Even Hollywood gentler this year on ‘Idol’

At the beginning of Tuesday’s episode, Ryan Seacrest promised viewers a brand-new Hollywood week. Mercifully, one wrinkle was the absence of the group sing that’s been a staple of previous seasons and mainly served to provide footage of the contestants behaving badly toward each other.

But from a competitive standpoint, the big change was that nobody was cut in the first round. Either people got enough yes votes to advance all the way to the final performances, or they would have come back for a sing-for-your-life audition. It was a kinder, gentler Hollywood round, albeit one where 100-plus talented performers were getting their dreams crushed within shouting distance of stardom, or at least temporary fame.

The new rule made the process more fair to the contestants, since they were ensured at least two chances to perform and could not be eliminated by a jet-lag induced first-day flameout. In effect, however, it made the opening portion of the show bereft of drama.

Most of the featured singers were those like Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, music veterans who sang like the professionals they arguably already are. Others, like Josiah Leming, aren’t locks to make the final 24 but weren’t in danger of getting cut before the final performance either.

But after the showcases and the usual stories about people who were nervous, hoarse, sick, cranky and battling adversity, sing-for-your-life day finally dawned and the cuts began.

Sad day for the single parents
Simon Cowell began the day with a pep talk. “Good luck. It’s do or die,” he said. It’s no shock that he doesn’t make a living as a motivational speaker.

That was an appropriate beginning to the sad portion of the episode.

Remember those heartwarming audition stories that the producers showed? The sad but ultimately uplifting stories of people overcoming adversity and personal tragedy to earn their golden tickets?

Yeah, well, a lot of those people are gone now.

Single dad Perrie Cataldo was a feel-good story from the San Diego auditions, and single mom Suzanne Toon charmed the judges in Miami.

Neither had the same kind of luck in Hollywood and both were sent home. Neither, however, was ready to rant and rave about it.

“Wow. That’s all I gotta say really is wow. I ain’t gonna cry about it,” Cataldo said afterward.

“I was really nervous. I thought I would perform better than I did,” Toon said. “Bummer.”

Compelling story doesn’t guarantee survival
Amy Flynn made it out of Charleston, S.C., with a strong performance and a story about giving talks promoting abstinence from drugs, sex and alcohol. She got a quick return ticket back to high school, though at her age there’s a pretty good chance she’ll make it back to “Idol” down the road.

Kayla Hatfield survived a near-fatal car accident. Anjelica Puente made her dad proud by auditioning after moving out of the house as a 17-year-old. Neither got to tell the next chapter in the saga before being cut. Joey Catalano lost more than 200 pounds before impressing the judges in Philadelphia, but got a migraine at the worst possible time and couldn’t overcome it.

Interactive Simon says Sometimes the best part of “American Idol” is the latest sly comment from acerbic judge Simon Cowell. Here are some of our favorites from this season.

Angela Martin was probably the saddest story. The Chicago native told her story at the Philadelphia auditions about wanting to make a better life for her two-year-old daughter with Rett Syndrome. The single mother suffered a further blow when her father was killed right before the Hollywood audition. And the judges showed her no mercy — she, too, was sent home.

“I’m not gonna stop. I’m gonna keep trying, so it’s OK,” Martin said. “I came to Hollywood. Now I’ll move onto something else. I’m a strong person.”

The “Idol” cameras moved on as well.

Few surprises
Those singers remaining got to perform again, and unlike previous seasons where they were divided into several rooms to wait for news, this year they heard their fate right after the notes died down.

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For the most part, the picks weren’t shocking. Not everyone got airtime, but those who did were mostly obvious selections.

David Archuleta overcame the historical reluctance against having teenage boys make it past Hollywood, and his version of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” was more than good enough. Syesha Mercado was worried enough after struggling with her voice that she wrote her comments for Ryan on flashcards instead of talking, and the strategy paid off as she came through with a superb effort.

Smithson and Johns advanced as well, and it would be a shock not to see them in the final 24. Asia’H Epperson continued her string of strong solos and advanced. Beauty queen Brooke Helvie did not, but the only shock there was that the one positive vote she had was from Simon, and Paula Abdul was the one who cast the tie-breaking vote.

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