THE RECAPS
STORMSEEKER.COM RECAPS! Reality writer Ryan Vicker provides
recaps of each show.
Click here for the First Season of Star Search Page
February 19, 2003 February 21, 2003 February 26, 2003 February 28, 2003 March 5, 2003 March 5, 2003 March 12, 2003 March 14, 2003
And we're back for series II of Star Search: The Next Generation. And of course, we are live! Arsenio wishes to thank the Neilsen families especially.
Remember, our categories are Jr. Singer, Comedian, Adult Singer and Youth Dancer.
Wait a minute - that means that the models are gone and the dancers are making their comeback - hooray!!
Let's get reacquainted with the judges - after Arsenio tells us that they show is now Wednesday and FRIDAY, so set your TiVos, your VCRs, and in the case of Naomi, your Betamax (
Speaking of Naomi, Mrs. Judd is the first on the permanent judges' portion of the panel. She's also the first and only to have given the lowest score (1 star out of 5) to any one performer. Next to her is the host of his own self titled (which is almost defunct - so sad) game show, Ben Stein.
At this point I would like to point out that if I had my way, Carol Leifer would be introduced. But I'm not Les Moonves (head of CBS), so instead Ahmet Zappa, from the first family of weird rock and roll, is the third permanent judge.
Just before the guest judge is introduced, Arsenio takes off his earrings - not that they were noticeable! And tonight's guest judges is NBA hall of famer Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. Gee, if we're continuing with this trend, next weeks guests will include Chevy Chase and Keenan Ivory Wayans. Jimmy Kimmel may also drop in sometime in the future too.
(Gordongram - How can you possibly leave out PAT SAJAK from this list of elite?)
Remember, $100,000 is awarded to the winner in each category!
JUNIOR SINGER
Sophie Tamiko Oda, 11, Danville CA
Joelle James, 12, Murrieta CA
Sophie's parents were in Japanese-American internment camps before here time. She encourages people to remember the past so it doesn't happen again. She sings 'Don't rain on my parade'. It's a broadway song, and that's exactly how she plays it - I think this type of song is a hard one to portray your vocal range on Star Search.
Judd: 5 'You pulled it off'
Stein: 4 'we only see the cream of the crop'
Zappa: 5 'you rock'
Magic: 5 'magical'
Total: 19
Joelle's motto is 'when it's not fun, it's over'. She likes going to the mall and playing soccer. She's a fan of Aretha, and sings her song 'Think'. And she's good - a quality job all around.
Judd: 4 'Great performance'
Stein: 5 'you are a star'
Zappa: 5 'little people with giant voices'
Magic: 5 'soul, attitude'
Total: 19
Cbs.com/star will determine the winner - and the winner is Joelle, by a score of 36-35.
COMEDY
Michael Loftus, 36, Columbus OH
Moody McCarthy, 36, NYC
Michael met his future wife in the swimming pool, then a bar, then Miami. In that order. His routine includes Texans, cowboys, and George Dubya.
Stein: 4 'his jokes were really funny'
Zappa: 3 'thought you were good'
Magic: 4 'thought he was pretty good'
Judd: 5 'five letters in goofy'
Total: 16
Moody got his nickname when he was one. His real name, with his Irish heritage, is Matthew. He talks about hair loss, his family, and high school relationships.
Stein: 2 'likeable'
Zappa: 2
Magic: 3
Judd: 3 'wasn't really biting'
Total: 10
Looks like Moody might turn just that - and after he loses 30-22 to Michael, he can't leave the stage quickly enough!
YOUNG DANCER
*new category*
This category is open to anyone from 8-20. Any number of dancers and styles is acceptable. Winner(s) still receive $100,000.
Jared Grimes, 19, High Point NC
Blake McGrath, 19, Toronto ON
Jared is a tapaholic! And he gets his sense of rythym from various places. Wow, can he move! He almost seems to slide across the floor at times!
Zappa: 4 'freaky'
Magic: 5 'loved it
Judd: 4 'talent'
Stein: 3 'thought he might fall'
Total: 16 (and Arsenio loves him too!)
Blake's inspiration was his sister. He feels that being on Star Search is a way to repay her. And I swear, this guy is a rubber band!! It's like he's figure skating without the skates! What a varied routine!
Zappa: 5 'I'm scared of the way you make me feel!'
Magic: 5 'like Kobe Bryant goin' to the basket'
Judd: 5 'white men CAN dance'
Stein: 5 'incredibly creative'
PERFECT 20!!
Vote, and vote like you've never voted before! And you did - as you gave Blake the win, 37-30.
Excuse me while I get on my soapbox for a minute -
(climbs on box, smiles, then climbs down)
(Gordongram - I'm getting on my NaomiBox - You get ONE star for that feeble attempt of humor - and I won't come down until the recap is over.)
Okay, thanks for your time, and let's move onto the next category -
ADULT SINGER
Chantele Doucette, 26, Bristol CT
James Kenney, 25, Portland OR
Chantele was once told that she might not walk again after she had a well collapse on her she was 6. But tonight, with that behind her, she sings 'Lovin' you'. To be honest, I'm not a big fan - the high notes shattered my picture tube!
No, not really. Her voice isn't too bad, it's just not my style, I guess. Judges?
Magic: 4 'difficult song'
Judd: 4 'massaged my ears, my eyes, my heart'
Stein: 4 'viagra for the ears'
Zappa: 4 'cam communicated with porpoises
Total: 16
James' family is very diverse - he has a black brother and a mixed sister with whom he grew up with in the projects. He sings 'try a little tenderness'. His voice is smooth, but it really doesn't strike me as powerful. And Arsenio adds that he looks like someone from Scooby-Doo.
