American Idol Hollywood: Day One Recap & Review

Tonight's American Idol in Hollywood kicks off what is arguably the most devastating round in this event. Judges Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, Randy Jackson, and Ellen DeGeneres have three days to cut a group of 181 American Idol hopefuls down to 24. That means each night, roughly half the crowd gets sent home.

Tonight was the big elimination, and it was quick and brutal viewing. Some folks who made it to American Idol in Hollywood were never seen by the home viewing audience, and we won't ever see them now. While several of the profiled singers we got a snapshot of during the American Idol auditions did make it through, there were plenty more who didn't.

American Idol Hollywood -- The New Judge

American Idol took a few minutes at the beginning of the show to introduce the newest fourth judge, comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. They were quick to assure us that Ellen was perfectly qualified to judge a musical talent show. "I know what it's like to stand on stage and try to please people," Ellen explained. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest said that while Ellen would be honest, it was expected she would be honest with Simon, too. Seems they're alluding to a little expected friction between the two.

Entertainment Weekly did a cover story on Simon and Ellen before the premiere of American Idol season 9, and before Simon had announced he was leaving. At the time of the interview, Ellen passionately stated she'd leave American Idol if Simon left. Simon quickly tried to dissuade her from making such extreme statements, obviously knowing full well that he would be leaving. Now, in the Hollywood round of American Idol, the cameras brought us to Ellen and Simon at the judges table. "So," Ellen began, staring at Simon pointedly, "I come on, and you leave."

Of course we don't know if Ellen knew, or suspected, that Simon were leaving. Though it certainly would have been a kick to the gut if she hadn't known. No one's sure what the future of American Idol will be like without one of its biggest draws.

American Idol Hollywood -- The Competition Begins

American Idol Hollywood operated at breakneck speed. Performers came on stage in groups, and took turns performing. They could use instruments, or once again sing a cappella. After everyone in the group performed, the American Idol judges deliberated, then called the names of contestants to step forward. Those who stepped forward would then be told whether to leave or to move on to the next round.

This is where American Idol separated the wheat from the chaff. Those who got by on charm or made their way through a few bars of their favorite song were put to the test here. Some shone, and some unfortunately failed.

American Idol Hollywood -- I Would Change Your Name

In the first group, American Idol reminded us of two competitors we'd seen before. The first was Katie Stevens, whom we first saw in the Boston auditions. A bilingual Portuguese girl, Katie wanted to win while her Alzheimer's-stricken grandmother could still appreciate it. Previously singing "At Last", Katie moved ahead a little in time with Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life". She sang a cappella, with deep tones and an easy, confident vibe to her performance. Simon declared Katie "quite good" and Randy reiterated his audition praise, calling her a "great, natural talent."

Next in the American Idol Hollywood group was Antonio "Skiibowski" Wheeler. Back at the Atlanta auditions, Skiibowski arrived with his name misspelled on his jacket, along with a lot of equally nonsensical phrases and come-ons that made American Idol guest judge Mary J. Blige uncomfortable. Up to his usual tricks, Skiibowski started with "How you doin?" repeated a few times when he came up to the mic. He then sang "Ain't Too Proud to Beg."

Ellen had plenty to say after his American Idol performance. "You were stalking us, like a leopard pacing in a cage," she said, looking scared. "Don't get too intense. Sexy and scary--it's a fine line," she joked. The American Idol judges then conversed and voted. Katie Stevens is moving on to the next Hollywood round, but Skiibowski is out. When Skiibowski asked why he didn't make it, Simon said flat out, "You're just not a very good singer." In response, Skiibowski sang his name. "I would change your name to start," Randy advised.

American Idol Hollywood -- Interlude

Next we got a montage of Simon on the Warpath, telling singers how much they suck. Ellen lightened the mood with her usual chattery style, telling one barefooted contestant to put on shoes. "It's filthy here in Hollywood."

American Idol Hollywood -- Paula Would Scream

American Idol in Hollywood brought us two more familiar faces in the next group. First to perform was Andrew Garcia, a contestant from the American Idol Los Angeles auditions. With his signature flat cap and big, black-framed glasses Andrew sang Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" with a slowed-down acoustic vibe. As he belted out the lyrics, I was thinking he had a Maroon 5 sort of feel--which makes sense, as he performed that bands "Sunday Morning" for his LA audition.

Andrew got applause from the other contestants, and the American Idol judges were wowed by his interpretation. "That was genius. Paula would be screaming," Kara said, sure that Paula would love the performance. Kara compared his spin on the song to Adam Lambert's twisting of styles in the previous American Idol season, but it's also reminiscent of AI second-place-finisher David Cook's alt-rock transformations of iconic pop songs.

