Four singers go home on ‘American Idol’

While the men’s eliminations were pretty straightforward, Ryan and the gang played a few more tricks with the women. That nearly proved disastrous, as a couple looked like they were fighting the urge not to be sick onstage.

For the first round, Ryan called the back row of six women up onstage. Jordin Sparks, Stephanie Edwards, and Sabrina Sloan were all strong on Wednesday, and all were safe. Leslie Hunt was next, and though she was a little blander than the others, she made it through as well. When a visibly nervous Melinda Doolittle was sent to safety next, that left Antonella Barba alone onstage, looking like she was desperately trying to keep from hyperventilating.

Barba was arguably the worst of the women on Wednesday, but apart from Gina Glocksen nobody has gotten more face time that Barba, and she was deemed safe as well. That was predictable. If she only got the voters from New Jersey, and the teenage boys impressed by her risqué photos making the rounds on the Internet, that would have been enough.

Instead, a shocked Amy Krebs was called from the front row and given her walking papers. Simon said on Wednesday that she had the “personality of a candle. There’s nothing to remember.” Turned out that he was right on the money, and her candle flamed out quickly.

When the final five women were called onstage, the stress of the moment left Gina Glocksen in tears and LaKisha Jones looking like she might pass out. But both early stars were safe, and the choice for the second elimination came down to Alaina Alexander and Nicole Tranquillo.

Tranquillo was the unlucky loser, which was kind of a shame because she showed a little personality onstage, making “get on with it already” hand gestures as Ryan was recalling what the judges said about her.

The four were sent off in a final clips montage set not to the traditional “Bad Day,” but to Daughtry’s “Home.” Kim, Cardenas, Krebs and Tranquillo are the first sent back home, to the place the voters feel they belong.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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