Magic: 4 'got some soul'
Judd: 3 'I see you in a group'
Stein: 2 'little draggy'
Zappa: 3 (Arsenio almost forgot him!)
Total: 12
Last ballot of the night goes to - Chantele, by a score of 32-25.
See you Friday -
Arsenio starts the show by adjusting his shoes,
suggesting that it would have been funny if Wednesday's tap
dancer had fallen (and possibly given the show a 20
share), and moonwalking. He also says that he wept
openly when CBS said that they were switching the model
competition to youth dancers.
Tonight's guest judges from Loveline, The Man Show and
Crank Yankers is Adam Carolla. See, I wasn't too far
off when I suggested that Jimmy Kimmel might pop up
soon...
JR SINGER
Victoria Kelly, 10, Canyon Lake CA
Q'orianka, 13, Honolulu HI
Victoria loves snowboarding, dancing and being ten.
She sings "Out here on my own" from "Fame". She has a
nice voice, and doesn't try to overdo it, which is
great! Soft and silky.
Judd: 4 "voice dripping with honey"
Stein: 3 "a little bit flat"
Zappa: 4 "you are so awesome"
Carolla: 4 (makes a job about Iraq)
Total: 15
Q'orianka is a street performer who helps support her
family that way. Q'orianka sings "Adaccio" by
Belgium's Lara Fabian. She puts a lot of passion into
it, and hits the operatic high notes perfectly.
Judd: 4 "like popera"
Stein: 3 "you have a lot of talent... needs to be
polished"
Zappa: 3 "I was transfixed"
Carolla: 3 "I didn't think she was funny... maybe I'm new
to this... she seemed to be singing so I couldn't hear
her jokes..."
Total: 13 (and Carolla cracks me up)
V _ T E !! Like to buy a vowel? Well America, you did,
and it went in favour of Victoria, 32-24: what a
difference the public made!
COMEDIAN
Tommy Chunn, 37, Detroit
Dan Gabriel, 27, Pacifica CA
Tommy was overweight when he was young - so he learned
to be quick on his feet. He makes people chuckle about
family reunions, barbecues, and alcohol. He's really
funny!
Stein: 3 "second part was quite good"
Zappa: 4 "very very funny" (he also managed to insult
Stein at this point)
Carolla: 4 "ripped off my act!"
Judd: 3 "these guys (judges) are funnier than him!"
Total: 14
Dan is half Filipino and half bald white guy - or so he
says. He yaks about talking to his dad on the phone,
first class flying and turbulence.
Stein: 2 "too low key"
Zappa: 3 "don't know what happened"
Carolla: 4 "liked him"
Judd: 2 (after she gave a five to Carolla!)
Total: 11
Dan responds to Judd's comments with "She changed
hers?". To be honest, I was confused too. America,
however, must have figured it out because they gave
Tommy the win 27-24.
YOUTH DANCER
"Sassy" - (Maddie age 12, Francesca age 12, Jacqueline
age 10, Kelly age 11) no hometown given
Marissa Swentkowsky, 9, Pittsburgh
Sassy is named as such because they say they have
attitude. The dance in a modern style and bring back
memories for me of the original star search. They
certainly do use the whole stage!
Zappa: 4 "Showgirls II: Attack of the clones"
Carolla: 3 "I was in the same type of dance troupe when
I was younger, we called ourselves �Pizzazz'."
Judd: 4 "A Las Vegas revue"
Stein: 5 "Astonishingly creative"
Total: 16
Marisa says her style of dance is very unique because
she's quite flexible.
OH MY WORD, contortionist is right, she's like human
play-doh. Ow, ow, ow, ow, it hurts just watching!!!
Zappa: 5 "You are the creepiest..."
Carolla: 5 "I'm impressed"
Judd: 5 "Cirque du soleil"
Stein: 4 "Incredible"
Total: 19
Cbs.com is the location to lock in your votes, and no,
not for the home video that you like the most - and
after all five performers are named "digit midgets",
the winner is Marissa, getting 35 to Sassy's 31.
ADULT SINGER
Joe Murena, 24, Smithtown NY
Denise Hudson 15, Peckville PA
Joe originally wasn't going to graduate from high
school, but he decided that he needed to repeat senior
year to put himself on the right path. He sings Toni
Braxton's "Unbreak my heart". It's often hard, I would
think, for a male to perform a song originally done by
a woman, but this guy does it wonderfully, with such a
rich, powerful voice. I'll buy his album if he puts
one out! Brilliant.
Carolla: 4
Judd: 5 "I got goosebumps"
Stein: 3 "Never really quite popped"
Zappa: 4 "really great"
Total: 16
Denise watched the old star search and dreamed of being
on it at some point. Now she is on it, singing "Sweet
Love" by Anita Baker. Very sultry, and unlike others
in the category before her, she starts very strong.
And she belts it out!
Carolla: 5 "So much poise"
Judd: 5 "You're ready to sing in a club"
Stein: 5 "Warm, sexy"
Zappa: 4 "So good"
Total: 19
Following the bumper for "My Big Fat Greek Life",
America comes to the conclusion that they prefer Denise
by a total score of 36-31.
That's all for Friday's show... now I'm off to model my
new Survivor Marquesas buff. Cheers!
Arsenio's voice over states that on the new star search
there have been highs and lows. Who will that apply to
this week? Let's find out!
