Auditions: Montreal/Regina/St. Johns/Toronto -
June 5
Thus far, we've been through 4
cities, and 81 hopefuls have their gold tickets. Today, we go through another
4. How will this next set of auditions go?
Montréal, QC
We start this set at Montréal,
which, as Ben says, is known for its history, culture, and architecture, but
it's also been home to quite a few bands that have emerged in the past few
years, such as Simple Plan and the Arcade Fire. So, who knows; maybe the next
Canadian Idol will come from this city? We'll see...
Marie-Soleil McPhee (17;
Pincourt), who calls herself Sunshine, starts things off, and I'm pretty sure
she's not related to Katharine McPhee (runner-up from this year's American
Idol). And after hearing her, I'm rather certain of it. She says she had been
taking singing classes for 2 years, but the judges don't like what they heard
anyway. Andrew Chevrier (25) brings his own mic, and his rendition of Bohemian
Rhapsody is, well, loud. That screaming won't work. Louisa Abbacha (18) also
doesn't sing well enough, but that doesn't stop her from thinking she's the
best. Delusional, are we?
Anna-Belle Oliva (20) lost her
brother in a fire about a year ago, and it was the worst feeling of her life,
but she says he would have wanted her to not just sit at the TV forever, so this
is kinda like a rebirth for her. She sings really well, and the judges approve,
with Jake saying she could go really far in the competition. So, she gets the
first gold ticket of this episode! Meanwhile, Julia Nguyen (25) may have style,
but her singing seems a bit dull. And that starts a montage of bad singers, and
in the middle of it, we see that some tried dancing a bit to try to impress the
judges. But they're having none of it, and it's starting to take its toll on
them.
Unfortunately for George
Bekiaris (22; Laval), this is where he comes in. He sings okay; not too good,
but not too bad, either. Sass says that he has a nice voice, but Zack says that
he's "too unattractive to go through". Jake said that he wouldn't care about
his looks if he was the best singer. Zack asks him what he'd vote if George
sang like he did, but looked like Kalan Porter, and Jake says no, citing that he
doesn't like the way he sings. Zack then makes a comment about people being
afraid, and Jake starts yelling. Oh, boy... Thankfully, Sass calms things
down, before calling for a vote. Farley says yes, but both Jake and Zack say
no, so George is out. While chatting with Ben, he says he has no idea what just
happened.
Anna Meer (19) has an
interesting look, but when she tries singing Bohemian Rhapsody, she's quiet, but
she can't seem to get through it; she has some trouble remembering the words.
And each time she stops, she starts over from the beginning. Jake says she
doesn't have to, though. But then, the judges say they need to take a break,
and Zack offers Anna his seat while she waits and reads the lyrics on a sheet
she brought with her over again. And it took so long, that Ben fell asleep!
Nonetheless, Anna tries again, using the sheet this time, but with the judges
singing along! Well, she may not get a ticket, but that last bit had to be fun
for her!
Amy Török (28; Oshawa, ON)
sings alright, but will it be enough? There's a bit of negotiation within the
judges, but it eventually results in her getting a gold ticket! Alissa White-Gluz
(20) is a singer in a heavy metal band, and we hear some of that band's music.
But she says she does have a diverse taste in music, so for her audition, she
tries some Bohemian Rhapsody (seems to be a popular song in this city's
auditions). Zack and Jake say yes, but Sass says no. Then, after Jake says he
wants to call it in for the day, Farley says yes, and Alissa has her ticket!
And in the end, 22 auditioners from Montréal will be headed to the next round,
bringing the total to 103!
Regina, SK
On to the cold, flat city of
Regina, where we hope the singing is anything but flat. Auditions here took
place at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, where the hopefuls were greeted
by Premier Lorne Calvert. With that, things get rolling with Cecil Armistead
(26), a.k.a. Johnny Rockstar. He has apparently tried this before 2 years ago,
and after screeching out a tune, the result is the same here: no ticket.
Dusty Hunter (23; Shaunavon) is
shown farming, playing hockey, and eating dinner with his family. He mentions
at one point that once, he caught a goalie stick in his right eye! Yeouch. His
family wanted him to take a shot at this, so here he is, and he does rather
well. The judges vote yes, and he has a gold ticket! Ashley Pachkowsky (19;
Saskatoon) can't seem to find somebody to love her, while Matt Davis (20;
Kerrobert) sings loudly and, well, not so good. Helene Hewitt (28; Sherwood
Park, AB) is a teacher; she doesn't do too good, but when asked to sing "Wheels
on the Bus", she actually does better! No ticket for her, but she does say she
may have a deal to make a children's record.
Samara Yung (18; Yorkton) is
next, but before she starts, Zack says even if she burps in tune, he'll vote
yes! We don't hear her singing, though, but we see that she doesn't have a
ticket. Marlie Collins (16; Saskatoon) tries to sing, and she says she can, but
the judges buzz her out. Shea MacNaughton (26; Weyburn) wants to start with a
Jewel song, but we don't see it happen. Sarah Maduck (19; Saskatoon) spins
around a bit, but isn't a good singer. Lana Brix (28; Fallis, AB) causes Jake
to stand up and stretch his arms, and Zack to fall out of his seat. Charity
Christie (27) is told by the judges to "say goodbye". And Zack has the weirdest
feeling that they've been hearing people singing badly for 4 years.
