"American Idol" - Episode 410 - Hollywood Auditions, Day Four

What a night for "American Idol." With only 75 contestants remaining, there were sure to be some fan favorites pulled out of the mix, and there were certain to be plenty of tears all around. As in past seasons, the contestants were separated into four rooms, two of which would be cut wholesale from the competition tonight.

In Room #1:

Sharon Galvez, the cocktail waitress from Las Vegas, who delivered a solid rendition of "The Greatest Love Of All," seemed better suited to a Vegas stage show than the "AI" stage.

Shunta Worthen, who had nearly missed her audition of the first day, was back on track. She sang "If I Ain't Got You," which seems to be a popular choice this year.

Angel Higgs, the music teacher who made it through the St. Louis auditions, delivered a largely uninteresting performance.

Rasheda Johnson has been persevering through what seems to be an awful cold throughout this whole round of auditions, but she proved she could still belt it out.

Shawn McNeil, the youth pastor with the winning smile and personality, still just doesn't seem right for this show.

Not surprisingly, Room #1 was unceremoniously sent home. The singers in this group were, by and large, good, solid performers. Many were well-trained, and had plenty of experience that they weren't afraid to flaunt onstage. But none of them seemed to have that extra "oomph" that previous finalists have had, that little something that causes fans to rally behind them. A few of these folks may have deserved another chance, but this seemed to be a judicious cut overall.

In Room #2:

Jamar Jefferson took a huge risk by performing an "original song," but he seemed to pull it off pretty well.

Mario Vasquez, who I had pegged earlier as a contestant who would be lost in the crowd, proved me wrong tonight by going out on a limb and performing a unique and memorable rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Article Author: Scott Pepper

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