American Idol's tenth-season dream ended for nearly half of the season's 327 Hollywood Week hopefuls during Thursday night's Fox broadcast of the week's initial elimination round.
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One hundred and fifty nine contestants were cut during the first two days of Hollywood Week, leaving 168 contestants in the running for American Idol's 20 tenth-season semifinalist slots.
The contestants were split into two groups that performed for American Idol judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson over the first two days of Hollywood Week. Each hopeful was allowed to give a single a capella performance, after which the judges decided whether they would advance to the week's subsequent group round.
Thursday night's broadcast spotlighted 11 hopefuls who advanced from the Day 1 group, including Casey Abrams, a 19-year-old film camp worker from Idyllwild, CA; Lauren Alaina, a 15-year-old student from Rossville, GA; Jacee Badeaux, a 15-year-old student from LaFayette, LA; Hollie Cavanagh, a 17-year-old student from McKinney, TX; and James Durbin, an unemployed 21-year-old from Santa Cruz, CA.
In addition, Chris Medina, a 27-year-old barista and caretaker from Oak Forest, IL; Thia Megia, a 15-year-old student from Mountain House, CA; Robbie Rosen, a 16-year-old student from Merrick, NY; Paris Tassin, a 23-year-old medical assistant from New Orleans, LA; Rachel Zevita, a 23-year-old student and singer from New York, NY; and Brett Loewenstern, a 16-year-old student from Boca Raton, FL; were also shown advancing to the group round.
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Steve Beghun, a 27-year-old accountant from Bloomington, MN; Stormi Henley, a 20-year-old former Miss Teen USA from Crossville, TN; and Victoria Huggins, a 17-year-old student from Lumberton, NC; were among the hopefuls cut on the first day.
Given her relentlessly perky attitude, is came as little surprise that Huggins handled the news of her elimination well.
"I know North Carolina will be proud of me, and I am their American Idol, and I know that!" she gushed.
Seven hopefuls who were featured during the Day 2 performances were shown advancing: Jerome Bell, a 27-year-old bar mitzvah singer from New York, NY; Rob Bolin, a 23-year-old restaurant worker from Nashville, TN; Jacqueline Dunford, a 22-year-old receptionist from Scottsdale, AZ; Chelsee Oaks, a 23-year-old waitress from Nashville, TN; Scotty McCreery, a 17-year-old student from Garner, NC; Tiffany Rios, a 21-year-old dance instructor from Morris Plains, NJ; and Jackie Wilson, a 28-year-old bar manager and singer from Nashville, TN.
Nick Fink, a 19-year-old suit salesman from Scottsdale, AZ, and Travis Orlando, a 17-year-old student from Bronx, NY, were among the hopefuls cut on Day 2.
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Fink had auditioned alongside Dunford, his girlfriend, and begged the judges for another chance to prove he deserved to continue in the competition with her.
"If you guys would just -- if you would just let me... I want to sing some more, I think I shined a lot at the end of that song," he asked. "I want to continue with my baby. I'm so happy for her, but I just wish you guys would let me sing just a teeny bit more and get to the goods, you know?"
"No, no. We said one shot," Jackson replied. "You've got to leave it all on the stage."
"I was ready to, I was ready to!" Fink insisted.
"But that's what happens," Jackson said. "Great auditions -- sometimes you do it, sometimes you don't. But it didn't quite happen. Sorry."
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"I'm sorry," Lopez added before Fink attempted to belt one final set of lyrics in an unsuccessful final attempt to convince the judges to change their minds.
About The Author: Steven Rogers