We’ll Be the Judge of That! – Grease: You’re the One that I Want!, March 11

It’s coming down to the wire for our Danny and Sandy wannabes. One little slip – whether on the stairs or in the vocals – could spell the end. By now you’ve seen the show, heard what the on-site judges have said, and/or read the recap. So what do the Foxes On Idol judging panel of David Bloomberg, Sandy Lamparello, and Bruce Barker think? Let’s find out.

Allie, “Natural Woman

David: Allie started off well, but once she almost tumbled down the stairs, it all went downhill. Just when I was waiting for a blast from her voice on the first “You make me feel…” I instead heard a really wimpy attempt. The second time wasn’t any better. Her voice simply could not carry it off. Not good at all.

Sandy: Allie looked really pretty this week. Oops, she almost fell down the stairs! Her singing was good, not great, but her facial expressions and movements on the stage seemed very forced and mechanical. At some points she appeared to just be staggering around on the stage, and a few times I thought she was going to fall over backwards! She looked uncomfortable too.

Bruce: She looked stunning in the red dress. She had a little slip as she came down the stairs and it threw her briefly off pitch. Although she regained her vocal, she was still a bit shrill in the chorus each time. She did perform as if she was born to the stage and I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t make it to the final. 8

Derek, “Devil in Disguise”

David: Derek had better luck with the stairs than Allie did – and in vocals as well. He did a good job of switching between the slow and up-tempo portions of the number. This may have been the best we’ve ever seen from Derek.

Sandy: Derek is just adorable. His smile lights up the room. I thought this was a fun performance and he sounded really good too. Unlike Allie, he did not look uncomfortable. Great job!

Bruce: He made himself the one to beat with a perfect mix of personality, performance, and pitch. He used the entire stage well and made regular eye contact with both the camera and the audience. It was an outstanding overall performance. 9

Laura, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”

David: At the beginning of the song, I felt Laura held her notes just a bit too much. She kicked it into gear well when the song’s tempo sped up, but there was still a middle period when I just didn’t like how she sounded. Better than Allie, but that’s not saying much.

Sandy: Laura started out a little rough this week. But once the tempo picked up she got a lot better, and she looked great. She looked natural on the stage and put on an awesome performance.

Bruce: She had a distracting tendency to get a bit ahead of the melody and have to find her way back in time to nail the verses. But she performed with a powerful sex appeal that had me riveted to her on the stage and at the end of the number she looked as if she still had untapped energy to burn. 9

Max, “Suspicious Minds”

David: Max not only sang well, but he acted the song well also. He wasn’t just bouncing around the stage, but really looked like a Broadway actor/singer. That was the most convincing performance I’ve seen by anybody on the show!

Sandy: As soon as I heard Max was singing this song, I couldn’t wait to hear him. He put a lot of emotion into his performance and sounded great once again! He’s come such a long way during this competition and it’s been great to see his transformation.

Bruce: With only a couple of minor flaws, Max performed on pitch and let the richness of his voice flow well with the music. I think, though, he’s going to have a problem. He moved very woodenly from camera mark to camera mark and performed solely for the audience at home. Since this is a Broadway show and not a television special, it may cost him. 9

Austin and Chad Sing-Off, “Rock and Roll Party Queen”

David: Austin was as polished as usual. But I think that may be his problem – he always seems to be putting on an act. Chad was good, too, but I can’t really say much more than that. Before they performed, I was certain Chad would be leaving. But once the audience started cheering so heavily for Chad, I wasn’t sure anymore. Still, the judges were right that he is definitely a better singer/dancer/actor.

Sandy: Austin still creeps me out for some reason. He sounded good but that’s never been his problem, so no surprise there. Chad didn’t have much power behind his vocals but when I could hear him he didn’t sound bad. Last week I predicted that Chad would go home and I definitely didn’t see anything this week to change my mind. And neither did the judges!

Bruce Austin sung with nice energy and much better projection than Chad. The difference for me was that Chad looked the part and sang in character as Danny for the performance. The judges said they wanted a “triple-threat” performance and then chose Austin. Frankly, I was a little surprised because Chad displayed singing and acting talent while Austin seemed a bit less comfortable and didn’t really act at all.

Ashley, “You Keep Me Hanging On”

David: Well, Ashley is certainly hoping we keep her hanging on! I’m not sure we will, though. Throughout the entire song, Ashley’s voice just seemed weak, like it couldn’t compete with the music. Even when she did her exclamation near the end of the song, I didn’t feel like there was any emotion behind it. Not good.

Sandy: Ashley also looked great this week. Whoa, what happened to the camera there? She looked terrified while she was singing and there wasn’t enough edge to her voice for this song. I wasn’t crazy about that performance.

Bruce: There were times that I thought Ashley had an almost furtive and frightened look on her face as she moved around on the stage. She did well, but I felt the other two women did better overall than what Ashley brought to her performance. 7

Austin, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

David: Wow. I didn’t know Austin had the depth to his voice! I still think he will be perceived as too plastic by voters, but that was one hell of a vocal performance. Was it enough to make it to the top? I don’t think so.

Sandy: I just can’t shake the feeling that Austin’s performances are without personality. He has a great voice and he’s an accomplished actor but he just doesn’t make a connection with me. I’m not sure what it is but I wouldn’t be upset to see him go.

Bruce: Austin doesn’t have a chance. The song gave him little to do beyond standing and singing. There was no choreography whatsoever for him to have fun with as the judges have been demanding from him. A better Elvis choice might have been “Hound Dog,” or “A Little Less Conversation” so he would at least have been able to move a bit. His vocal was perfect, but it’s among the easiest of Presley’s songs to do. I think the song hung him out to dry without giving him the opportunity to really dazzle. 7

Final Thoughts

David: As I watched, I realized that I don’t really like any of the three remaining women. Or at least I didn’t like any of these performances. If I had to pick one winner right now, though, it would have to be Laura. As for the guys, I like both Austin and Max. I’d like to see Max win.

Sandy: It was good to see the Dannys and Sandys singing in the same show again! Everyone has come so far and the finals are going to be really tough. That said, I think Laura and Max are safe and will be competing in the finals. Allie, Ashley, Austin, and Derek are all in danger now that audience votes alone are the deciding factor. I think Austin will once again get the fewest votes, and joining him at the bottom of the pack will be Ashley. See you next week for the finals! Ciao!

Bruce: Austin and Ashley have given it a solid ride, but we’re at the point now where only the best will survive and “good” simply isn’t enough. I expect them both to leave early. Since I’m in a predicting mood, I’m gonna slip out on a limb here and predict that Derek and Laura will be the ones we want on Broadway.

Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Nashville Star, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows.

For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot: You’re the One that I Want and Reality TV Fever!