Why the theme of Andrew Lloyd Webber was chosen is a little weird to comprehend at first.
This is not a search for the next Broadway singer, so why theatrical songs for this week’s performances on American Idol? When you really think about it, if you’re a good enough singer, it shouldn’t matter what you sing.
Syesha Mercado wowed many, including judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. Mercado sang a fun, sultry and animated version of One Rock ’N’ Roll Too Many from Starlight Express. This is the first time she’s actually stood out.
Mercado is talented, so it’s not that she’s been squeaking by, it’s just that last night she showed everyone what she’s really all about.
Carly Smithson took on the ever-popular Jesus Christ Superstar, and put on the best vocal performance of the night. She demonstrated star quality and was finally able to make a believer of Cowell, who said it was his “favourite of the evening.”
For the first time David Cook sang a song without changing it one bit. Cook’s take on The Music Of The Night from The Phantom Of The Opera was breathtaking. He sort of lost his rock edge, but this side of him was surprisingly captivating.
David Archuleta changed Phantom Of The Opera’s Think Of Me enough so that it would suit him, since it’s meant to be sung by a female lead. It was a risk in taking such a well-known theatrical song and changing it into a pop song. But he managed it well.
Jason Castro’s performance of Memory from Cats was off. It was a very difficult song and not the genre he should be singing.
It was also a horrible night for Brooke White who choked while starting to sing Evita’s You Must Love. Instead of continuing, she stopped and started again. Once she got started it was sounding very beautiful but you could feel the strain, you could feel her nerves — it was really tense.
