In what was probably not a first on American Idol, one of the auditioners showed up with a ventriloquist dummy in hand. What was surprising, however, was that this girl, Halie Hilburn, had actual talent, and not just in ventriloquism. With two different songs (one as a duet with her dummy, Oscar), she impressed the judges and earned herself a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Making a lasting impression last night on judges and viewers was Zoanette Johnson, who burst into the audition room all sass and flash. For her audition song, she opted to sing the national anthem with a few tweaks here and there to make it her own. Although Randy Jackson was not necessarily convinced of her actual talent, he was pressured in the end by the other judges, namely Nicki Minaj, and sent her through to Hollywood as well.

Also making it to the next round last night on American Idol was 16 year old Kayden Stephenson, who sang like a young Michael Jackson and looked a little like a younger Justin Bieber. Kayden, who looked much younger than 16, shared that he had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at a very early age and was only expected to live until age 35. With a strength and optimism that one would not expect from such a young boy, he declared that this was, “his shot” and gave it his best go, which easily sent him into the next round.

After such a sad, yet inspiring story, the auditions took a turn and ended on a funnier note, with last year’s judge, Steven Tyler, making an appearance in drag and pretending to audition for a spot in Hollywood, to which he was denied.  Better luck next year, Steven.

Next week, the contestants head to the sunshine state where they will be faced with the infamous Hollywood week auditions where even the most talented have been known to crack under pressure.

American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8/7c on Fox.

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In the calm before the storm, the judges were impressed by several contestants, including Brian Rittenberry, the bookkeeper from Georgia who had nearly lost his wife to cancer in 2009, and Isabel Gonzales, whose online nomination by her aunt earned her first, a visit to her high school from Randy Jackson and after her audition, a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Everything seemed to be going fairly well in North Carolina until Summer Cunningham walked into the room and auditioned with the song “Lean on Me,” to which she admitted to doing “the country thing” with it. This phrase irked Keith Urban a bit and sent him, along with Mariah and Randy, into a bit of a discussion about country music and Summer’s musical focus. After a bit of talking in circles, but also some advice about how her voice was suited for country music, the three judges voted yes to sending Summer to Hollywood. Despite their ‘yes’ votes and even encouraging comments, Nicki felt that they had tried to pigeon hole her into country and threw a bit of a temper tantrum, even storming out of the audition room when Randy reminded everyone that he was trying to offer up some advice from his 30 years of experience. (Watch the drama unfold below)

Day two of auditions in North Carolina got off to a much more positive start with Brandy Hamilton, the navy reservist with an enormous amount of charm, who, in addition to singing beautifully, asked the judges not to fight because it “makes her sad.” With that single request, the fight from the day before was seemingly forgotten and the parade of hopeful contestants continued on.

In addition to many excellent auditions, along with several not so great ones, viewers were treated to a varying number of nicknames bestowed upon the contestants from Ms. Minaj, who continued her quest to outshine the other judges and the singers, for that matter. While the random cutesy names and comments were certainly entertaining at times, it has to be said that her inexperience and youth seems to be, at times, outshining the hip hop artist herself.

Admittedly, I was a bit hard on American Idol during premiere week, even calling it a snoozefest, but after last night’s show, I am hesitantly optimistic that the judges may fall into a groove just yet, not because of the “fight” between the judges, but because at least three of the judges are starting to look like they are actually invested in finding the next American Idol. Some really amazing talent found in North Carolina didn’t hurt either.

Tonight the auditions head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Will the home of the Big Easy contain the next American Idol? Watch tonight at 8/7c on Fox to find out.

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Usually it takes a few episodes of auditions for me to get burned out on the preliminary process, but last night, I was bored about an hour in to the two hour premiere. I’m not sure if it was the uninspiring talent or the lack of any real chemistry between the judges, but either way, I had to take a break part way through.

Mariah, who at times seemed surprisingly maternal and at other times unsurprisingly diva-ish, offered her opinion without much incident. Keith Urban, who is by far the most likable judge this season, seemed genuine and tried his best to get a word in edgewise sitting between Nicki and Mariah. Randy, as usual, tried to assume the role of tough judge, only to come off as a bit contrived, but at least that was reminiscent of seasons past. Nicki seemed to be under the impression she was running the auditions, declaring when singers could try a second song and often jumping in to begin the critiques. All in all, rather than a panel of judges working together to find the American Idol, it seemed there were four individuals giving their opinions and working towards their own goals.

The talent on the premiere of American Idol wasn’t too much to get excited about either last night. Sarah Restuccio might have been one of the most entertaining of the night, a sweet country girl who auditioned with a Carrie Underwood tune but then broke into an awesome rendition of Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” when asked to sing a second song. Frankie Ford, bless his heart, came into the audition very nervous and had to start over after faltering with his initial notes. After gaining his composure, however, he gave a great audition of “Sweet Dreams” that earned him a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Although my first impression of season 12 of American Idol wasn’t the best, I am going to hang in there and hope that the judges’ panel will find their groove and that the best is yet to come with the talent. Tonight, the show heads to Chicago in search of the next big thing and with any luck; they will find it in the Windy City.

What did you think of last night’s American Idol season 12 premiere? Share your thoughts below!

American Idol airs tonight at 8/7c on Fox.

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American Idol

This season on American Idol, Randy Jackson will be the only familiar face sitting at the judges’ table, having said goodbye to former judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez at the end of last season. Joining the resident “dawg” on the panel this year will be singer Mariah Carey, country singer Keith Urban, and rapper Nicki Minaj.

The return of a fourth judge to the American Idol format is interesting in and of itself, having not gone over well previously, however, that is not the only potential problem (or success, depending on how you look at it) facing the judges’ panel. There have already been numerous reports of in fighting between Mariah and Nicki while out on the road at auditions. While it remains to be seen if it was hyped for ratings or if a feud really exists, you can bet a good number of viewers tuning in tonight will be watching solely for the purpose of seeing a good cat fight.

I will be watching tonight with mixed emotions hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. Will the new judges be able to breathe life into a show that was once the most watched show on television? For the sake of loyal American Idol fans everywhere, I certainly hope so.

American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8/7c on Fox.

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