Syesha Mercado: Perfect for Broadway, All Wrong for American Idol

There's no doubt about it: Syesha Mercado, finalist on American Idol Season 7, is adorable. With her bright eyes, baby-faced charm and dimples that go on for miles, accented by a readily-displayed irreverent, almost impish sense of humor, Syesha has plenty of charisma, and the camera certainly loves her. She isn't without vocal talent, either; she has done a respectable enough job of tackling songs previously done by big-name divas like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. She's never exceeded them in any capacity, but she's been fearless enough to take risks where other contestants played it safe, and if she hasn't been extraordinary, she certainly hasn't embarrassed herself, and this is a competition where visible effort does count for something with the audience.

That probably explains why, despite having no identifiable core fanbase, Syesha has lasted as long as she has this season. She's gotten by this far on sheer talent and charisma alone (well, and perhaps the killer dimples have helped a little, but still). On Andrew Lloyd Webber night, she sang the rollicking "One Rock & Roll Too Many" from the lesser known production, Starlight Express, and she was arguably the only contestant who understood the theatricality of the song she was singing. It was the only full-fledged musical performance of the night, despite other outings by contestants with purported musical theater experience like David Cook. Simon Cowell pronounced her a potential Broadway megastar, and after that lively, infectious performance, anyone arguing otherwise would have a pretty tough time of it.

Unfortunately, that's also why she won't win this competition. There's a reason why Simon has repeatedly used "too Broadway" as a derogatory remark against other contestants. It's not because it's a bad thing to like you belong on Broadway - which Syesha indubitably does. On the contrary; it's a well-known fact that even most members of any chorus line of any Broadway show can sing better than the vast majority of the people on the radio. No, while some modern musicals have made strides toward blurring the line between pop and musicals, "too Broadway" is still a slight on American Idol because of the huge rifts between the stylisms of Broadway singing and pop music recording. On Andrew Lloyd Webber night, Syesha Mercado landed squarely, inexorably on the Broadway side of that rift, and that's just not what the audiences of this show tend to power-vote for. Without question, Syesha has a future as bright as her beautiful smile - but not as the next American Idol.