Tuesday was audition night in Boston for the beginning of a historic season of American Idol: the , the first . Her departure was noted at the start — and then in came guest judge Victoria Beckham, who had an odd way of batting her eyes and cocking her head when she heard a voice that interested her. Some people find her funny but that lady scares me!
The two-hour premiere, which sent 32 performers on to Hollywood with fabled golden tickets, was big on inspirational stories. The first put through to L.A. was possibly the nicest contestant of all time: Maddy Curtis, 16, is the ninth of 12 children and has several brothers with Down syndrome (most of them adopted). Simon paid her a high compliment: “You’re not annoying.” Then there was Katie Stevens, also 16, who sang in honor of a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s. Katie performed a surprisingly lusty version “At Last” (watch a clip). And Justin Williams, now 27, recounted his victory over cancer. A vocal coach, he apparently has all sorts of vocal tricks at his disposal — he should do very, very well.
Some other promising picks: Tyler Grady, who looked like a pencil-thin rocker of the old school and came in with both arms in casts (he’d fallen out of a tree); Ashley Rodriguez, impeccably put-together with just the right degree of commercial gloss; and Leah Laurenti, who sang “Blue Skies” with a pure, strong voice (she doubtless got bonus points for being sincerely farklempt).
I liked Jennifer Hirsh simply because she sang “Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead.” Why don’t more kids audition with that? It’s so catchy!
The show didn’t go overboard, as it has been known to do, with awful auditions. A lot of airtime was devoted to a guy named Andrew Fenlon, who came in hostile and sulky after a day of waiting. (You almost wondered if he was Ashton Kutcher in chunky glasses punking the panel.) His attitude ticked off both Kara DioGuardiand Victoria, although Simon (rightly) warmed up to him. He actually had one of the best voices of the night. But he was sent home.
Favorite judge’s comment of the night: Victoria’s backhanded compliment to a failed contestant — she said, “I think you’re probably perfect working in retail.” And she would know! –Tom Gliatto
Tell us: Who were your favorite contestants in Boston? What did you think of Victoria Beckham as a judge?
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