Audition Day 4 from Orlando

Having spent two tours of duty in the Sunshine State (actually just worked for two different newspapers there 10 years apart) I have some insight into what to expect tonight.

And the show didn’t disappoint,

Talent was all over the map and although 10,000 showed up for the audition, there wasn’t that much of it.

Kristin Chenoweth was the guest judge and she only lasted one day cause she was called back to work on Day 2.

Maybe Simon set the tone for the night when he told the first contestant to appear (Theo, see below) that he: “Sang as if you sat on a cat.”

Yes, the show is going to miss Simon.

On with the show:

Theo Glinton (22) – Ft. Pierce, Fla.

Pat Benatar – “Heartbreaker”

– I suppose they need to start each night with something to drag you in for an hour. Theo, with a mask of sorts over one eye, did that with a screaming rendition of Benatar’s song that was little better than I could do. Maybe even a little worse. He gets four No votes and then can’t find his way out of the room. At least he went peacefully and was polite as his singing dream faded into the unreality of Disney World.

Seth Rollins (28) – Lakeland, Fla.

“Someone to Watch Over Me”

 – He has two kids, one son has autism.Good voice, doesn’t come across as phony. He will only get better as the show progresses this season. Four Yes votes and a Yellow ticket.

Jermaine Purifoy (24) – Cleveland, Tenn.

“Smile” – Tony Bennett

– He auditioned in Season 7. Maybe the best voice of the day. With a little luck he could finish in the Top 10. Easily four Yes votes.

Shelby Dressel (18) – Avon Park, Fla.

“Turn Me On” by Nora Jones

– Some sort of medical problem paralyzed the right side of her face. Voice is a little better than average, guts  just to perform are more than a better than average, those guts are off the charts. Four yes votes and a Yellow ticket.

On Day 2:

Jay Stone (25)  – Miami

“Come Together” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”

–  Beatboxer and a singer combo. Somewhat like Blake Lewis only he sang more. Better at the beatboxing than singing and after some arm-twisting by Kara, Randy offers the deciding yes vote and off to Hollywood Jay goes. Just a wild hunch, he might surprise some folks.

Three quick Yellow cards went to:

 Janelle Wheeler (24)  – Tampa

 “House of the Rising Sun”

 Brittany Starr James (23) – Coral Springs, Fla.

Kasi Bedford (19) – Seminole, Fla.

Cornelius Edwards (24) – Boynton Beach, Fla.

I honestly don’t even know what this guy was singing cause soon after he started he did a gigantic split and his pants ripped. The judges laughed and gave him a Yellow card. Now what is he going to do in Hollywood?

Bernadette Desimone (27) – Cherry Hills, N.J.

“Hit the Road Jack”

 – Yep, here are the Desimone sisters. Sis “B” is much better than Sis “A” or was it just the song choice.

Maybe. They help mom out in her home beauty parlor. I can just picture it now, lotsa hair spray and coloring. Probably a sitcom waiting to happen. Singing talent marginal. Both received Yellow tickets but they’ll both be back in Cherry Hills real soon.

Amanda Desimone – (23) – Cherry Hills, N.J.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody”

–  See directly above.

Jarrod Norrell (28) – Marietta, Ga.

“Amazing Grace”

– You often wonder about this one. We’ll skip the singing cause it was about as bad as it gets. But Mr. Norrell just didn’t want to leave so they hauled him out and cuffed him in the lobby. After he was gone, the camera switched back inside and Simon asked the question of the night, “Well, yes or no?” There was laughter.

Matt Lawrence (25) – Starke, Fla.

“Trouble” by Ray La Montagne

– Matt has one of those compelling back-stories. He robbed a bank with a BB gun when he was 15 and spent the next four years behind bars. Good voice, another Michael Sarver clone. Husky guy. Decent but not a Top 10 candidate … well, maybe.

He gets a Yellow ticket to Hollywood.

Next week they bring the show west to L.A.