AI - Top 24 Results Show

It's our first post-audience vote elimination show of the season! Ryan, looking quite spiffy in a suit & tie (-watching Idol Rewind is reminding me just how far he's come fashion-wise; you could tell he was a radio personality!), tells us there were almost 32 million votes cast.

He also announces the following guests that have been booked to appear on the show during this season's finals: Diana Ross, Jon Bon Jovi (!), Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Martina McBride, Lulu and Peter Noone, and Barry Gibb. He doesn't specifically say they'll all be working w/the contestants, but that's what I'm assuming. A few exciting ones in there!

Next we get a good old-fashioned group song, with cheesy choreography a la Season 1 though not quite a pointy pose. The song choice is unexpected: "Sowing Seeds of Love" by Tears for Fears. I'm an 80's girl so I'm not complaining! One thing we do have this season is a majority of contestants who can actually dance. Not that this choreography really shows that (it's more, this small group moves to the side, others come front, etc.), but still, that's something to look forward to.

Ok, on to business! First up are the guys; Ryan has the back row come up to the stage and announces the results: Brandon, Sundance, Chris R., Nick, & then Blake are safe; Paul is out. He gets to sing his song one more time (but no exit montage - yet).

Next up, girls: Jordin, Stephanie, Sabrina, Leslie, and Melinda are all safe, leaving Antonella for last... and she's also safe! Fake-out! Ryan then calls Amy from the front row of the couch and announces that she is leaving. She sings.

Fantasia is here, and she announces that she will be playing the lead role in "The Color Purple" on Broadway, starting mid-April! Good for her. She sings one of her main songs from the show, "I'm Here." It was good, but she's no Jennifer Hudson; I'm just sayin'. Quincy Jones is in the audience and Ryan says he's producing the show, but then as Quincy starts to speak Ryan cuts him off! Oops.

Ok, are they going to end my suspense yet & tell me whether my favorite is getting voted off the first night? No, they're not, we have the girls up again! Sigh... ok, Haley (still, who?), Lakisha, & Gina are safe. That leaves Nicole and Alaina; unfortunately, Alaina is safe and Nicole is out (I think she has a good voice though I didn't particularly care for her performance). Nicole sings.

Lastly, the guys, and I worry because Rudy is standing in the middle. Chris S. (who apologizes to Simon yet again), Phil, Jared, and AJ are safe. Which leaves Sanjaya and Rudy... so I know that Rudy is gone. And actually we're told that "one of you" (the one not eliminated, obviously) is in the top 4 guys - I'm not surprised. Poor Rudy, & poor me. Waaaah! :-( Yeah, I know, I had 2 favorites win last summer so I'm cursed for years & I should've known better.

We get a going home montage of all 4 contestants - set to a Chris Daughtry song!!! (And we thought they were 'pimping' him last year!!) Then Rudy gets his sing-out, but he gets cut off when time runs out. Sheesh.

Well I guess I won't have to worry about voting next week, and at least I won't have to endure several months' (or even weeks') worth of mean comments about another love-him or hate-him contestant; been there, done that! I'll put up some links in another post soon. As Paula said, Rudy is definitely one of the best vocalists they had (she also said he was pitch-perfect, a rarity among this year's guys). Hopefully the exposure he got through the show will help his career, even if he can't go solo yet.