Backstage Pass

Jason Castro clearly wanted to go home.

It seemed "American Idol" had stopped being fun for him and, let's face it, he wasn't going to win. He didn't really apply himself for a few weeks, no longer trying to come up with ways to showcase his talent as he did with "Hallelujah" or "Over the Rainbow."

So America gave him his wish.  They voted for someone else -- apparently Syesha Mercado, since Ryan Seacrest said that only a million votes separated the Top 3.

There's a growing anti-Davids movement, but an Archuleta vs. Cook showdown seems inevitable, no matter what happens next week.

Will Castro have a great post-Idol career? Hard to say. The Jack Johnson model may look laid back, but it really does involve a lot of work. At this point, it's not clear that Castro wants to put in all that work.

This is a big week for the "American Idol" finalists, not just because it’s usually a week of surprises (when LaKisha Jones, Chris Daughtry, LaToya London, and Tamyra Gray have gone home in the past) but because it’s also the last of the theme weeks. This week, The Davids, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado tackle songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s list of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

So what should the Final Four sing tomorrow night?

Billy Joel, "Just the Way You Are" (what David Cook should be singing)

Maybe America's just a week behind. Or maybe people really do vote to counteract Simon Cowell. (His warning to Syesha Mercado about being in danger was as wrong as his compliments for Carly Smithson last week.)

Brooke White really should have gone home last week instead of Carly Smithson for her start-stop-start-again version of "You Must Love Me." And she really should have been safe this week considering Jason Castro's bland performances and the power of her version of "I Am I Said." Yet, somehow, this is the week she gets eliminated.

Does this mean Jason goes next week?

Sometimes, it's funny how predictable the "American Idol" voters can be.

They felt bad about Brooke White messing up a song for the second week in a row. They continue to find Jason Castro, as Simon Cowell explained, "charming." And the Davids are just way too good at this point.

So that leaves Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson, who both had decent nights (for them), up for elimination. And though Smithson was better, she just doesn't have the ability to connect with fans the way the others do. It's something that, despite her great voice, she still hasn't been able to work out yet.

Maybe she'll eventually get it. 

With all the talk about the falling ratings for this season’s “American Idol,” Andrew Lloyd Webber week couldn’t have come at worse time.

Great songs? Sure. Ratings bonanza? Um, no.

When David Cook has to hang up his neo-grunge stylee for a week to knock out a powerful version of “Music of the Night,” that’s really not going to bring in loads of viewers. Neither is David Archuleta turning the “Phantom of the Opera” song “Think of Me” into what sounds like a Backstreet Boys hit. That move may be good in “Idol” terms, but kind of iffy outside that bubble.

And after Brooke White messed up “You Must Love Me” and pretty much sealed her fate. (Or will the sympathy vote save her and send Carly Smithson home?) Either way, there isn’t really much suspense for tomorrow’s show, which means bad ratings again.

By the way, Smithson should probably stuck with her first choice “All I Ask of You,” which I suggested for her, though I guess it is hard to tell Andrew Lloyd Webber that he’s wrong to his face. If she gets kicked out, though, for her weird version of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” she’ll know that’s exactly what she should have done.

David Cook, “Music of the Night”
David Archuleta, “Think of Me”
Syesha Mercado, “One Rock and Roll Too Many”
Carly Smithson, “Jesus Christ Superstar”
Jason Castro, “Memory”
Brooke White, “You Must Love Me”

BOTTOM THREE: Brooke, Jason, Carly
WILL BE CUT: Brooke
SHOULD BE CUT: Brooke
ACTUALLY CUT:

With Andrew Lloyd Webber as this week’s celebrity mentor, “American Idol” will be all about the drama tomorrow night. And that means if Carly Smithson doesn’t hit it out of the park, she’s probably done for since Webber’s music suits her best. (Sure, it’s a gimme-week for David Archuleta as well, but, let’s face it, unless he takes to smothering puppies or doing Jack Daniels shots onstage, he’s not going anywhere.)

