American Idol in Milwaukee, WI

For this week, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Ryan Seacrest are in the Land of Cheese (and Beer) Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the continuation of the search for the next American Idol. 

Overall, the entire audition was, as expected, a minus-and-plus undertaking. Without mentioning those who were subtracted from the competition, some of the latest additions to batch Hollywood are:

1. Scott Dangerfield, the backroom kisser who can pass up for a young Clark Kent except for his bony legs. And he can substitute Shaggy, too, in Scooby Doo. As to the voice, hmmm, I’m not that impressed, unlike J. Lo, who branded him as her “favorite”.

2. Steve Beghun, whose last name is pronounced as “big goon,” can easily take the role as a real big goon because of his height and size. He is considered to be AI’s first certified public accountant. And when he is not pushing the calculator, he is enjoying his time singing at weddings and funerals. The performance was not okay for me, though.

3. Emma Henry, the 15-year old Cyndi Lauper wanna-be. Randy Jackson was not really carried away saying that although she has a voice, it needs to be honed. Randy  was almost ready to say “no” with concerns that the girl might get swallowed by the Hollywood auditions if he would say "yes". But, with the crying that Emma made plus Steven Tyler’s kitty lobbying, Randy Jackson put her through for another shot.

4. Jerome Bell, the Bar Mitzvah singer. I say, this boy has the talent and he is definitely should go to Hollywood.

5. Naima Adedapo, the janitor and toilet cleaner mom. I agree with the judges, she has the package to compete in Hollywood.

6. Thia Megia is my ultimate choice! So young at 15 years old but with a powerful voice, I am reminded of her of Charice, not to mention her Asian looks. With talent and good attitude she has, I say, Thia will surely make it through the top 12.

7. Molly DeWolf Swensen, the Harvard graduate, White House intern who “platonically” loves Barack Obama. She's now marked as the contestant that the Dawg accidentally hit on the face at one time during the audition. Well, Randy let her in for Hollywood, not because he hurt her, but, really, she has the voice, and er, the height. Perhaps, Pres. Obama will soon start watching AI if she gets further in the competition.

8. Scotty McCreery is one exceptional character because of his unique voice. The first kind I’ve heard in AI; so low and deep for a 16-year year old, a comment, which he gets a lot.

9. Chris Medina – the boy with a good voice, alright; but, he also has a great heart-breaking story to tell: a very pretty fiancée, who, after they were engaged to get married, met a near-death accident and ended up with a broken face and on a wheel chair. Though they are not yet married, he made a commitment to take care of his girl.

The entrance of Scotty McCreery, Emma Henry and Thia Megia came after AI reduced the age requirement for participants. According to Ryan Seacrest, AI is highly influenced by the Justin Bieber fever that producers decided to lower the age qualification to 15 years old. The new generation is indeed so talented that the Milwaukee audition was able to haul up many 15-year old contenders.

Next stop for AI is in Nashville, Tennessee.  

--- Ireen ---