Tonight's guest judge, from "Lizzie McGuire" and the
upcoming film "Agent Cody Banks" is Hilary Duff.
JUNIOR SINGER
David Archuleta, 12, Sandy, UT
Anna Maria Perez De Tagle, 12, San Jose, CA
David was in NYC to sing God Bless America on last
year's 9/11 anniversary. Tonight he sings "Who's
loving you" by the Jackson 5. Good vocal range and he
can really hit the notes.
Judd: 4 "you remind me of Donny Osmond"
Stein: 4 "so much soul"
Zappa: 5 "you're so talented"
Duff: 5 "so cute"
Total: 18
Anna Maria likes to sing for community service at
retirement homes. Her grandma, a legend in Filipino
television, is her inspiration. West Side Story's
"Somewhere" is her song choice. She seems to have a
classical background and it plays very well. She's
very calm and it reinforces a solid performance.
Judd: 3 "clear and fresh"
Stein: 3 "not quite strong enough"
Zappa: 4 "super impressed"
Duff: 5 "big voice"
Total: 15
Dole out the digits, America! David takes it 34-30,
and subsequently says that Utah is "amazing".
COMEDIAN... uh, no, strike that, bit of a line up change
tonight... YOUNG DANCER
Jon Cruz, 19, Riverside CA
Natascha Bachour (18) and Bobby Weeks (20), Phoenix AZ
Jon has been dancing as part of the hip-hop scene for
six years now. He says that dancing saved his life.
His routine is a mixture of sorts, and I'll tell you
one thing, it's better than I can ever aspire to.
Stein: 4 "sheer energetic physicality"
Zappa: 5 "total street legitimacy"
Duff: 5 "so much energy"
Judd: 3 "enough electricity to light up Los Angeles"
Total: 17
Natascha and Bobby tell that they have to have deep
trust in one another in order to pull off their
routine. They are more a classical set of dancers more
than anything, and they get five stars from me as they
dance to "The Prayer" by Celine Dion and Andrea
Bocelli, a song that usually moves me to tears.
Yeah, so I'm a big softie. Big deal!
Stein: 4 "amazing grace"
Zappa: 4 "very romantic"
Duff: 4 "totally in sync"
Judd: 4 "bringing us culture"
Total: 16
America, it's up to you! Make those fingers do the
walking!
And just for the break ends, there's a promo about the
"Salem Witch Trials", this Sunday and Tuesday - which,
incidentally, was filmed at the historical village
where I used to work in the summer for the last four
years! The only sad thing about it is that I'm not an
extra! But I digress...
Oh yeah, the winner is Jon, 34-30. Thought you might
want to know...
COMEDIAN (for real this time)
Greg Hahn, 36, Orlando
Robert Rothstein, 35, NYC
As a kid, Greg was shy and hyper. As an adult, he says
he's goofy. He talks about the corporate world, bar
hopping and running into the cops.
Don't get me wrong - I am one hyper dude, but this guy
is REALLY HYPER! Seriously.
Zappa: 3 "uncontrolled energy"
Duff: 3 "you're crazy"
Judd: 4 "juvenile humour - take your medications"
Stein: 3 "loved the dumpster joke"
Total: 13
Robert's family doesn't find him funny. Does the
audience? Well, he makes the audience chuckle about
Amtrak, cemeteries and illegal aliens. Total contrast
to Greg.
Zappa: 4 "morbid and I liked it"
Duff: 3 "very funny"
Judd: 2 "cross between Rodney Dangerfield and a
mortician"
Stein: 4 "you do it well"
Total: 13
Ad break includes: Oil of Olay, Downy, Amex,
Coffeemate, Dove, Alavert, Dan Rather, Bruce
Springsteen. Quite the combo.
We're back, and remember: the winner moves on, but the
loser gets to go to the county fair in the happiest
place in the world...
TIAJUANA, MEXICO! Krusty would be happy.
With 29 stars, Robert moves on. With 23 stars, Greg
wins the trip to Tiajuana.
ADULT SINGER
Before we get to the performers, Arsenio announces that
next week the first Star Search CD goes on sale, which
will include winners Jake Simpson and Tiffany Evans,
along with other series I finalists. (Side note: will
they include the comedic routines too?). Arsenio's
famous rap "Hit me with those digits" is not included.
BTW Gordon - I'll review the CD for you on one
condition: you buy it for me. Okay?
(Gordongram: Here's a Rap For you, Ryan
I know you want to hit those digits
Scammin from me when you have no dough
My wallet is not going to fidget
So I'm going to say 'Hell NO'
Dreshan, 27, Miami
Danielle Bollinger, 29, Flint MI (Quick: name two
famous people from Flint! Answers below.)
Previously Dreshan hopped on a greyhound bus to NYC
w/$20. His first paycheque went towards an inexpensive
keyboard which he then played in subway stations to
earn his money. He sings Stevie Wonder's "All in love
is fair". Smooth, articulate voice. He sticks to the
song and doesn't move around too much (which I love).
Duff: 5 "amazing talent"
Judd: 5 "all aboard the soul train"
Stein: 3 "voice is not powerful enough"
Zappa: 4 "thought you were great"
Total: 16
Danielle left her marriage to do what she loves - sing.
She sings "When the lights go down" by Faith Hill.
Strangely enough, she looks more like Trisha Yearwood.
Nevertheless, she has a nice voice and carried herself
well.