The big, broad showtunes could spell disaster for Brooke White, who was already teetering with Mariah Carey songs, and Jason Castro, who will have to search hard for a Webber classic that works with his laid-back vibe.

Or, of course, he could just follow our advice.

What should the Top 6 be singing?

Madonna, "You Must Love Me" (what Carly Smithson should sing)

Kristy Lee Cook's Houdini-like escapes finally came to an end -- and, fittingly, it was kind of unexpected.

She had been improving and her version of "Forever" wasn't half bad, especially when compared to Brooke White coming unglued in the middle of "Hero."
(In fact, Kristy's countrified "Forever" could probably make a run up the country charts.) 

So when they ended up in the bottom two, it seemed like Brooke would be over and out, but somehow she was saved. But for her to survive Andrew Lloyd Webber week, she's definitely going to have to adopt Kristy Lee's Houdini-like abilities.

In a minor "shock," Aussie Michael Johns, once signed to Madonna's Maverick Records, got eliminated from "Idol" last night, ahead of the resurgent Kristy Lee Cook and the increasingly stumbling Carly Smithson.

Smithson, like much of America, seemed sure she was heading home after her iffy "inspirational" version of Queen's "The Show Must Go On."

Johns initially seemed like an early favorite to win the season, but as the show went on, he fell into a predictable, not-so-exciting pattern, getting surpassed by the inventiveness of David Cook and the juggernaut that is David Archuleta.

Did he exit a little early? Sure. But he probably would have struggled with Mariah Carey week anyway and be gone soon enough. And Carly shouldn't worry because she's in a similar predicament. Shouldn't they know by now that for "Idol" voters being boring is even worse than being bad?

So Jordin Sparks has picked her favorites from this season of "American Idol" and, like pretty much the rest of America, they're all guys.

"Now that you bring all the instruments with everybody, it makes everybody so unique," Sparks said this afternoon in a teleconference about her upcoming tour with Alicia Keys. "David Cook with 'Billie Jean' -- that was amazing. I like Jason Castro. I think he’s really cool, I like his different look. And I like David Archuleta. He’s so sweet and he’s got such a huge voice."

Sparks will appear on "Idol Gives Back" next week, singing her hit "No Air" with Chris Brown for the first time in public. And she hopes to make it to the "Idol" finale to see who will take over her reign as "American Idol."

If all goes well, Sparks also hopes to make it to her high school prom, but that's another story. She already knows she's going to probably miss graduation, seeing as she won't end her tour until June 18 at Madison Square Garden.

Pretty much every expectation was confounded on "American Idol" country week with Dolly Parton.

Country was supposed to be Kristy Lee Cook's strong suit, but she didn't pander and fell flat, probably sealing her early exit. David Cook didn't do the White Stripes doing "Jolene" and also fell a little flat, though that may have had more to do with the health problems that had him briefly hospitalized last night.

Syesha Mercado landed "I Will Always Love You" and sort of did it Whitney Houston style, but as Simon Cowell pointed out a few weeks ago, her voice really isn't as strong as she thinks it is. So even though she has probably be singing the song for years (unlike most contestants who had probably never heard the song they sang before last week) Mercado couldn't really turn it into something special. No matter how much she shouted.

That said, Michael Johns surprisingly commanded "It's All Wrong, But It's Alright" and Carly Smithson's ability to Celine Dionify "Here You Come Again" was interesting, though not as entertaining as the original.

The rankings:  

Dolly Parton week starts tonight on “American Idol,” though apparently the definition has been stretched to include any song she has recorded, which results in quite a big list. Hopefully, they’ll keep it to songs she’s known for.

Two pre-show dramas are pretty obvious. First, who gets to sing “I Will Always Love You.” Does it go to producers’ pet David Archuleta? Does it go to Whitney Houston devotee Syesha Mercado? Does it go to someone unexpected? The second one: Will David Cook do “Jolene” in the style of the White Stripes? Will he continue his run of outsmarting the judges and much of the American public by following in the footsteps of various alt-rockers? (I’m gonna guess yes.)

