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| Victoria Huggins |
For those of you looking for thoughts on this end on the premiere in general, here you go -- for how many changes we were promised, there was also much that stayed the same. The songs performed were anything but current, the story packages were familiar, and it felt like this episode could have aired ten years ago were it not for some Katy Perry playing in a montage.
If there was a highlight, it ws that the judging panel realized to make the show less about themselves -- they were fun and engaging when they were on-screen, but also managed to have fun with each other.
So here are the overall highlights when it comes to the contestants:
Rachel Zevita: The first performer of the show, she actually was not incredibly memorable outside of the fact that she auditioned four years and Jennifer Lopez remembered watching her on tV.
Caleb Hawley: This guy may have been the best male performer we have seen just far. He was engaging, so much so that Steven Tyler started to act as his percussion section.
Kenzie Palmer: She is a youngster at just 15, but she also attends a Performing Arts school and seems more than willing to be the next 'American Idol' (or cast member on "Glee").
Ashley Sullivan: This girl is downright crazy in many ways -- she danced, sang, and begged on her knees to move on to the next round. In some ways she seems more Broadway than "Idol," we have also seen some other stars on this show who have made that jump successfully.
Victoria Huggins: Talent-wise, she may be a personal favorite thus far -- she has a great country voice, a fantastic stage presence, and an even better personality. It looks like Victoria has a bit of Kelly Clarkson in her, and we could be seeing this 16-year old for a long time.
Melinda Ademi: In case you can't tell, this episode was ultimately about the ladies. Melinda had a great story being from Kosovo, and she also had a great voice.
Travis Orlando: His name already reminisces to Tony Orlando, and the Bronx native (who is also just a teenager) could end up going far. His voice is good, but it may not be as great as some of the others on here.
