Star Search, February 28: You Have My Attention!

As Star Search enters its seventh week, I have to say I have reached a point where I have virtually no expectations. The show is entertaining but lacking the kind of drama that makes it truly compelling to watch. Since last Saturdayís show, I have heard from a number of people who agree with my comments regarding, Alexandria Lushington. Her performance was clearly stronger than David Archuletaís was but the judges failed to consider his performance in isolation. Instead, their obvious bias towards him overruled fairness. This was so blatant it was hard to ignore.

We start out as always with Arsenioís voice telling us about the showís format and reviewing last weekís show. As if we donít know it all by now. ìWith just two weeks left until the finals, the pressure on the Winnersí Circle is greater than ever,î he tells us. ìItís getting hot in here.î Weíll see about that.

Arsenio appears and welcomes us to Star Search Live. He reminds us that there are just two more shows until grand finale and tosses in some jokes that are even lamer than normal. Finally, he ìrecognizesî the judges, Naomi Judd, ìAmericaís Favorite Metrosexualî Matti Leshem, and MC Lyte.

The Young Singers category starts us out and the first singer is 13-year-old Kevin Francis from Palm Desert, CA. He is singing ìAinít No Mountainî and hits the stage with style. This kid has the moves, the stage presence, and the looks. Plus, he belts out this song with more conviction than I have seen from anyone in this group to date. Kevin nails every note and the audience is with him all the way. I keep pointing out how important song choice is and this is a perfect example. This is his song and he sings it to perfection! Look out, Winnersí Circle.

The audience gives him a standing ovation. Naomi loves the fact that he is a ìpotent stylistî and his self-confidence makes her comfortable. Matti wonders if Kevin got up this morning and said to himself, ìIím gonna be in the Winnersí Circle?î He thinks he has a good shot of doing just that and calls the performance unbelievable. ìYou have substance,î he finishes. Yeah. MC agrees with Naomi. She loved the movement of his hands and the ìchurchî energy.

ìHit me with the digits.î Kevin gets 14 stars (5-5-4). All right! Now youíre talking.

After being rudely interrupted by a snippet of the dramatic Star Search theme music, Arsenio introduces 12-year-old Luisa Labell from Weston, FL, telling us that she can sing in six languages, including Swahili. Tonight she is singing the aria from Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro" in Italian. This adorable little girl gets on the stage but when she opens her mouth, she is so good that you might think she was lip synching to a mature opera singer. She is absolutely perfect. I am no opera buff, but this girl is amazing. My mouth is hanging open as she finishes.

Naomi loves the tremolo in her voice and calls her pitch pure and lovely. Matti canít wait to see her at La Scala and thinks she is amazing. MC felt the compassion and comments that Luisa hit each note precisely.

WowÖ talk about comparing apples to oranges! How can you judge a performance like that on a show like this?

ìLetís hear from the digits.î Luisa gets 13 stars (5-4-4). Clearly she was better, but letís face it, operaís not going to sell and the judges have to keep marketability in mind when they vote. Luisa should not let this get her down. A lot of those ìbig namesî that Arsenio brags about in the intro (Beyonce, Justin, Britney) did not win and look how well they have done.

Now for tonightís fun filler piece. Last week we were told that all of the Winnersí Circle performers would have a chance to perform for the troops on a U.S. Navy destroyer. But first, they have to select a leader. We watch as David, Mark, and Spensha quibble a bit, ultimately choosing Spensha. She takes charge immediately and they work on their song, ìAmazing Grace.î Then they are off to the USS Howard where they are greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. The Juniors do their thing and, while they are a bit off-key and lacking in harmony, they are well received by an appreciative audience.

Now Kevin has to challenge either Spensha or David. He sings out a challenge to David (ala Esí challenge to Freedom a few weeks back).

Back from the break, Arsenio says, ìItís on like Donkey Kongî and then introduces David, who has chosen ìWind Beneath My Wings.î This is another song that should be forbidden! David tears into the song, but he is beginning to bore me. He constantly chooses ìsafeî songs and then spins them for his voice. Tonight heís having some serious pitch problems and, note for note, he is not as good as Kevin. This just wasnít good enough. But will the judges evaluate him fairly?

Naomi loves the intimacy of his tones. She tells him that the good news is that he has such vulnerability. The bad news is that he is vulnerable tonight because of pitch. Matti correctly points out that he is supposed to be listening to David as though it was the first time he had ever heard him. He notes that David was off pitch-wise, had problems technically, and did not connect to the music. He slams the song choice and grimaces. MC says she has grown to love David but she has to agree with the others, also noting his pitch problems. This could be it for David.

ìBring on the digits.î David gets 10 stars (4-3-3) ñ a stunning upset. Naomi seems to be crying and the audience stands for David.

ìItís always Leap Year for our next group of performers,î Arsenio cleverly says as he introduces the next category, the Young Dancers. I am still waiting for the Old Dancers to arrive!

First up are four guys from Miami (Alex Fernandez, Calin Fernandez, Daniel Fernandez, and Jacob Negron) who are the National Bboy Champions ñ Ground Zero Crew. They slide on their stomachs, do pushups, and flip around. There is almost no choreography. They individually crawl around and do more flips and break dancing. They are very disorganized and this is sloppy to the max.

Matti calls them truly original and MC loves them too. Huh? Naomi thinks they are sophomoric and rookie. So there. For once I agree with Naomi.

ìLetís count up the ballots.î Ground Zero Crew gets 11 stars (3-4-4).

Next up are Stacy Johnson and Joseph Del Priore from Provo, Utah. Arsenio tells us that she is the reigning Miss Utah (Miss America). This ought to be interesting! Their dance is interpretive ballet and very nice. She has incredible legs. He is very strong and the lifts are flawless. Together they are stunning and their final move is lovely. I am running out of complimentary adjectives here!