Duff: 4 "amazing"
Judd: 4 "great vocal residence"
Stein: 4 "emotionally thrilling"
Zappa: 4
Total: 16
Vocalize your digits, please! And Glen hits us with
the digits - and it's a tie, 31 all! And who does the
internet vote go to... Dreshan! With a score of 15.1 to
14.7.
Semi finals coming up!
And for you folks aspiring to be on millionaire, the
two answers I know of are documentary filmmaker and
Academy Award nominee Michael Moore, and someone who
picked out a grand prize "especially for you", the host
of the Newlywed Game and Card Sharks '86, Bob Eubanks!
Well folks, we're into the semi finals right now, so
since tonight's show is special, I've managed to round
up a special guest!
May I introduce to you Mr. Chris Bowman, my good friend
since day one of university six years ago. Chris is an
accomplished musician (vocal and piano) currently
teaching music and is heavily involved with the musical
program at a local church. He is also a reality
television fan, enjoying shows like "Tough Enough" and
"Amazing Race" among others. And my personal goal is
to get him to try out for Canadian Idol in Toronto :)
Just a fun little running gag we have.
In the scope of this review, any comments made by Chris
will be abbreviated CJB, my comments (Ryan) will be
marked as RV. I told Chris that when we're doing the
review, "you throw out anything and I'll put it in".
He responds with "I like cheese."
Oh dear... it's going to be one of those reviews... no
worries though, we'll have fun.
A little housekeeping before we get going - tonight's
guest judges are one half of Boyz II Men: Nathan Morris
and Shawn Stockman. And the CD that I mentioned in
Wednesday's review is located at starsearchmusic.com.
Enough introductions... let's get to it!
JUNIOR SINGER
Joelle James/Victoria Kelly/David Archuleta
Joelle sings "Ain't no mountain high enough" for
tonight's performance.
CJB: She's a bit flat at the ends of phrases - good
presence.
RV: (this is great - this thing is going to write
itself)
CJB: I hope it's not the tape quality that's making her
flat...
Judges?
Judd: 5 "pure talent"
Stein: 5 "huge risk... paid off"
Zappa: 4 "you are awesome"
BIIM: 4 "we enjoyed that"
Total: 18
CJB: could be the vcr...
Victoria sings "Blessed" tonight.
CJB: got the Celine Dion thing going on - but I don't
know if that's good or not... NEAR... FAR... (beats heart)...
WHEREVER YOU ARE
RV: carries herself well... but why do the parents have
to sing along??
Judd: 4 "perfect"
Stein: 5 "even better than Joelle"
Zappa: 4 "so good"
BIIM: 5
Total: 18
David, our only male junior singer semi-finalist so far
in the star search revival, sings "Fallin" by Alicia
Keys. Chris at this point shakes his head, turns around
in his chair and refuses to watch). Personally, the
only thing that grated on me was his "grinding".
Nevertheless, the audience loved him as he got a
standing ovation!
Judd: 4 "Wayne Newton mini-me"
Stein: 4 "god-grandson of soul"
Zappa: 5 "totally amazed"
BIIM: 5 "you could be our fifth member"
Total: 18
Arsenio says to go dial those digits... and after the
break, America breaks the tie - well, sort of. Now
it's between David and Victoria (at 34), Joelle is out
with 32. And the internet vote goes to... David, in a
squeaker: 16.1 to 15.9.
Anything to say, Chris?
CJB: (smiles, raises eyebrows). "No comment".
Right-o, let's move on...
YOUNG DANCER
Blake McGrath/Marissa Swentkowski/Jon Cruz
Blake dances to techno with his sunglasses at night
tonight. And I think Chris sums it up quite well:
"He's so flippy! He's a flippy machine! Flip flip
flip! He's the flippiest flip that ever flipped!"
I say nothing more.
Stein: 5 "techno dynamite"
Zappa: 5 "really great"
BIIM: 5 "that was so sick"
Judd: 5 "it's unanimous"
PERFECT 20!! It's been too long, hasn't it!
Marissa still makes me hurt watching her, and Chris
wonders if it's dance or if it's gymnastics. Gordon,
would you like to settle this?
(Gordongram: You want ME to settle this? I thought it was some sort of Canadian calasthenic workout routine. You mean you guys don't do that sort of stuff up there?)
In any case, she's pretty spectacular.
Stein: 4 "dance to new frontiers"
Zappa: 5 "proof that aliens exist"
BIIM: 5
Judd: 4 "never heard of T-Bone children" (apparently
she'd heard of T-Bone chicken though)
Total: 18
Jon, Wednesday's winner, seems like he's even more
flexible than last time, if that's possible. And he's
even more energized than before!
Stein: 5 "marvel"
Zappa: 4 "other competition was tough"
BIIM: 5
Judd: 5 "gave you three the other night and felt bad"
Total: 19
Dance those digits, America! The winner is Jon with
36, Blake scores 34, Marissa 31.
COMEDIANS
Michael Loftus/Tommy Chun/Robert Rothstein
Michael talks about cigarettes, camping and pool tables...
CJB: I need a pool table for Dan... c'mon pool table!
RV: Ah great reference... but what percentage of readers
will get it?
(Gordongram: Bucks, Bucks, Bucks, I'm taking it - STOP! Stop at a big screen TV! Whoooooooooo! Now why won't they bring KAREN back on the New P.Y.L.?)
To be honest, I thought Michael was a bit flat.
Zappa: 4
BIIM: 4
Judd: 4
Stein: 4
Total: 16
Tommy talks about relatives, the guest room, and the
washer/dryer. I think he was better last week though.
