ELMO SCARED!
LOL, really? How catty is that?
Hi Jonny. It sure looked to me like Seacrest skipped introducing Paula, but Texas2step said he did. Whatever happened, he barely acknowledged Paula last week.
Time for the West Coast Wrapup! (Which is occurring at 10:20 pm my time tonight, in case any smarty-pants out there wants to know what the "time" actually is! :)
I enjoyed the whole show (except for small bits of it) again tonight! What's up with that? Well, I'm sure that state of affairs will be speedily remedied when we have Sucky Songs from the 90's, or whatever their next week's theme will be.
As for the kids learning from the guest(s), this was probably the most useful week for them since Manilow was there. It looked like they got some very good tips for vocal production (I was tickled to see Chris singing from the floor -- I've been there! LOL!) and also on how to "make the song their own" (as the judges keep harping on. Very interesting to watch the guest segments.
And the lineup ..........
McPhee: It is really just a shame that the Hollywood studios only do musicals now when some producer forces them to practically at gunpoint. That's where McPhee belongs, in Hollywood musicals ... if they still existed anymore. (She kind of reminds me of Virginia Mayo, for some reason.) I agreed with the judges that the song wasn't her best choice (hearing her do those snarly notes was kind of like watching someone key a Porsche), but I thought the judges were unnecessarily harsh to her. However, it appears that someone finally took her in hand and showed her how to dress to set off her assets (both of them!) and unless every het male in America has forgotten to vote, she should be safe for another week.
Elliott: It's nice when an investment pays off! All these weeks, even when he didn't really quite deserve it, I've been voting for Elliott, running on faith that with a voice and talent like that, he would eventually find the right way to showcase it. And ladies and gents, I do believe that night has arrived! It was not a perfect performance by any means (the ending was a bit disappointing), but Elliott looked (fairly) relaxed and confident, and his voice is just getting better every week! I really, really enjoyed his song. Can't give a better compliment than that. I vote Elliott "Most Improved."
Kellie: Once again, she went for the jugular -- the Big Song. She certainly did a better job this week than last, but yeeee-ouch! -- going for that high note was NOT the best choice, no matter what they told her. It *would* have been, if she'd done it with real conviction, but she attacked it so tentatively that I expected her to stop in the middle of the song and say, "Did Ah do that raaaht, y'all?" And that Kewpie Doll hairdo didn't help matters. Kellie's Barbie Doll Brigade will probably keep her afloat again, but she *ought* to be the one going home this week.
Paris: Once again, a Big Song that she pulled off with aplomb ... but she was not my favorite. This young lady has amaaaaaazing breath control ... but what she lacks (probably because of her age) is any sense of subtlety. "I have a BIG VOICE, therefore I must sing as loudly as possible at any given moment." No, no, no ... can we say phrasing? Can we say dynamics? Hm, no, haven't learned those concepts yet, despite Bocelli trying to suggest them as diplomatically as possible ... oh, well. Paris does have a future, but I don't think it is as the 2006 Idol. Might be the one leaving us this week (unless Justice smiles and Kellie leaves instead).
Taylor: I like Taylor, really I do, but once again I must label this performance a disappointment. He is capable of much more. If he *fulfills* his potential, he could still win the whole shebang. But he seems to be going the opposite way again this week.
Chris: Much better than last week (and oh yes, must note that he looked darned sexy again in that jacket!). In good voice tonight -- must be all that singing from the floor! Should still be in the running.
Good show! What fun! Looking forward to next week. :)