So what should the Top 9 be singing tonight?

Dolly Parton, "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" (what Carly should sing)

You gotta hand it to the Cooks. They are the brainiest contestants left in this “American Idol” season.

David Cook’s version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” via Chris Cornell’s recent dirge-like cover showed that he’s going to continue to position himself as the risk-taker, the “edgier” candidate.

But Kristy Lee Cook’s decision to take on Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”? That was sheer genius. Appealing to the cross-section of country fans and all those red state voters with their fingers on the redial button was brilliant. She’s a better tactician than whoever was running Hillary Clinton campaign before. I was half-expecting a Drudge Report call-to-arms, but don’t worry I’m sure Kristy Lee will get one next week.

If she keeps positioning herself as traditional-values girl (over the intensely religious Brooke White, no less), she’s going to stick around for weeks to come. If only she could transform this gamesmanship into actual, you know, talent.

So what does this mean for the rest of the gang? Well, Chikezie and Ramiele should be worried. They may not deserve to go this week – especially not Ramiele, whose “Alone” was pretty strong – but Kristy’s power play will likely take one of them out.
Also, someone needs to help David Archuleta besides his stage dad, who Simon Cowell was clearly calling to the carpet this week. Poor lil’ David got saddled with an up-with-people-ish David Foster track instead of doing something popular or, well, entertaining. I’d say he should hire Kristy Lee, but she’s going to be around for a while.

David Cook, “Billie Jean”
Michael Johns, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions”
Syesha Mercado, “If I Was Your Woman”
Carly Smithson, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
Ramiele Malubay, “Alone”
Brooke White, “Every Breath You Take”
David Archuleta, “You’re the Voice”
Chikezie, “If Only for One Night”
Jason Castro, “Fragile”
Kristy Lee Cook, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

BOTTOM THREE: Chikezie, Ramiele, Carly
WILL BE CUT: Chikezie
SHOULD BE CUT: Kristy
ACTUALLY CUT: Chikezie

So I was talking with "Idol" Season 5 heartthrob Ace Young yesterday (more on that soon) and he mentioned how he and Levittown's Kevin Covais are still close. In fact, when Covais was in Los Angeles last year shooting his movie debut "College," Young says he insisted that Covais stay at his house.

"He's really like a little brother to me," said Young, who will release his debut album through Universal on June 3. "And I loved playing Long Island on the 'Idol' tour because of him. It felt like home to me."

"Chicken Little" Covais, however, may have to wait a bit longer for his movie to hit the big screen. The movie, which stars Drake Bell, has been pushed back a few times and though it has tentatively been set for April 11, it may get pushed back again to August since Bell's other movie "Superhero" is just getting into theaters.

Covais has taken a leave of absence from Hofstra and is pursuing acting and singing full time. He has taped a future episode of "American Idol Extra" on Fox Reality Channel and he has relaunched a mySpace page, though it doesn't have any music at the moment.

Young and Covais are both part of the book "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul," which Young will sign copies of at Borders in Westbury on April 12. Young's story in the book also has another Long Island connection, since it was written by Setauket writer Lise Hintze.

PHOTO: Kevin Covais, Drake Bell and Andrew Caldwell in "College" for Lionsgate Films.

Corey Hart, "Never Surrender" (the song Chikezie should sing tomorrow)

It’s “Songs from their birth years” week on “American Idol,” an odd placement considering how close it is to ‘80s week. (And seeing how badly the second Beatles week went over, wouldn’t it have been better to move a more current week up in the schedule?) Oh well, now that we’re heading into the homestretch, it feels like the right time to dispense some free advice to the Top 10:

David Archuleta (1990): Lil David – or should I say Lil David’s folks? – seem to know his strengths and weaknesses pretty well, aside from that whole “We Can Work It Out” debacle. And there’s plenty of songs in his wheelhouse from ‘90. I’m thinking Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” or Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” are on his shortlist and maybe “Love Will Lead You Back” from Long Island’s own Taylor Dayne. But he’d be better off stretching a bit with Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” or maybe Mariah’s “Love Takes Time.” Just please no Phil Collins.