Zappa: 4 "very laughable"
BIIM: 4 "funny funny"
Judd: 4
Stein: 3 "barely funny"
Total: 15
Robert talks about room service, getting naked,
stealing cable and the state fair.
Zappa: 5 "funniest person tonight"
BIIM: 5
Judd: 3 (she deducted a point because he said a word
that I won't mention on this website)
Stein: 5 "super ultra funny"
Total: 18
Who will be laughing all the way to the finals? It's
Robert, with 33. Tommy finishes with 30, Michael
tallies 27.
ADULT SINGER
(CJB: Bring it on!)
Chantele Doucette/Denise Hudson/Dreshan
Chantele, in my opinion is doing a great job with her
rendition of "Natural Woman". Chris feels that she's
sucking up to the judges - she pointed to them when she
sang "peace of mind".
BIIM: 5 "made it sound natural"
Judd: 5 "natural star"
Stein: 5 "star for our time"
Zappa: 4 "sang beautifully"
Total: 19
Denise sings Chaka Khan's "Through the fire", and she
performs well, even though Chris and I agreed that she
doesn't look fifteen, even though she is!
BIIM: 5 "powerful"
Judd: 5 "I believe in you"
Stein: 4 "wasn't exciting as the first one"
Zappa: 4 "so great"
Total: 18
Dreshan sings "On the wings of love". Chris feels
positive about this one, and I feel that he's still as
soulful as he was on Wednesday.
BIIM: 4
Judd: 4 "hope phone starts ringing"
Stein: 3 "likeable"
Zappa: 3 "very talented"
Total: 14
And the winner after the audience vote is Chantele -
quite overwhelming, with a score of 35. Denise is
second with 29, Dreshan scores 28.
Well, that's it! Congratulations to David, Robert, Jon
and Chantele. And thanks to my good friend Chris
Bowman for helping me out!
I have to shovel snow now...
Well, I first have a confession to make. Someone else
taped Wednesday's show, as I am a teaching assistant
and had to be at a grade school play. The student who
taped it for me set it up perfectly.
Alas, someone than moved the tape and I was only able
to catch the last half hour of the program.
So this time around, I'll have to give you somewhat of
a capsule review for the first half of the show.
By the way, Kathie Lee Gifford is Wednesday's guest
judge. Gee, maybe it was a good thing that the whole
show didn't get on the tape...
JUNIOR SINGER
Ashlee Vaca, 10, Poughkeepskie NY
Adrian Diamond, 13, Stevenson Ranch CA
Ashlee went first and sang "Since I fell for you".
Judd: 5
Stein: 3
Zappa: 3
Gifford: 3
Total: 14
Adrian went next and sang "My Girl".
Judd: 4
Stein: 3
Zappa: 4
Gifford: 4
Total: 15
America went off, got a snack, maybe grabbed a
beverage, and decided to make Ashlee the winner, by a
score of 29-28.
YOUNG DANCER
"Extensions": Desiree Withers, Tracie Phillips and Pre'
Rollins (no hometown given)
Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollman, Orange County CA
Extensions are a group of jazz dancers, if you'd like
to know!
Stein: 5
Zappa: 4
Gifford: 4
Judd: 3
Total: 16
Jordan and Tatiana were second in line, and performed a
jitterbug type dance for those who saw it!
Stein: 4
Zappa: 4
Gifford: 4
Judd: 5
Total: 17
And America danced their way to the keyboards... giving
the win to Jordan and Tatiana! Final score was 34-30.
At this point, my tape kicked in. So sit back, relax,
and enjoy the rest of the review.
Remember, the star search CD is now in stores! And
guess who is back to promote it? Fresh off her
appearance on CBS This Morning and The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno, it's Junior Singer Series One winner
Tiffany Evans! She is singing one of her signature
pieces "I am changing". And ladies and gentlemen,
she's as professional as ever!
COMEDIANS
Gerry Dee, 34, Toronto ON *
Horace H.B. Sanders, 31, Detroit
*Don't get me wrong, I live near Toronto, but I want to
know where these mysterious contestant searches are
going on - you'd think they'd be advertising them on
the Buffalo station possibly? I digress...
Gerry's dad always told him to become a teacher. And
he was dared by students to do standup - and look where
it took him! Gerry yaks about the 911 service,
skipping young grades, and how every teacher doesn't
love every student.
Zappa: 4 "you would hit a child in dodgeball"
Gifford: 4 "you love MY kids, right?"
Judd: 3 "you're vanilla, chocolate and strawberry"
(sitting with Tiffany)
Stein: 4 "loved the joke about teachers not loving
every student"
Total: 15
H.B. (like the #2 pencil?) says his name could stand
for "Hash Browns" in the morning. He's very proud that
his routine is clean, not crude. He talks about three
way calling, disguising your voice on the phone, and
GEDs.
Zappa; 4 "very comfortable"
Gifford: 5 "fabulous"
Judd: 4 "you're so funny"(gave him the star that she
took away from someone last week!)
Stein: 4 "great insight"
Total: 17
America - run to cbs.com/star! And our comedian funny
guy tonight is Horace - 35 to 27 over Gerry.
ADULT SINGER
Jennifer Slate Lee, 22, Nashville TN
Altonet Malbrough, 24, Beaumont TX (home of
doubledare.tv webmaster Josh Yawn, incidentally - hey
Josh)
Jennifer just got married last week and had to duck out
of her honeymoon to be on the show! She sings "It's my
time" by Martina McBride. Wonderful vocal range! Lots
of passion too.
