... dary.

For American Idol, Dallas holds a special place. It was here where the first Idol, Kelly Clarkson, was discovered. The question now, eight years later... Who's next?

ARLINGTON
Cowboys Stadium

Joining 11,000 of the most eager people that the Dallas audition had to offer are Neil Patrick Harris (day 1), known for his stage-singing as well as his roles on "Doogie Howser, MD" and "How I Met Your Mother", and Joe Jonas (day 2), known for being one-third of the charttopping Jonas Brothers.

But first, we install Neil into the panel. His goal is to make two or three dozen people cry. One of them could very well be ANOTHER season 1 Idol vet... Julie Kevelighan (28; Fort Worth; college student). She doesn't believe in giving up. She's going to try one more time, with more lessons under her belt. She'll do "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles. And eight years later, it's good to know that some things never change. Julie's still terrible. And the judges are still giving her the business.

Julie... No means no... It's time to leave now... bye. Bye... Bye...

Dallas has delivered for the ladies by the time lunch rolls around. Will the guys score with Lloyd "Big Succsexy" Thomas (29; dock worker) and his story of growing up in the projects? He's going to sing "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder... and the panel's overjoyed. "Big Succsexy" is a big success. That's a good song, a good voice, and a good message. It's also good enough for a sweep.

As the day goes by, Neil and Simon have a little disagreement. Will Kimberly Carver (26; Denton; school teacher) keep the peace with an original? Well, she's got the voice, but I would've gone with something a little more believable. Simon agrees with me, as he's not interested. And Neil... agrees with Randy. He was interested. Kara sides with... the guys, who say this is a singing show. It's a 3-1 split, and Kimberly wins a golden ticket.

Dexter Ward (20; Terrell; unemployed) says that the show is over, because he's the next America's... Idol. We'll see about that. His song: Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love". .... and the show continues. Just... wrong. All over. Randy says that it looks like it hurt. And he's hurt... a lot.

Next up after the break, Erica Rhodes (23; Irving; grad student), who you may remember as... a kid on "Barney & Friends". She was innocent, sweet, and child-like. Well, she's all growed up now, and ready to hang with Barney & Sadomasochistic Friends. Hey, with a whip! She's going to sing "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue... and she incorporated the whip. Well, thank God for impressions. Nevermind Simon's dirty dreams. It seems like she's doing her role model Janet proud. She is who she is and she makes no apologies. She has a whip and a sweep.

I'd let her do things... Sorry, what were we talking about?

Last up for the day is Dave Pittman (27; Mountain Home, AR; lawn care), who was diagnosed with Tourette's at an early age. He also likes to fish, and call it a miracle, but Tourette's seems to not faze him as he's singing. He'll prove it with "Bring It On Home" by Sam Cooke. He's got the whole blue-eyed soul thing going for him. Neil likes the voice. Simon thinks people are going to like him. He gets a sweep, and we end day 1 on a high. All in all, we send 14 to the next round.

Day 2 begins with Joe Jonas joining the judges for another jam session. First in the room is Todrick Hall (24; actor/playwright), who was with Fantasia in "The Color Purple". He wrote this one just for the room... and true to the lyrics, Simon is indeed unimpressed. But the voice is there. Randy likes it. Joe thinks he's got star power. Simon says he's a nice guy, but he's unimpressed. But he's got a sweep. Joining him: Dawntoya Thomason, Stephanie Daulong, and... Maegan Wright (20; Richardson; cosmetologist)? She's doing this for her brother. She'll sing "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan... and the judges feel her, especially near the end of her piece. Simon says that she's not trying too hard. It's a sweep!

Vanessa Johnston (22; Waxahachie; substitute teacher) is super optimistic. Will that help her with "At Last" by Etta James? In a word... no. Even better.. it's FOUR no's!

Last up, Christian Spear (16; Houston; student/hostess), who was diagnosed with leukemia on her fourth birthday. She's an eight-year-survivor. So this audition should be cake for her. She sings "All I Could Do Is Cry" by Etta James. Very mature voice for her age. Randy was impressed. Joe saw a lot of confidence. Simon thought she was very brave. This can only end one way... a full house. Joining her on the road to Hollywood: 16 others, making it a grand total of 31.

But will Dallas send us the next American Idol? Stay tuned. Next up... a trip to the Mile High City.

For more info on the Dallas auditions, and to see this episode in its entirety, go to www.americanidol.com.