On Broadway
Last year, I would have never admitted to watching American Idol. The music snob in me wasn’t impressed with the idea of finding the next pop superstar. Plus, on the rare occasion that I would catch the show, I couldn’t believe some of the contestants who made it to the finals.
This year, however, I find myself glued to the TV on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. This season’s pool of talent is so much better. They can actually sing (well most of them).
From the beginning, I’ve been rooting for Brooke White, the twenty-four year-old nanny from Mesa, Arizona. I know she’s not the vocal powerhouse that Carly Smithson is, but Brooke’s gift is her ability to pull a listener in. And let’s face it, that’s a skill you just can’t teach someone. Some of the best songwriters out there aren’t necessarily remarkable singers.
I truly feel Brooke is a believable performer who has turned in some impressive renditions of Pat Benatar’s ‘Love Is A Battlefield’ and Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain,’ both she made intimate and largely acoustic, the perfect setting for Brooke’s throaty, but sweet voice.
Last night performances featured songs off the catalogue of Andrew Lloyd Webber - an intimidating task for certain, as songs tailored for Broadway tend to be very vocally challenging and meant to be theatric. Overall, the contestants performed the songs well. Some of course better than others.
But like every Wednesday during its season, tonight is elimination night. And based on what I’ve seen on blogs and websites elsewhere, Brooke is not favored to pull through. And I can see their point - to a degree. Sure, she stopped her rendition of ‘You Must Love Me’ and restarted, therefore killing its flow. But when she restarted, she sang it without pause and I thought she did a great job. The emotion was there, but both she and the judges seemed disappointed with the end result.
And while I never really expected Brooke to win the coveted spot, I do think there is a talent here. I just hope she’s able to stick it out a bit longer.
UPDATE:
Well, it looks as though Brooke managed to avoid the chopping block this week. But sadly, Carly Smithson was sent home. Just goes to show you that even when you have a good night of performing, there are no guarantees.
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