Syesha Mercado in Her Element with the Work of Andrew Lloyd Webber

On Tuesday night, the Top 6 American Idol Finalists took on the work Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber of Cats and Phantom of the Opera fame. Syesha Mercado chose "One Rock and Roll too Many" from Starlight Express, and I was pleasantly surprised when she cranked up the personality.

She was emotionally and musically engaged and completely present. Who knew she was a Broadway Idol in the making. Syesha is a technically skilled singer but I, like many of the American Idol pundits have lamented her inability to connect emotionally with her material. Because she is one of my favorites, I have actually given some serious thought to the reasons why she might have problems making that emotional commitment.

What I am brought back to every time is Syesha's father's issues with drugs. I don't presume to know the inner workings of her life but I have had an opportunity to know a few substance abusers. These situations are emotional quagmires and you must guard your heart lest you find yourself in a state of disarray all the time. Syesha is an actress by trade so it makes sense that she would find a level of comfort in this role. Perhaps the fact that the performance allowed for the creation of another persona is what allowed her to be fully engaged.

Whatever the case, it was wonderful to see her come out of her shell. From her sassily pincurled hair and slinky red dress with a Carmen Jones flavor, Syesha owned her performance. Her all encompassing joy at the subject matter only aided her ability to bring a sexy and sensual dimension to the performance. The flip side of this is that the voters may see her as destined to find her success on the Great White Way. Broadway is in no way, a step down. In fact, Heather Headley of The Lion King and Aida went on to score several R&B hits after her stints on Broadway. However, it is my hope that now that Syesha is out of her shell that she will keep it going.

David Cook's and David Archuleta's performances tonight showed that they have no inclination to release the stranglehold they have on the first and second place slots. Carly Smithson took Andrew Lloyd Webber's advice and sang "Jesus Christ Superstar". Even with what Simon referred to as her "shoutiness" she seemed to be having a heck of a good time. With this great performance and her overall popularity, I look for her to make the cut and be around another week. I also believe Syesha's performance was enough to buy her another week on Idol's big stage. However, you can't ever be too sure.