Jason Castro, Ramiele Malubay, Syesha Mercado (1987): Jason needs to recapture the kinda-edgy, kinda-sweet success of “Hallelujah” and there are some good possibilities for him, though they’ll probably be eliminated by rights issues. U2, Springsteen and R.E.M. would be great for him. (“With or Without You” would drive the nation’s teenage girls into a frenzy.) Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” could work or one of the Bon Jovi hits.

Ramiele needs a big week if she’s going to hang around. There are plenty of cute songs from 1987 that would work for her – from The Jets’ “You Got It All” or Lisa Lisa’s “Head to Toe” to all the Expose hits. But I think she should come out of left field and do Billy Vera’s “At This Moment,” which is due for a comeback, don’t you think?

Syesha needs to stay away from the Whitney this week, but still needs a big ballad. How about Heart’s “Alone” or Kenny Loggins’ “Meet Me Halfway”? But I can’t resist suggesting Michael Jackson’s “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” his duet with Siedah Garrett. Siedah, Syesha. Syesha, Siedah.

Chikezie (1985): I expect big things from Chikezie this week because he has a strong slate of songs to work his countryfied-soul magic on. Anything from Wham!’s “Careless Whisper” to Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” to Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration” should be great. But a good left-field choice – Corey Hart’s “Never Surrender”? Jack Wagner’s “All I Need”? – could boost Chikezie to a whole new level.

Oh Mandy, well you came and you gave without taking. But they sent you away (and
left us with the bland, key-challenged Kristy Lee Cook,) oh Mandy.

It's not that rock and roll nurse Amanda Overmyer was great -- after all, she
did start her "Back in the U.S.S.R." in the wrong key -- but at least she was
interesting and she looked at the contest from an adult perspective.

My sadness over Amanda was tempered though over my joy that Carly Smithson landed in the bottom three after her bludgeoning of "Blackbird." The judges
looked on in horror as their underperforming Irish ringer failed to win
America's hearts. There really are some things you can't sell.

We'll miss you Amanda, especially when you rock out to our beloved Joan Jett.

Yeah, this is the show I was expecting last week, filled with bad performances, annoying arrangements and all-around butchery of some of the Beatles’ greatest songs.

As it turned out, the ones who stuck to the originals most fared the best – as long as they didn’t make any mistakes, like Michael Johns’ off-key “A Day in the Life” and Amanda Overmyer’s wobbly start on “Back in the USSR.” That means David Archuleta’s safe “The Long and Winding Road” became the best by default, followed by David Cook’s “Daytripper,” which did not need the Vocoder solo.

Of course that was the least of the atrocities of the night. Chikezie sounded fine on “I’ve Just Seen a Face” until he countrified it and sounded like a bad “Saturday Night Live” skit. Carly Smithson beat “Blackbird” to near death with an Evanescence-ish delivery.
Were it not for Kristy Lee Cook’s awful “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” a lot of early favorites could have been vulnerable.

David Archuleta, “The Long and Winding Road”
David Cook, “Day Tripper”
Syesha Mercado, “Yesterday”
Brooke White, “Here Comes the Sun”
Ramiele Malubay, “I Should Have Known Better”
Jason Castro, “Michelle”
Carly Smithson, “Blackbird”
Michael Johns, “A Day in the Life”
Amanda Overmyer, “Back in the USSR”
Chikezie, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”
Kristy Lee Cook, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”

BOTTOM THREE: Kristy, Chikezie, Michael
WILL BE CUT: Kristy
SHOULD BE CUT: Kristy
ACTUALLY CUT: Amanda

So is it "American Idol" producers' goal to re-employ all their struggling former finalists? Or only the ones who are still under a management contract with "Idol" parent company 19 Entertainment?

