’s love child. The preview for tomorrow’s episode in which Barney (yes, Barney the large annoying purple dinosaur) auditions. What??????

»»Photos: American Idol season 9

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Ex-convicts, ripped pants and more surprises on “Idol”

By Michelle Fong | Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 09:16 PM

Orlando — the place where dreams come true … at least for a few.

About 10,000 “American Idol” hopefuls headed to Mickey territory to show off their skills, but only 31 advanced to Hollywood week.

Judges Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi were joined the first day by guest judge Broadway superstar Kristin Chenoweth (loved her on “Glee” by the way). Here’s a look at some of the highlights from tonight’s (Jan. 20, 2010) episode:

Superstar potential: Seth Rollins, 28, whose modern interpretation of “Someone to Watch Over Me” by Frank Sinatra moved me to tears for more than one reason. This father of an autistic child is hoping his vocal talents will not only help fulfill his dreams of having a music career, but also help his family better afford expensive treatment for his son.

The very likable Jermaine Purlfoy, who auditioned while in college for Season 7, gave it another shot with a little Tony Bennett. Randy said it was the best audition of the season so far. Simon predicted, “the chicks will like you.”

These ladies didn’t get much air time, but Janell Wheeler, Brittany Starr James and Kasi Bedford all had fantastic voices and star quality.

And tonight’s major dose of triumph-over-adversity came from 25-year-old Matt Lawrence, whose performance of “Trouble” was pretty appropriate considering he spent four years in jail after he robbed a bank with a BB-gun while a teenager. Matt’s hoping for a fresh start. Kara predicted he’d make the Top 12.

Not too shabby: Despite getting a little nervous and forgetting the words to “Turn Me On” by Norah Jones, the judges saw the potential in Shelby Dressel, 18, and gave her a golden ticket. If you need a refresher, Shelby was the recent high school grad who can’t use the right side of her mouth due to an undeveloped nerve.

Jersey sisters Bernadette Desimone and Amanda Desimone certainly make up for in style and spunk what they may lack in raw vocal talent.

I’m not sure what to think about Jay Stone’s beat-box version of the Beatles’ classic “Come Together.” I was rolling my eyes until he actually started singing. He had a decent voice behind all that noise. But somehow I don’t think he’ll make it as far as Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis.

Shame of a nation: Theo, the sequined cape-wearing “superhero” complete with sequined-feather mask who sang Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker” in superhero fashion. I wonder what his purposefully blurred T-shirt said. Backward baseball-cap wearing Jarrod Norell, whose “Amazing Grace” was neither amazing nor graceful. He couldn’t take no for an answer and had to be escorted out by security. Yep, definitely a “no.”

In a league of his own: The best part of the show by far came when Cornelius Edwards ripped his pants by doing a split during his energetic performance of “Proud Mary.” I don’t know if they just liked his voice or if he got the pity golden ticket.

Up next: Dallas auditions to air Tuesday, Jan. 26, 8 p.m. (EST) Fox.

»»Photos: American Idol season 9

Speaking of vocal skills, where do you like to show off yours? Vote in this week’s Best of Dayton Poll for Best Place to Karaoke

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Local woman gets some exposure on “American Idol”

By Michelle Fong | Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 09:07 PM

It’s week two of “American Idol.” I was prepared for a letdown, after all the chances of finding an audition as memorable as Atlanta contestant Gen. Larry Platt’s “Pants on the Ground” were slim to none.

But at least a local “Idol” hopeful got some, well, national exposure.

West Chester (love how “Idol” spelled it Westchester!) resident Amy Lang didn’t make it to Hollywood, but hey, at least she showed off her, ummm, special talent. The waitress not only shared her desire for Ryan Seacrest with America, but enhanced her audition to Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood” with a fake fainting and a special little dance the judges called “boob bouncing.” We’ll leave the rest to your imaginations.

West Chester’s very own Amy Lang

Now onto the other highlights …

Guest judge, country superstar Shania Twain joined Randy, Kara and Simon in Chicago to spot the potential in some of the 12,000 contestants (only 13 made the final cut). Here are some of the Windy City contestants who blew the judges away … or not.

Superstar potential: Chicago’s Angela Martin, back for a third time after making it to Hollywood Week during season 7 and to the top 50 in Season 8 (but who had to drop out due to a traffic warrant.) She made the judges proud with a little Mary J. Blige. Angela definitely has some star quality.

Here’s this week’s triumph over adversity story, which automatically boosts your chances. The judges saw the potential in 21-year-old Paige Dechausee of Illinois, whose asthma nearly took her life at age 15. Paige impressed most of the judges with her bluesy vocals.

Not too shabby: Katelyn Epperly of Des Moines, Iowa, (the curly haired blond with large tattoo whose family is going through divorce) who sang some song I’ve never heard of called “Syrup and Honey.” Charity Vance, 16, from Arkansas (the energetic high school student who comes from a family of hairstylists) who sang “Summertime.” John Park of Illinois, whose “bottom end” got more compliments than his vocals.

Shame of a nation: Curley Newbern, whose falsetto frightened and entertained the judges. And I’m not quite sure how to describe this one, but Brian Krouse, who says he used to sing for the troops, sang some tiptoeing song by novelty act Tiny Tim and swore on his mother’s life his audition wasn’t a joke. It was really, really disturbing.

Honorable mention: Our very own Amy Lang. She’s definitely a performer.

Up next: Orlando auditions episode, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. Fox (EST)

»»Photos: American Idol season 9

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