Can Tyler Lewis (19; Rockglen)
turn things around? He says he has a good voice, and he backs it up with a nice
rendition of "Heartbreak Hotel". The judges say yes, though Sass says to change
those pants. Either way, Tyler is moving on to the next round! And he is one
of only 5 hopefuls to get gold tickets in Regina, increasing the overall count
to 108!
St. John's, NL
From the Prairies to the
Maritimes, we head to St. John's, the easternmost city in North America. Rex
Goudie (runner-up from last year's Canadian Idol) made it through from this city
last year; can someone here eventually go one step further than him? We start
by seeing a group of dancers do their thing. And Jackie French (20; Mount
Pearl) starts the singing with a voice that's good... at "steering ships clear
from the harbour", as Ben says.
Brandon Jones (16; Quispamsis,
NB) played a nerd in a high school musical back in New Brunswick, and though
Jake says his voice needs to be more open and dynamic, the judges say he has a
lot of talent, and he could go far in the competition. With that, Brandon gets
a ticket! Jennifer Purchase (18) tries a song from last year's winner, Melissa
O'Neil, but it didn't exactly work out for Jennifer. Holly Nelson (25) enters,
wearing a unique dress, and though she does okay, it's not good enough to get a
gold ticket.
After another montage of
hopefuls being rejected, Craig Sharpe (16; Upper Island Cove) tries to impress 3
of the judges (Farley had to step out for a bit), and it works out, as even
though he has the flu, Sass says she has something for it... A gold ticket!
He'll be one of 8 singers from St. John's heading to the next round! Total gold
ticket count at this point: 116.
Now, for a segment from Elena
Juatco; this time, she talks with potential contestants about what they think of
Ben. Apparently, they really like him. But at one point, when she asks someone
to pick 3 words to describe her, that person admits to not recognizing the name.
Okay...
Toronto, ON
More than 3,000 hopefuls came
here for their shot at a gold ticket, but it's been a few years since someone
from this city made it to the Top 10. Ashley Boucher (17; Oshawa) would like to
break that streak, but her voice begins to flatline (literally), much like her
chances of moving on. Ashley Wynter (20; Oakville) sings like it may be her
first time, Aldo Parise (28; Bolton), while singing, looks like he's guiding
planes at an airport, Joy Chapman (19) tries something that Ben describes as
"techno-gospel", and we see others who have been rejected. Iryna Chorna (23;
Thornhill) sings slowly. Rob Gardiner (17; Trenton) looks like a cowboy, and
sings like one, too. That prompts Zack to pull out a fire extinguisher. How
appropriate, as Rob's hopes have been extinguished.
And that starts a series of
interesting comments and acts from Zack to those who get rejected. Henry
Stratigacos (23) tries his best, despite Zack riding a wheeled trunk across the
floor. Phillip Fournier (18) gets a parting gift from Zack; the judges'
cookies! And as one other hopeful sings, the guys get out an extension cord,
and use it as a jump rope! Chanell Kodar (25) wasn't expecting Farley to wheel
a bin (with Zack inside) in front of her, but that's what happens! Nico
Hinesini (21; Woodbridge) gets the message spelled out to him, using the prop
letters on the floor that spell out TORONTO; NOT! Ah, the silliness...
Unfortunately for Michelle
Bataclan (16; Scarborough), by the time she enters, the silliness has worn off.
The judges just say no to her; ditto for Annie Huynh (25) and Gabby Cosco (24;
Sioux Lookout). Floydd Ricketts (21; London) does terrible, and even though he
wants to try another song, Zack says no.
Now, for another "wrong place,
wrong time" moment. Dave Espeut (18; Bowmanville) doesn't sing too well, but
Zack, now seemingly frustrated at the recent wave of bad singers, walks over and
throws a garbage can at him! Okay, that may have been a bit much. But still,
he and Farley feel that a message needs to be sent, and they head out to tell
the remaining hopefuls who have yet to audition that they haven't seen any
potential from this place yet, and they want to see some good singers; beginners
need not apply.
Enter Jordan Robitaille (16;
Belleville). Despite the warning, he still feels confident. He does show a lot
of personality, but Farley isn't liking what he's hearing. The others do,
though, and Jordan gets a gold ticket! Still, though, Farley claims that Jake
doesn't see the lack of potential that he sees, and Jake is visibly upset at
this comment. As Jordan gets a hug from Zack, Jake walks off, knocking over a
few things while arguing with Farley. Uh oh... Jordan's not looking back,
though; he knows he's moving on.
The judges take some time to
cool off, then Johnny Nite (16) enters. He attempts "I Will Do Anything for
Love" by Meat Loaf, and though Zack says no, the others say yes, sending Johnny
Nite to the next round! Amanda MacKenzie (17; Whitby) sings rather well, and
again, Zack says no, but the others say yes, giving her a gold ticket! Those
two are among 21 who have auditioned in Toronto and obtained tickets to the next
round! So far, that makes a total of 137! And thankfully, the judges sing
together in the end, showing that they have gotten over the troubles they went
through here.
3 stops remain before we head
to the next round. Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Halifax have their own hopefuls to
audition; they show some interesting highs, and they're willing to sing until it
hurts, or until they're told to stop. We'll see how many more gold tickets get
handed out next week. |