Four local singers make it to ‘Idol’ top 60
After a grueling week of group and solo auditions, “American Idol’s” field of top 60 is set and it features four singers with local ties.
The judges cut the field from around 200 to about 60 Thursday night and Chris Medina, Haley Reinhart, Tiwan Strong and Tatynisa Wilson were all sent through to the next round, which kicks off in Las Vegas next week.
Wheeling resident Reinhart set the bar high Thursday when she led the night off with a scorching rendition of “God Bless the Child.” The 20-year-old left the judges grinning and the audience on its feet.
It wasn’t televised Wednesday night, but apparently Reinhart struggled during the group performances as footage flashed back to judge Jennifer Lopez telling Reinhart “You’re hanging on by the skin of your teeth.”
But Reinhart’s power vocal Thursday turned things around leading Judge Steven Tyler to say “You made my day.”
Despite a version of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance,” in which she misplaced most of the lyrics, Aurora native Tatynisa Wilson was also sent on to Vegas. Wilson certainly looked the part in an adorable polka-dot ensemble so we’ll assume she impressed the judges earlier in the week and they chose to overlook this one misstep.
Medina offered up a sweet acoustic take on Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative.” If the Oak Forest man’s offering wasn’t as showy as fellow contestant’s Carson Higgins, well that’s not a bad thing.
He hasn’t been seen much since his soulful Milwaukee audition, but Chicago resident Tiwan Strong’s name is rumored to be among those who made it to the top 60.
Not as lucky was Chicago rocker Aly Jados. Jados fell victim to Wednesday night’s dreaded group round, managing to bungle both the lyrics and melody of Duffy’s “Mercy.” Both she and the rest of her group were sent packing.
Next Wednesday and Thursday the show travels to Las Vegas for the first time. Contestants will perform songs by the Beatles on the stage of the “LOVE” Cirque du Soleil show at which point the field narrows to the top 24.