Katharine McPhee's appearance on last night's show was inexplicable enough, but when you throw in the selection of Ruben Studdard's also inexplicable cover of Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home" as this season's theme for the eliminated, suddenly it seems like a concerted effort. Both McPhee and Studdard were dropped from their recording contracts from RCA affiliated labels, along with Taylor Hicks, so the high-profile involvement on "Idol" must be part of a plan to get them more work. McPhee's appearance with producer David Foster -- which, by the way, didn't fit the Lennon-McCartney theme since George Harrison wrote "Something" -- looked like a ploy to get her another deal, apparently no matter how Simon Cowell feels about her.

Favoritism is one thing, but when the favors hurt the show, maybe they need to be a little less blatant.

One thing was deserved last night: David Hernandez got the boot, not because he was a former stripper but because his performance was downright painful. 

Now that the "American Idol" Top 12 is set, it turns out that all of Ryan Seacrest's relentless blabbering about "the most talented group ever" turns out to be true. Even this week's clunkers -- "girly" Luke Menard and "robotic" Kady Malloy -- were nowhere near as bad as past Top 24 nightmares. (Oh, Antonella Barba, you really were some sort of cruel "Idol" producers joke, weren't you?)

While last year's Top 12 looked like the gals would dominate (and they did, taking 3 of the Top 4 spots), this one looks like it will be the run by the guys -- probably one named David.

Here's a shot in the dark prediction on how the Top 12 will finish:

After the unfortunate elimination of Alexandrea Lushington and before Robbie Carrico mercifully went away, Ryan Seacrest accidentally on-purpose let slip this year's "Idol Gives Back" headliners, which include Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus (Hey, a duet from them would be MC-squared. Hmm.) Snoop Dogg, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood, with Brad Pitt and Reese Witherspoon helping out as well.

Carey's 'Idol' appearance could set up quite the massive debut for her forthcoming "E=MC2" album, which arrives in stores the Tuesday after the "Idol Gives Back" air date of April 9.  Combine that with the warm reception lead single "Touch My Body" is getting at radio (not to mention the fun video featuring Jack McBrayer from "30 Rock") and Mimi's emancipation from her early-naughts slump should be complete. Where's that EMI dude who paid her millions to get out of her contract again? Oh right, booted from the company last year.

PHOTO: Island Records 

The “Idol” gals had a rough week, with nearly all the top performers either stumbling or playing it too safe. In the end, it became more like a gymnastics event, coming down to degree of difficulty and execution on that difficulty. Asia’h Epperson had some glitches in a really tough song, but she stuck the landing. Brooke White and Ramiele Malubay were mistake-free in some relatively easy songs. So who was better? Well, the slight edge should go to the ambitious.   

The problems really came with Amanda Overmeyer’s misguided “Carry On My Wayward Son” and Kady Malloy’s troubled, messed-up “Magic Man.” Randy and Simon hit the nail on the head with Kady, who does look fantastic on tape and then totally amateur live. After a few years where the gals dominated the show, this may be a year where the guys take control.

Asia’h Epperson, “All by Myself”
Brooke White, “You’re So Vain”
Ramiele Malubay, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
Carly Smithson, “Crazy on You”
Alexandrea Lushington, “If You Leave Me Now”
Kristy Lee Cook, “You’re No Good”
Syesha Mercado, “Me and Mr. Jones”
Alaina Whitaker, “Hopelessly Devoted You”
Kady Malloy, “Magic Man”
Amanda Overmeyer, “Carry On My Wayward Son”

WILL BE CUT: Amanda and Kady
SHOULD BE CUT: Amanda and Kady

ACTUALLY CUT: Alaina and Alexandrea (the first elimination mistake of the season)