Wednesday, January 21, 2009

American Idol - Recap & Review - San Francisco Auditions

American Idol
San Francisco Auditions

Original Air Date: Jan 20, 2009

PMB - TwoCents Reviewer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com

I learned two things during last night’s one-hour San Francisco auditions.

1. There isn’t that much singing talent in the “Golden” Gate city, so it seems fitting that only 12 “golden” tickets were given out — most likely the smallest amount of any city we’ll see (they have a total of 150 to give out). And many of those who moved on looked like they were just fodder to have someone to cut during Hollywood week.

2. If you beg hard enough, you can get to Hollywood. Bonus points if you have cute kids doing the begging for you.

The first person to do the begging route was Tatiana Del Toro, who said she was from Puerto Rico. The judges asked why she hadn’t waited until they came to her country and she said she couldn’t wait.

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[photo: FOX]

1 comment:

  1. American Idol
    San Francisco Auditions

    Original Air Date: Jan 20, 2009

    PMB - TwoCents Reviewer
    pmb@thetwocentscorp.com

    I learned two things during last night’s one-hour San Francisco auditions.

    1. There isn’t that much singing talent in the “Golden” Gate city, so it seems fitting that only 12 “golden” tickets were given out — most likely the smallest amount of any city we’ll see (they have a total of 150 to give out). And many of those who moved on looked like they were just fodder to have someone to cut during Hollywood week.

    2. If you beg hard enough, you can get to Hollywood. Bonus points if you have cute kids doing the begging for you.

    The first person to do the begging route was Tatiana Del Toro, who said she was from Puerto Rico. The judges asked why she hadn’t waited until they came to her country and she said she couldn’t wait. I don’t want to call her a liar, but the minute she got a ticket to Hollywood, her accent magically disappeared! The producers had so much fun pushing her hyena-like and her hideous dress with tacked on tulle) in our face that I thought she was a crazy for sure, especially after she said she was an artist, singer, actress... the list went on and on. But she didn’t have a bad voice — although not that great either. So how’d she get a ticket? By begging and singing again and again even as the judges told her no — to the point that they changed their answer to yes.

    Jesús Valenzula also had an OK voice, but his begging extended into bringing in his two young sons. By then, it was a given that he would get a ticket, otherwise the judges would all look like child abusers.

    In between all the crazies (especially Akilah Askew-Gholston, who brought medical reference materials to explain how to sing and couldn’t pronounce any body parts correctly), there was a montage of folks with good voices who earned their Hollywood invite. Just wish we could have gotten to know them better. Right now, they are a blur of faces.

    Two singers did stand out. With major emo hair (worse than David Cook’s beginning do — remember that atrocity?), Adam Lambert should never have mentioned that he's in the LA cast of “Wicked,” because he choose to sing — and sing well —"Bohemian Rhapsody," a theatrical song. So you can guess what Simon said to him! BTW, he’s the understudy for the male lead of that musical and that’s a really difficult part to sing — so I’m looking forward to hearing his chops again. He may be my new favorite.

    I wish the producers hadn’t played up the back story of Kai Kalama so much (was his the only heart breaking tale they could find in SF?). He had to give up much to take care of his mother, who has health issues. But, while they said he had to give up his social life, it’s interesting that he came to the audition with four friends for support. Still, he had a good (not great) voice.

    What did you think of San Francisco? Did it really have so little talent or did no one get the memo that they were holding auditions? What did you think of the one-hour format — was it better or was it that they just couldn’t find enough crazies to fill two hours? I’m betting on the later…

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