by Kylene Hamulak

 

A lot has changed for Season 12 of American Idol, and a lot has stayed the same. As auditions kick off in New York City, Ryan promises us new voices, new stories, and new hope...which kinda sounds like every other season of every other talent show, doesn't it? Ah, but Idol is different - we've got Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and, of course, Randy "The Dawg" Jackson to tell us what's what!

 

So what IS what in New York City? Here are the hits, the misses, and the best moments of the first auditions!

 

 

HITS:

 

Tenna Torres - 28

When she was younger, Tenna attended Camp Mariah, where she actually sang for Mariah Carey. Tonight, her rendition of "You've Got A Friend" gets her through to Hollywood unanimously. Memorable moment: Tenna brought along photos from her moment meeting her idol, and Mariah asks for her own copy of it.

 

Shira Gavrielov - 23  

I can hear the blogs blowing up already with talk of Shira, who has not only cut an album but also had a #1 hit single in Israel. Is she good enough for Hollywood? Of course. I wonder, though - if Israel can send us their one-hit wonders, does that mean we can get rid of some of ours? I've got a list I'd like to deport.

 

Christina "Isabelle" - 21

Having struggled with weight earlier in life, Christina stands before the judges to deliver a gorgeous rendition of "Summertime" that earns her a trip to Hollywood and encouragement to be confident. I hope that means someone will explain why her last name is listed as "Isabelle" at some point.

 

Frankie Ford - 24

Frankie sings on the train to make money. His audition starts strong, he sounds good, then...he...stops. He explains that he gets nervous and composes himself, and when he does? In the words of our judges, he's got "an inner glow" and a story to tell. He's on his way to Hollywood, where he promises to work hard.

 

Angela Miller - 18

With 40% hearing loss in her left ear, and 20% loss in right, Angela still sings better than a lot of people who have full hearing. After her rendition of "Mama Knows Best," Nicki said Angela made her feel something in her soul, Keith complimented her movement, and Mariah thought she had great tone - it's a unanimous yes, and she's on her way to Hollywood. "She's got REAL po-tential," Randy says.

 

 

Sarah Restuccio - 17

She may be from the Garden State, but she's no Jersey girl! Sarah is a country girl doing all the "redneck" things usually reserved for the girls who audition in the south - farmin', huntin', and listenin' to country music. She sings "Mama's Song" before throwing a little a "Superbass" down to impress Nicki. And everyone else.

 

Gurpreet Singh Sarin - 22

Matching his turban with every outfit, Gurpreet is also known as "The Turbanator." Honestly, I was hoping he was going to suck so that I wouldn't have to learn how to spell his name, but he was one of my favorites of the night, singing "Sunday Morning." Though Randy and Mariah both say yes, Keith doesn't think his voice stands out enough to continue to Hollywood - his fate lies with Nicki. "I think we're both very vibrant people," Gurpeet tells her. "I actually have a marigold turban, like your hair."  She sends him to Hollywood.

 

Ashlee Feliciano - 20

I know when Idol is trying to tug at my heart strings and exploit a touching backstory. It's like Hallmark holiday movies. I know I'm emotionally compromised, but I let it happen anyway. So when Ashley came along with her beautiful family, fostering medically complex children (including an absolutely precious little boy who looks like the Jerry MacGuire kid), I fell right into it. Plus she's a Connecticut girl, so you always pull for the hometown contestant, right? No need for all the extras though - singing "Put Your Records On", she sounds beautiful. Perfect? Maybe not. But damn good enough to go to Hollywood.

 

 

MISSES:

 

James Bae, 15, wants to be a star like Justin Bieber. His rendition of "One Less Lonely Girl" sounded like a dramatic reading of a note someone intercepted in 4^th period Algebra class.

 

Rozanna Shindelman, 21, only sings for her parents...and she when breaks that rule, we can tell WHY she only sings for her parents.

 

Albert Chang, 25, confesses, "I have no idea who the judges are on American Idol." He started singing "Phantom of the Opera," which quickly turned into what I can only assume was some sort of unannounced animal impression. Dying animal, from the sounds of it. "Your range is even better than Mariah's!" exclaims Nicki. Eek.

 

 

Brett Holt, 28, has auditioned seven times for the show. SEVEN. My advice? Don't try to make it eight.

HIGHLIGHT MOMENTS:

First Prematurely Eliminated Contestant: "One-legged tap dancer" Evan Ruggiero, 21, seemingly had everything you could ask for in an Idol contestant. Guitar? Check. Faint resemblance to James Marsden? Check. Dramatic cancer backstory where he beats the odds - TWICE - and loses a leg but not his sense of humor? Check. Even his voice is pretty good - but the judges just don't think he's ready to be a star. I'm surprised - I was already brainstorming clever nicknames for his fan base.

 

Best Performance by An Article of Clothing: Benjamin Gaisey's bright red PLASTIC suit leftover from Halloween a few years ago. The damn suit was LOUD. Like, not only because it's bright red, I mean you could literally hear the squeegee sound with every move he made. And that squeegee sound was actually the best part of his performance.

Unexpected Inspirational Quote of the Night: Randy surprised Jessica Kartalis, 19, at her small town gig on Staten Island after she was nominated by her mom for the show. Her audition is a little rough, and the judges encourage her to grow a little before coming into the competition. "It'll never be your only shot until YOU decide it's your only shot," says Nicki. It's so frustrating when she makes sense.

 

Biggest surprise of the night: Mariah using the word "rebuke" in the correct context. As in, "if she (Nicki) calls me something that begins with a B and ends in an 'itch', I rebuke it." Well done, Mariah.

 

Fun Facts: If the music thing hadn't worked out, Nicki wanted to drive a bus. Like, a CITY bus. Also, when she's nervous, she speaks in a British accent. And by nervous, she apparently means whenever she fancies, since, after appearing during Albert Chang's audition, it just sort of stuck around.

 

What did you think of the new judges? Who stood out for you tonight? Let us know in the comments below!

 

 

Catch American Idol every Wednesday and Thursday at 8/7C on Fox!

 

(Image courtesy of Fox)

 

 

Follow Kylene on Twitter @keepingupwithky