By Chuck Barney, Contra Costa Times
03.03.11
It was an "American Idol" bloodbath latherered over two hours. In its biggest elimination night ever at this stage of the game, TV's most popular talent show axed 11 of its 24 contestants Thursday night.
"Drama like you've never seen before is about to unfold on this stage," host Ryan Seacrest promised beforehand, and "Idol" delivered a night of nerve-wracking tension.
Surviving the cuts were Bay Area hopefuls, James Durbin of Santa Cruz and Thia Megia of Mountain House. They were among the top 10 finalists chosen via fan voting (Seacrest said that more than 40 million votes were cast over two days).
Other singers picked by the viewers to advance were Scott McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano, Karen Rodriguez, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald and Haley Reinhart.
Three more finalists -- so-called "wildcard" choices -- were chosen by the judges via a series of cutthroat sing-offs. Ashthon Jones, Stefano Langone, Kendra Chantelle, Jovany Barreto, Naima Adedapo, and Robbie Rosen were all asked to sing for their lives with one last go-for-broke performance. Of that group, Jones, Langone and Adedapo were picked to move on in the competition.
"This is the toughest night ever," declared judge Randy Jackson before naming the remaining finalists. "This is so hard."
There were no stunning surprises -- especially among the top 10 vote-getters. All the fan favorites were praised by the judges for their performances earlier
Megia is the youngest-ever "Idol" contestant to make it this far, having taken advantage of a new rule that dropped the minimum age requirement to 15. In a taped segment at the top of the show, the Hayward native said, "If I don't go through tonight I would be devastated."this week. And Durbin and Megia looked to be shoo-ins after receiving some of the biggest raves.Instead, she was a picture of tearful jubilation.
The Top 13 finalists will take to the stage next Wednesday (8 p.m., Fox).
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