Gifford: 5 "go on your honeymoon"
Judd: 5 "polished"
Stein: 5 "don't get divorced"
Zappa: 5 "wedding present from me"
PERFECT 20!!!
Altonet's husband likes rap, she likes R&B. She also
just had her first son. "A long walk" by Jill Scott is
her official selection. She's got sort of a Patti
Labelle image going for her, but I find she is hard
pressed to follow Jennifer.
Gifford: 4 "lovely"
Judd: 5 "I love you"
Stein: 5
Zappa: "hot soul mama"
Total: 18
America votes... American chooses... and they choose
Jennifer, 37 to 32 over Altonet.
And that's it for tonight. Usher is Friday's guest
judge. As for me, I'll be plunked in front of my tv at
8 pm on Friday to make sure no one switches the tape on
me!!
Arsenio comments at the top of the show that Clinton
said he took his new gig on 60 Minutes because he
couldn't get on Star Search - but Arsenio invites him
to come on anyway! Tonight's guest judge is singer
Usher - and we're even treated to a clip of him on Star
Search in 1992! For the record, he sang "End of the
Road" by Boys II Men.
JUNIOR SINGER (and all its playground bragging rights)
Brynn Williams, 10, Odentan MD
Ashley Argota, 10, Colton CA
Brynn is dyslexic but she feels that it can help her in
other ways. She sings "Be a lion" from "The Wiz". She
has a really nice voice, but I think that the ends of
some words seem slightly forced. Good job overall
though.
Judd: 4 "love the song"
Stein: 3 "needs a Liza Minelli type voice"
Zappa: 4 "you're so cute"
Usher: 4 "absolutely gorgeous"
Total: 15
Ashley tells us that her brother is deaf, but she knows
in her heart that he believes in her. She sings
"Orange Colored Sky". Her singing isn't too bad, but
to be honest, I'm distracted by the spirograph
animation behind her on the jumbotron.
Judd: 4 "room for improvement"
Stein: 5 "best stage presence"
Zappa: 4 "see you in New York"
Usher: 3
Total: 16
Now America has to be Judge Judy, and the decision goes
to the defendant - Ashley, that is, by a score of 32-30
over Brynn.
YOUNG DANCER
Stephen Boss, 20, Montgomery AL
"Tapsounds Underground" (Calen (17), Ryan (19), Melinda
(15))
Stephen has only been dancing for four years, and had
to sneak out to do it! He has very robotic like
tendencies, but moves perfectly to the music.
Stein: 4 "loved him"
Zappa: 4 "fluidity problem"
Usher: 4 "very fluid"
Judd: 2 "Robocop - loosen up a bit"
Total: 14
Tapsounds all agree their group is "high energy". And
they definitely live up to that credo - they remind me
of a performance of Stomp I saw last year in Paris.
Brilliant!
Stein: 3 "more imagination"
Zappa: 5 "great"
Usher: 5 "well choreographed"
Judd: 2 "little bit more imagination"
Total: 15
America votes, and America flips the decision of the
judges, giving Stephen the win, 30-29.
COMEDIANS
Rob Stapleton, 31, Bronx NY
Steven Scott, 29, Fort Lee NJ
Rob has two beautiful boys and loves to make them
laugh. Rob quips tonight about boxing, New York and
talking to yourself.
Zappa: 3 "tough crowd"
Usher: 2 "get some new material"
Judd: 3 "good news: I like you, bad news: got some work
to do"
Stein: 3 "great delivery"
Total: 11
When Steve was growing up, he had ADD, and he's happy
he can work with it now. He even offers up an Arsenio
impression. Steve talks about cruise ships, European
cell phone usage, and talks with his Dad. Personally,
I though it was flat.
Zappa: 2 "you know what I liked about that performance?
(pauses) Nothing."
Usher: 3 "liked your confidence"
Judd: 2 "two words: cruise. Ship."
Stein: 2 "don't make jokes about cruise ships or cell
phones"
Total: 9 (first performer to ever score in single
digits. Ouch.)
America - you'd better give us some stars, because the
judges didn't! And you gave out a bunch - specifically
to Rob, who rebounds quite nicely to win 24-23.
ADULT SINGER
Lakiya Jackson, 19, LA
Chris Barczynski, 36, NYC
Lakiya's dream is to become a famous female rapper, and
is very proud that her rapping is clean. She performs
a self-penned rap called "Catch my breath". She's very
good - but I can't understand all the lyrics!
Usher: 3 "something original"
Judd: 3 "love diversity"
Stein: 3 "rhythm was a bit derivative"
Zappa: 3 "positivity"
Total: 12
Chris' dream was to play football when he grew up, and
he did, in England. He found though that after an
injury, music was his real passion. He performs "I'll
be" by Edwin McCain, one of my favourite songs! It's
good, but I wish it were a bit better (Side note: It's
a shame the singers don't get a chance to sing the
entire song.)
Usher: 4 "great voice"
Judd: 3
Stein: 4 "great connection with the audience"
Zappa: 2
Total: 13
Vote! Vote! Arsenio first points out that the judges
were really mean tonight and he'll be crying when he's
done. And the winner is... "Norah Jones! See, wouldn't
that be really easy?" No, not really. It's actually
Chris, by a count of 28 to 23.
See you next Wednesday, when the guest judge will be
from the casts of In Living Color, Living Single, and
*CELEBRITY MOLE HAWAII*, Kim Coles! Sounds
mole-licious to me!!