In the same American Idol Hollywood group was Vanessa Wolfe, the bridge-jumper from Tennessee who performed at the American Idol Atlanta auditions. Vanessa was a sweet country girl who hoped to get out of her small town. Strolling through the airport after her first ever "aeroplane" ride, Vanessa claimed everything was "so fancy". This young girl had a lot riding on her performance, with her mother telling her "This is the first day of the rest of your life."

It proved to be too much pressure, something Simon had suspected in the audition rounds. Vanessa attempted Blind Melon's "No Rain", and while you can clearly hear that she's got great twangy potential, she was too shrill and sharp. "You have a unique quality, and you need to embrace that," Ellen advised. "Your nerves are going to kill you."

It was hard to see Vanessa head for home after she learned she wouldn't be moving on. I hope she can find a way to boost her own confidence and try again, because I think she's got the talent. Andrew Garcia fared better, and he'll be on to American Idol Hollywood Round Two.

American Idol also pointed out Pastor Tasha Leighton from the LA auditions when the group first hit the stage, but then didn't say anything else, so I'm assuming she didn't make it through this round of the competition.

American Idol Hollywood -- Quirky Doesn't Cut It

American Idol showed us some of the Hollywood hopefuls who didn't make it. It was no surprise when we saw Cornelius Edwards, the Orlando contestant whose claim to fame was ripping his pants in the audition, singing badly and getting cut from American Idol. Dallas auditioner Maegan Wright, who was an okay singer with a likable personality, was told by American Idol judge Kara that her Hollywood performance was "a little all over the place." She was also sent home.

The big surprise was Amadeo Diricco from the American Idol Boston auditions. This Cake Boss lovable type from a big Italian family won the judges votes when he powered through a Muddy Waters tune. This time Amadeo just couldn't control his performance as well, forcing Randy to declare "That was not good." When Amadeo asked for a second chance, Simon said "no". Amadeo told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest that he'd been compelled to ask for a second chance, because he had to try. He was a good sport, and it's a shame we won't be seeing more of this jovial contestant this season.

American Idol Hollywood -- Sometimes Your Voice Is Your Best Instrument

Janell Wheeler, a soulful blonde we only got a glimpse of back at the Orlando American Idol auditions, hit the stage with her guitar this time. Performing an acoustic version of Estelle's "American Boy", Janell once again pleased the American Idol judges. "I loved it," Ellen declared, and Janell was sent on to the next Hollywood round.

Unfortunately, not everyone should have brought an instrument. It was amazing how so many contestants decided to perform in the American Idol Hollywood round with instruments they hadn't mastered. After one particularly numbing performance on keyboards, Randy started doing the announcements for when this act would be showing at the Holiday Inn--it was Murph and the Magic Tones all over again.

American Idol Hollywood -- Girl Power

We next got treated to two winning American Idol performers. First up was Denver auditioner Haeley Vaughn, who turned her country/soul/pop magical combination on Taylor Swift's "Change". Randy declared, "I like this, it's interesting," and Haeley was on to Hollywood round 2.

Second was LA's Mary Powers, who had altered her look slightly after Simon's condemnation of her all black rocker ensemble that was "every cliché of a rock star." Mary belted out Pink's "Sober" a cappella for her American Idol Hollywood performance, and no one was talking about clichés after that. "You have an amazing voice," Ellen praised, "you were really in that song." We'll be seeing more of Mary in round 2.

American Idol Hollywood -- It's Just a Step to the Left

Ellen toyed with some American Idol Hollywood contestants in the next batch, having each of them step forward, step back, "a little to the left," and more. It all seemed extraordinarily cruel until she finally told them they were all going through--and then it became a lot funnier.

Among the crowd of two-stepping American Idol winners were Boston's Ashley Rodriguez, Chicago's Charity Vance, and Dallas auditioner Todrick Hall. These three all performed well in the audition round, and here's hoping we get to see another performance from them in the next Hollywood round.

American Idol Hollywood -- No Pressure

Things were tough in the Hollywood eliminations. We got to see the American Idol judges dissing performances they found "horrible, karaoke, and dull." Simon's advice to the crowd of hopefuls was "Don't be nervous, don't be boring, and don't forget the words." You know at least a few contestants that hadn't been worried about that before promptly forgot the words during their performance.

While not boring, American Idol beatboxer Jay Stone was too unusual to move on to the next Hollywood round.

American Idol Hollywood -- Two More Yes Votes

Things started looking up in Hollywood with the next two American Idol contestant. Denver's Lilly Scott put on a bluesy performance of "Lullaby of Birdland", accompanying herself on guitar, and winning over Kara big-time. "Everything about you is refreshing," the American Idol judge gushed. Another good sign for Lilly was that the audience of contestants burst into applause, which they only did for the best contestants.