Matti is blown away by their precision and synchronicity, calling the performance unbelievable. MC calls Stacyís moves awesome. Naomi loves the balance, the precision and the beauty.

ìShow me.î Stacy and Joseph get 14 Stars (4-5-5) and must challenge either Jon Bond or Candace and Brandon. Again, they have a shot here tonight.

Before the challenge, though, we must watch the Winnersí Circle performersí trip to the Navy destroyer. For some unknown reason, they select Jon Cruz as their leader. He does nothing to help plan their group dance, preferring instead to make some crayon drawings. He yawns, slumps, and generally acts the fool. They arrive on the ship totally unprepared, but they actually pull it off and the crowd loves them. Before the challenge Candace and Brandon tell us they are ready to dance and Jon Bond will show off his magic if called upon.

Who will Stacy & Joseph choose? They challenge Candace & Brandon. I donít know about this.

After the break, the ìdance version of the dynamic duoî comes out for the challenge. Their dance is not as pretty as their challengersí and I notice a couple of times where she slips a bit during lifts. While their choreography is more complicated, they arenít as visually appealing as the other two. The contrast is quite apparent. Again, this could be an upset.

Matti tells them that, in light of the previous performance, their technical flaws came out and are much more distinct. ìThis was not your best showing,î he concludes. MC says their grace was definitely missing tonight but it may have been more noticeable because of the comparison. Naomi disagrees vehemently and thinks it was a more difficult performance. She loves the interaction between the two of them.

Stacy & Joseph return. Candace & Brandon get 12 stars (5-4-3) and we have another upset. The judges seem to be celebrating wildly. They should be. They have finally snapped out of their spells and are seeing the same thing as the rest of us.

Time for the Adult Singers. Will they finally have some worthy opponents tonight?

First up is singing waitress, Jordis Unga from St, Paul, MN, doing ìIt Hurts so Bad.î She has dreds, a Kelly Clarkson-like face, and a voice that is reminiscent of Janis Joplin. Strange. However, this girl can sing! She has a rich voice and makes me say ìWhoa!î I like her, but will the judges?

Arsenio points out her similarity to Janis and MC is torn. She loves the raspiness but thinks that, at times, it seemed to be taking a toll on what Jordis was trying to get across on the notes. Naomi likes her distinctive quality and calls her original. Matti calls her performance mediocre and argues with Naomi, who defends her position.

ìAbra-ca-digit.î Jordis gets 10 stars (4-3-3) and the audience boos. I join them.

Next up is Long Islandís Gabrielle Sterbenz singing ìHave You Ever Been in Love.î She sounds like a countrified Celine. Her voice is crisp and she reaches deep for this one. I love it when someone really feels a song. She lacks training but her voice is truly beautiful.

MC says she has been waiting for something that would get her on the edge of her seat and commends her for having the heart to sing a Celine Dion song. Naomi hates Celine copycats but thinks Gabrielle is elegant and has a ìtender tearî in her voice. Matti hates the song choice but thinks she executed with elegance, finesse, and style, saying ìYou have a beautiful voice.î Wow.

Jordis returns to hear the verdict. ìShoot me some digits.î Gabrielle gets 14 stars (5-4-5). This is getting interesting.

For their contribution to the special performance, the Adult singers select Freedom to lead the group and he tells us he likes this. Jake isnít sure that they are going to be able to get it together but they do a decent rendition of the ìStar Spangled Bannerî and get a great response from the audience. Vickie got a hat from one of the sailors and tells us sheís pulling out all the stops if she gets challenged this week.

Now for the challenge. Come on now Gabrielle, pick Jake. You can beat him. But she challenges Vickie. Hmmmm. Will we have one more upset tonight? Weíll find out, after the break.

Gabrielle should have gone home the minute that Vickie hit the stage. Talk about being pumped. Vickie sings En Vogueís ìGiving Him Something He Can Feelî and doesnít hold back one bit. Iím convinced. This girl has some serious soul in her and gives us a 15-star performance. This is her best performance to date and she knows it!

The judges are out of control. MC calls her a powerhouse and says that she loves her New York attitude. Naomi is ecstatic and Matti says, ìThere is no replacement for this kind of talent. You are unbelievable.î He tells her he felt every word. Vickie seems to be in another zone, still pumped up from her performance.

ìHit me with the digits.î Vickie gets 15 stars and hangs onto her spot in the Winnersí Circle. While Arsenio is trying to talk us into the break, Vickie grabs the microphone. ìWhen it comes from the heart, nothing can stop you,î she shouts to the audience. You tell ëem, girl. Arsenio picks her up and spins her around. Sucker that I am, I tear up.

The Winnersí Circle performers are in for another surprise. During the week, the singers will have a chance to perform for record producer Ron Fair and get some pointers. The dancers will have a similar opportunity with a well-known choreographer. Jon Cruz, buffoon that he is, acts as though he doesnít think anyone can tell him anything. Do I ever want to see him get knocked off in the finale. The show ends with wild abandon!

Well, well, well! Now this was what I signed up for! Finally, Star Search has become a valid competition. I feel vindicated. With two of the three Winnersí Circles broken tonight, my belief that they had somehow stacked the deck has lessened. I also think that if Gabrielle had challenged Jake, she might have won as well. Is it possible that, in expressing the opinion of the viewers, I have somehow unmasked their poorly disguised plot? We shall see. Tonight, I am left with nothing negative to say and will simply say keep it coming. Sometimes having no expectations pays off.

Donna Reynolds is a freelance writer and technical writer from Syracuse, NY. You can e-mail her at dlrturtle@earthlink.net.

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