Well, up here in Canada it's spring break. Most of the
students I work with are currently on holidays
somewhere warm. I, on the other hand, am in lovely
picturesque Sackville, New Brunswick, on the East Coast
of Canada at my old university doing some visiting.
And I even found someone to tape the show for me - I
have really nice friends, what can I say!
Arsenio warms up the audience by telling them that he
is the Don King of the digits. He actually inquires as
to what would happen if he asked for the digits before
the performers came on - and the jumbotron operator
responds with "Hit yourself with the digits"! I can see
there's good humour on the staff, which is always a
good thing (as Martha would say).
Tonight's guest judge is from Living Single and In
Living Color, Kim Coles. Kim instantly starts begging
Arsenio not to show her star search appearance -
because she "had big hair and it was the eighties!"
Arsenio responds that he won't because he respects her
work too much.
Okay, that confirms it. She's the mole.
JUNIOR SINGER
Tatiana McConnico, 13, Atlanta GA
Molly Bouchard, 12, Caribou ME
Tatiana plans to study performing and culinary arts in
college, because if the singing doesn't work out, she
can always become a cook! She sings Regina Belle's "If
I could". My French friend Leticia states that she
doesn't like her voice. And it almost seems like she
speaks part of the song, but it picks up near the end.
Still could have been stronger though.
Judd: 4 "you take the cake"
Stein: 4 "not going to need your fallback"
Zappa: 4 "big and powerful"
Coles: 5 "amazing and wonderful"
Total: 17
All the boys on Molly's little league team said she
couldn't play, but she proved them wrong. She sings
"Journey to the Past" from "Anastacia". She's got a
really nice voice, but I question the song choice -
maybe she should have picked something a little more
well known?
Judd: 4 "song was appropriate"
Stein: 3 "voice faltered occasionally"
Zappa: 4 "don't listen to him (Stein)"
Coles: 4 "magic in you"
Total: 15
America, you're the fifth judge! Go vote! And you
did, and the vote goes to - wait, we have a tie! But
unfortunately it doesn't have much suspense as the tie
is broken by audience vote, and with a simple
calculation it is easy to see that Molly is the winner
in the public vote 16-14, complete with her dress which
she bought online...
YOUNG DANCER
"24/VII" Alicia (20), Jordan (17), Kupono (16), Jay Jay
(19), Orlando (20), Honolulu HI
"3D" Heather, Quinn, Tara, Phoenix AZ
24/VII is happy to get their chance on star search.
They look like they're from Russian late nite
television with their outfits. Don't get me wrong; I'm
not saying they're bad, but it's just that they're
bizarre!
Stein: 5 "creative/brilliant"
Zappa: 4 "the natives are restless!"
Coles: 4 "production values"
Judd: 4 "pizzazz, razzmatazz, and all that jazz" (dear
me, this women would clean up in scrabble...)
Total: 17
3D used to have star search sleepovers. Their dads
were Ed McMahon, their moms were the judges who would
give them five stars...
WAIT A MINUTE!!
Now don't get me wrong. I like this show - it pays
homage to its roots... but this time there was a bit of a
mix-up. There were four judges on the old show, who
could give up to *FOUR* stars each. Should I bring
this up with CBS then Gordon?
(Gordongram - You mean that it's possible that CBS may do some REVISIONIST HISTORY????? I'm SHOCKED! Absolutely SHOCKED - not.
Oh yeah, the dancers - a little too traditional, which
will probably hurt them in long run.
Stein: 4 "capable"
Zappa: 3 "talent"
Coles: 3 "fun and funky"
Judd: 3 "I'm a double D" (groan)
Total: 13
PLACE BETS NOW!! C'MON!! Your bet is... 24/VII with a
final score of 33 against 3D's 27.
COMEDIAN
Jeff Burhart, 32, Houston TX
Sonya White, 37, Chicago IL
Jeff often got hassled by drunk rednecks in bars.
We'll see what happens tonight then. He talks about
the show being live, Cousin Eddie from the "Vacation"
movies, and Ozzy Osbourne.
Zappa: 3 "weird"
Coles: 3 "your Cousin Eddie was more like Rodney
Dangerfield then your Rodney Dangerfield was"
Judd: 4 "more open mike nites for you"
Stein: 4 "personally lively"
Total: 14
Sonia feels she's in a male dominated world. She
laughs about horse announcing at the red lobster,
buying dogs, and Mr. Ed, Edith and Archie in Old Navy
ads. She's also got a really grating voice.
Zappa: 3 "appropriate"
Coles: 4 "you're my sister"
Judd: 5
Stein: 3
Total: 15
And to the winner goes the spoils, and it's Sonya,
32-26.
ADULT SINGER
Freedom Bremner, 34, Washington DC
Jessica Sands, 25, Olympia WA
Freedom had a gun pointed at him one night - but
thankfully he was not shot at. He says it has changed
him. He sings "Long Train Running" by the Doobie
Brothers. He really has good voice, rhythm, etc... And
he seems very comfortable. But what's with the
background?
Coles: 5 "free"
Judd: 5 "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Stein: 5 "fabulous"
Zappa: 5 "rocked us all"
PERFECT 20!!!! HOORAY!!!
Jessica's parents got divorced when she was seven. Her
Dad helped her get her start in Nashville. She sings
"I can't stand the rain". I have one thing to say:
Look at her hips, they hip-notize me!
Thanks folks, I'm here all week, try the veal.
Her performance overall is not too bad.
Coles: 4 "feeling it"
Judd: 4 "splendid rendition"
Stein: 4 "fabulous"
Zappa: 4 "great"
Total: 16
Sing for your supper and vote! The singers came, sung
and conquered, but Freedom takes it in the end, 38-29.
