Brooke White - 6 - "You Must Love Me" from Evita the movie - Weber's instructions to her were enthralling. Made me think I should watch the movie which I have heretofore assiduously avoided doing. This was the actual train wreck with injuries. For a second time, Brooke started over but then it got really painful. I thought she was going to break down, even more than last week, and you can see her shaking again. I can't imagine what's happened to take her from the smiley, cheery soul she was at the beginning, to this. Her voice is so lovely but she seems on the brink of a nervous breakdown with all the crying and trembling. I hope her adrenaline deficit doesn't cause major problems when/if she's eliminated tonight.

Jason Castro - 6 - "Memories" from Cats - If you hear this song in the show, even if you hate it as much as do in lousy renditions on the radio, or if you get into the song and hear it as coming from an aging former beauty who is quietly sad, it is chilling and deeply moving. Jason totally didn't get it and sang it badly. Idol winners, even Idol finalists, have to be able to get inside their songs.

David Archuleta - 6 - "Think of Me" from Phantom - Holy cow, man, this was a bungle. Ryan didn't help any by starting things off with teenies flocking up to hug David, which seemed really unfair whichever way it felt to him (although one assumes they got his okay for it), but AWL songs should have been his pig-heaven. I expected him to soar with something from JCS or even Phantom or Chess. Instead, as Denise said, "By the end, he’d turned it in to pure Josh Groban schmaltz, and I was nauseated."

Syesha Mercado - 5 - "One Rock and Roll too Many" from Starlight Express - With her hair and dress just perfect, and high atop the grand piano, Syesha did herself proud. She was sexy and joyous, though often off key. It would seem that this is her niche.

(I'm skipping 3rd and 4th places because there was such a big jump from Carly/David C. to everyone else.)

Carly Smithson - 2 - "Jesus Christ Superstar" - This is one of my all-time favorite songs by anyone, let alone by ALW. The juxtaposition of sauciness and J.C. has always seemed nothing less than brilliant to me, and the combined bouncy melody and religious demands have always knocked me out. That said, I thought Carly seemed to 'get' the song - though Paula was right (what did I say?) about the key being about one step too high. She hardly ever frowned and actually looked as if she was having a fantastic time in her pert paisley 60's dress.

David Cook - 1 - "Music of the Night" from Phantom - Not my favorite nor his best (as the judges like to say) but he can hit notes so perfectly, neither sharp nor flat, which made for a nice musical tone that wasn't as melodramatic as it's usually done - which is a good thing as far as I"m concerned - and for a brief moment right in the middle, right at the intense climax of the song, he let himself be wrapped (rapt?) in the words and forgot his self-consciousness. For at least that moment he was wonderful.

Labels: a.i., a.i.7, music, tv