Michael Lynche, aka "Big Mike", was dubbed by the Orlando judges "a singing teddy bear". Big Mike's wife was actually in labor on audition day, no doubt making his performance feel even more important. Singing John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change", Big Mike was so good and so appealing that the audience of American Idol contestants burst in on the chorus to provide back up for him. Simon liked the different arrangement and the presentation, and Big Mike is heading to the next Hollywood round.

Note (spoiler): Word was back in January that Big Mike had been disqualified, due to his dad breaking the confidentiality agreement about how Big Mike was doing in the competition. Given that they're still showing all his footage, we're hopeful that he didn't get booted after all.

American Idol Hollywood -- Lots of "No" Votes

Cancer survivor Justin Williams, who'd performed a lovely version of "Feeling Good" at the Boston auditions, didn't quite have the same punch in his American Idol Hollywood auditions. Singing along with the piano, Justin performed a ballad in a husky whisper, prompting Randy to say "That was definitely interesting," in a tone that implied he really didn't like it at all. The other judges agreed, and Justin won't be moving on in the Hollywood rounds.

Things were different for Tim Urban, who had a less than perfect American Idol audition in Dallas but a stronger performance in Hollywood. Singing David Cook's "Come Back to Me", Tim had a clearer voice, and gave the song a lighter touch than Cook's gravelly rendition. Kara let him know that the chorus was "a little shaky" but declared the over all performance "pretty good." It was good enough for Tim to move on to the next American Idol Hollywood round.

Also landing in the "no" column was asthma-sufferer Paige DeChaussey, who Shania Twain went to bat for in the Chicago American Idol auditions. Alongside her was the dominatrix/former Barney kid performer from the Dallas Idol auditions. Orlando auditioners Amanda and Bernadette, the Jersey girl sisters, didn't perform well enough separately to move on to the next Hollywood round. Since they're both not going, at least there won't be sibling rivalry to bust up what seems like a great sister-friendship.

American Idol Hollywood -- Try, Try Again

Young Maddy Curtis, who performed well in the Boston auditions, didn't fare as well in Hollywood. A sweet girl who loved spending time with both her biological and adopted Down's Syndrome brothers, Maddy had wowed the American Idol judges with her sweet and mature voice. Tonight she sang "The Nearness of You", and while it was an unusual, dreamy and ethereal performance, I still thought she had plenty of promise. "That was certainly the wrong song for you," Simon decided, and unfortunately it seemed that was enough to keep Maddy out of the next Hollywood round.

Maddy's mom offered the best comfort afterwards. "You're only 16," she said, and she was right. Maddy's got time to strengthen up her voice and try again. I hope she doesn't give up, because she's definitely got enough talent to shine on American Idol in the future.

American Idol Hollywood -- The Degradation Was Worth It

Denver's Casey James turned out to be the surprise Randy had been hoping for. Back in the American Idol audition rounds, Victoria Beckham and Kara had gushed all over Casey's fair-haired good looks and forced Randy into making a majority "yes" vote against Simon. Randy said he'd voted yes because he was hoping his skepticism about Casey's talent would be proved wrong.

Well, Randy got his wish. Casey performed a rousing bluesy rendition of "I Don't Need No Doctor", showing skills on both guitar and vocally. "Dude, I love that," Randy praised his performance. "You're a real singer/songwriter." Casey moves on to the next American Idol Hollywood round, which hopefully makes up for having to take his shirt off just to get through the auditions.

American Idol Hollywood -- Last of the Day

The American Idol judges put in some long days, with the last group of performers coming in at 7:20pm on day two. Luckily it was the best for last. LA's Didi Benami, who was in tears for most of her American Idol audition, knocked it out of the park for her Hollywood number. Singing a Kara DioGuardi original, "Terrified", Didi reminded me of Sarah Bareilles with her appealing, energetic style and clear, beautiful pitch.

"I hate to admit it," Simon said, "but I really liked that song." Kara teasingly called him a liar, but he went on with his praise. "I thought that was terrific." The other judges agreed, and Didi's on to the next Hollywood round of American Idol.

We only got a peek at Crystal Bowersox in the final American Idol auditions episode, Road to Hollywood. Now we finally got to hear her, singing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" with a strong and mature voice as she played along on her guitar. Like Big Mike, Crystal's lively performance got the audience of contestants to chime in on the chorus to help her out. "You're infectious," Simon said. "People like you. That's a good start." Randy added, "You got mad love from your peeps." Crystal also got love from the American Idol judges, and we'll be seeing her in the next round of Hollywood competitions.

The end result of American Idol Hollywood Day One was 95 contestants moving on, and the rest heading back home. Tune in tomorrow for Day Two of the competition.

Check out: American Idol Auditions -- Road to Hollywood

Watch American Idol on FOX, every Tuesday and Wednesday night. Check your local listings for start times, as they can vary.