See you on Friday for the second semi final!
And please note that the finals are 9/8Central next
week on Wednesday, as Survivor will be on Wednesday at
well (at 8/7C) because of the NCAA tournament.
It's the semi finals, and we're live! And 4 tickets to
next week's semi finals are on the line.
Tonight's guest judge, from *NSYNC, is Chris
Kirkpatrick.
Side note: Yeah, let's see if mr. ex-Britney Spears
ever decides to do this show and rick seeing his
performance from years ago...
JUNIOR SINGER
Ashlee Vaca/Ashley Argota/Molly Bouchard
Ashlee the first sings "Since I fell for you"/ She's
got some deep voice action going on today.
And she continues to belt it out during the entire
song. The audience loves her.
Judd: 4 "work on your pitch"
Stein: 3 "little much"
Zappa: 3 "very nervous"
Kirkpatrick: 4 "powerful voice"
Total: 14
Ashley the second sings Jessica Simpson's "I wanna love
you forever". Good stage presence, but
the voice seems a bit weak tonight. Bit scratchy too.
Judd: 4 "like Alice in Wonderland"
Stein: 3 "voice went flat"
Zappa: 5 "awesome"
Kirkpatrick:5 "hit every note right on"
Total: 17
Molly sings "A piece of sky" by Babs. Her voice seems
to flow quite easily, and it's easier on my
ears than the others. And it seems pretty consistent
throughout the song.
Judd: 4 "Broadway bound"
Stein: 4 "amazing"
Zappa: 5 "much better than Cats"
Kirkpatrick:4 "good stage presence"
Total: 17
Time for a snack break... And Molly defeats the
Ashleys! Molly scores 33, Ashley the second 31,
Ashlee the first 24.
YOUNG DANCER
Jordan and Tatiana/Stephen Boss/24 VII
Tatiana and Jordan are high energy as always. They
play to the audience quite well.
Stein: 3 "lively - not original"
Zappa: 5 "perfect"
Kirkpatrick: 4 "technically great"
Judd: 4 "loved ya"
Total: 16
Stephen - the robot - is back. And he can still move
like he's a ball of playdoh. He ends with a
wonderful headstand.
Stein: 4 "awesomely good"
Zappa: 5 "kicked it up a notch"
Kirkpatrick: 5 "made it look so easy"
Judd: 5 "defy gravity"
Total: 19
24-VII is performing a more traditional selection this
evening, and they seem to be going
somewhat for more sex appeal too. It's better than
Wednesday, me thinks.
Stein: 5 "best thing I've seen on TV since Bush won"
Zappa: 4
Kirkpatrick: 4 "originality"
Judd: 4 "delightful to watch"
Total: 17
Time to punch someone's dance card into the finals, and
the lucky recipient is Stephen with a
score of 34. 24-VII logs in at 31; Jordan and Tatiana
29.
COMEDIANS
Horace HB Sanders/Steven Scott/Sonja White
HB talks about dumb questions, meeting with strangers,
and shopping with a woman.
Zappa: 4 "very reliable"
Kirkpatrick: 4 "been at the mall"
Judd: 4
Stein: 4 "giant improvement from last time"
Total: 16
Steven talks about the US anthem ending a tv day, tv
snow and Spanish language tapes. And he's
smiling!
Zappa: 2 "are you doing stand-up comedy?"
Kirkpatrick: 3 "pretty funny"
Judd: 3 "greatly improvement"
Stein: 3
Total: 11
Sonja yakks about undergarments, her mama and army
sergeants.
Zappa: 3
Kirkpatrick:4 "visions" (?)
Judd: 3 "like a sitcom without the tv"
Stein: 2 "didn't get it"
Total: 12
Who is moving on... it's Horace with 30, Sonja has 27,
Steven has 22.
ADULT SINGER
Jennifer Slate Lee/Chris Barczynski/Freedom Bremner
Jennifer sings "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill. Nice
voice tonight, but at times there's a bit too
much theatrics. At times, I can see her tonsils.
Kirkpatrick: 4 "beautiful voice"
Judd: 4
Stein: 4 "God made you a star"
Zappa: 4 "I'll be buying your record soon"
Total: 16
Chris sings Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive". It's not bad,
but it seems forced tonight and his voice
grates a bit. Looks nervous though.
Kirkpatrick: 3 "good stage presence"
Judd: 4 "don't hide behind guitar"
Stein: 3
Zappa: 3 "Jovi, you're not, brother (Chris: Not tryin'
to be!)"
Total: 13
Freedom sings "If you love someone" by Sting. Really
good tonight, just like Wednesday. But
what's with the hair?
Kirkpatrick: 5 "you're a star"
Judd: 5 "don't stop, don't stop, don't stop!"
Stein: 5 "rocked the his-ouse"
Zappa: 5 "like to watch a professional"
PERFECT 20!!
Can Freedom march to the finals? Yes he does, with 36
stars. Jennifer scores 29, Chris finishes
third with 24.
So are finals look like this:
JUNIOR SINGER: David Archuleta vs. Molly Bouchard
COMEDIAN: Robert Rothstein vs. Horace HB Saunders
YOUNG DANCER: Jon Cruz vs. Stephen Boss
ADULT SINGER: Chantele Doucette vs. Freedom Bremner
And the final guest judge will be Leanne Rimes!
Wow, we've got some excitement coming our
way. And remember, the finals are Wednesday at NINE pm
eastern next week.
