Idol Chatter & Voice Views

In the span of an hour, American Idol introduced us to 11 more Hollywood-bound contestants Wednesday night, though we met some for little more than a heartbeat.

Two teens — Shannon Berthiaume and Hannah Mrozak — were among the most impressive.

And the night’s show-closer was a voice from The Voice, Mark Andrew, who appeared on Season 4 of Idol’s NBC rival. You can learn more about Mark here.

* Shannon Berthiaume, 17, St. Paul, Minn.: Our first auditioner of the night says she sings all the time, that it’s just about all she’s good at, but that she doesn’t sing in front of people that much. In fact, she backed out of a talent show for fear she’d be laughed at. But she says you can’t be afraid to chase your dreams, so she finds herself in front of the Idol judges singing “House of the Rising Sun.” Shannon has a big voice, but she’s oversinging a bit. Jennifer calls her a “crazy artist in the best and most beautiful way.” Keith likes her “raw talent.” And Shannon is off to Hollywood.

Kemil Casey, 19, nanny, Buffalo, Minn.: In addition to being a nanny, this guy is a dancer and singer and carries around a golden microphone. He says it makes him feel more comfortable. He’ll audition with “Human Nature.” News flash: The golden microphone isn’t helping. Harry Connick calls him oddly entertaining. Says Keith: “The vocals aren’t there.”

Next, we get a quick introduction to three young ladies who get golden tickets.
Morgan Ovens, 24, professional organizer, Venice, Calif.: She says “my whole life I’ve been doing music. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve never had a Plan B.”
Gabrielle Noe’l, 23, leasing sales manager, Minneapolis, Minn.
Courtney Guns, 23, bartender, Bemidji, Minn.

Vanessa Andrea, 25, stay-at-home-mom, Minot, N.D.: Our next singer is from California, but is living in North Dakota because her husband is in the Air Force. She also had three young children, all age 3 or younger. She’s anxious to meet Keith Urban; she says his concert was the first she ever went to and she cried the whole time. She auditions with “Some Kind of Wonderful.” Keith said the song suited her perfectly. Jennifer thought she was great and showed a lot of confidence. And Vanessa gets three yes votes to advance.

Zach Johnson, 20, student, Fargo, N.D.: He’ll sing “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” a country tune. And Zach immediately shows off a nice, deep tone. We’ve heard several talented female country singers so far in Season 14, but not as many talented country guys. Harry loves his energy. Keith likes his voice. And he’s another Hollywood-bound contestant. Two weeks after his audition, Zach showed up at a Keith Urban concert and got to sing with the Idol judge.

Aaron Bissell, 17, student, Cedar Rapids, Iowa: We meet him for just a second. He performs in coffee houses. Next, he’ll be performing in Hollywood.

Cindy Jo Scholer, 26, pre-K teacher, North Branch, Minn: Here’s a young woman who loves hunting and the outdoors and wants to transfer her confidence from those activities to the American Idol stage. She auditions with “Crazy.” Another big voice. But she isn’t showing a lot of control. In spite of that, she advances to Hollywood by a 2-1 vote, with Jennifer Lopez being the only “no.”

Jacob Tolliver, 20, performer, Portsmouth, Ohio: This guy is performing in Las Vegas with a show called “Million Dollar Quartet.” He’s the understudy for the person who plays Jerry Lee Lewis. He says he’s been practicing on the piano every day for hours. “America better be ready for me,” he says. Then he plops behind a piano and launches into “Whole Lotta Shaking Going On.” The piano playing is better than the singing. And he ends with “Great Balls of Fire.” The Idol judges aren’t overly impressed with the imitation. Jacob returns to the piano and sings a snippet of “Stay with Me.” And he advances unanimously.

Hannah Mrozak, 16, student, Richfield, Wisc.: She sings “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James. She shows a lot of confidence for someone so young. Another big voice, too. Jennifer says she “can’t believe you’re 16.” Keith calls her “amazing.” Another unanimous golden ticket recipient.

Mark Andrew, 29, landscape foreman, Minn.: This guy is a former contestant on The Voice and has some impressive original music. He works in his family’s landscaping business and notes that he’s in his final year of eligibility for Idol. He’ll audition with “Soul Shine.” Keith asks for a second song and he launches into “Be Like You” from The Jungle Book. Jennifer likes the pleasant tone of his voice. And he also advances with three yes votes.