Hooray For Hollywood: Round 1 Ends With A Thud

Phew! Someday someone will invent some kind of facial recognition app that will allow each face shown during Hollywood to be automatically identified…

So while I was scanning the crowds for Point Pleasant’s Chase Likens, other reporters were scanning the crowds for their hometown singers. I was actually able to help one of them out. But sadly, I didn’t see a trace of Chase. If you did, please let me know…

309 contestants started out Hollywood Week and then the judges started slashing. And some of the slashes were pretty difficult. As usual, a group of 10 came out on the stage. Each person sang a cappella and then the judges deliberated. Then, it’s the front row, back row dance as contestants are told if they move on or if it’s the end of the line.

Here’s what we know, in the order that we learned it, to the best of my ability to write it down…

My guy, Johnny Keyser (My #2) and Heejun Han made it through. I’m a little worried that Johnny might be getting a little cocky. I’m totally adding Heejun to my list because of his refreshing lack of confidence, but will that get him run over on Group Day?...

Johnny and Heejun Han made it through, along with a contestant named Gabi (But since there were five Gabis, I have no idea which one.)…

Also through were Elise Testone, Baylie Brown (Keep an eye on her during Group Day.) and Hallie Day…

Jen Hirsh (“Up to the Mountain”) wowed the judges and Nigel Lythgoe tweeted that he loves her. Also through was Lauren Gray, who once again did Adele’s “One and Only”…

Heather Youmans, Sascha Julian and Candice Russell were singled out for their shaky performances, so I presume that they didn’t make it through…

Phil Phillips (My #10) and Reed Grimm (My #3) made it through. But what was up with Reed singing “I Got a Golden Ticket” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”? That goofy shtick is going to get old…

Sadly, Travis Orlando, whose mother walked out on his family and who once lived in a homeless shelter, did not make it again this year and I have no idea why. Nigel tweeted that he disagreed with the judges…

But the big shock came when Ramiro Garcia (My #6) was eliminated. I tweeted Nigel to ask what happened with him, but he didn’t answer me…

Wolf Hamlin and Jenni Schick were also eliminated…

At the end of Day 1, 68 people were gone…

Adam Brock was awesome doing “Walkin’ In Memphis” and went through, but Jane Carrey did not. That was absolutely the right decision…

David Leathers was amazing doing “Because You Loved Me,” which with his boyish voice was an excellent choice. But I can’t help but think he might get chewed up and spit out on Group Day. Shannon Magrane, who is best known for Steven’s slip in front of her dad, also went through. By the way, her dad is a Morehead State graduate…

#Tylerism Alert: “I have ties older than you.”

Jessica Phillips, whose fiancé had a stroke, made it through after her rendition of “All the Man That I Need.” Also going through were Angie Ziederman, the goofy Broadway girl, and Brittney Kerr, the NBA cheerleader…

Going through from the next group were Erika Van Pelt, Creighton Fraker (who I almost put in my Top 10) and Aaron Marcellus…

Lauren Mink made a terrible choice of singing “Alone,” but the judges liked Jeremy Rosado singing “Superstar.” Nigel tweeted that he thought Jeremy was a little flat. I’m not sure I disagree. I’m not sure if they made it or not, because up next was Symone Black…

If you read my post yesterday, you knew that Symone was the young lady that fell off the stage. If she’s okay, I think she’ll go through because she sounded great doing “Sitting On the Dock of the Bay”…

But we don’t know if she’s alright because the show ended leaving us hanging about Symone’s fate, the fate of the rest of her group and the fate of several of our favorites we didn’t see tonight…

But I didn’t need a cliffhanger to tune in tomorrow, because it’s GROUP DAY!!! WOO HOO!!! Of course, I have a feeling that we won’t see as much as I would like since the episode is only an hour long and we’ll need to resolve the Symone drama first…

So what are your thoughts? Was there someone you wanted to see that you didn’t?

Let’s discuss…