American Idol Season 1 Finalist Jim Verraros Reaches Out to Fellow Idols

American Idol Season 1 finalist Jim Verraros is feeling a bit nostalgic.

In a blog post on his myspace page, Jim, who has released two CDs and appeared in several movies, including the relative DVD hit Eating Out, laments that he has not kept in touch with his fellow finalists from the first year of the show.

Here's what Jim had to say...

I guess for some reason, I've been reminiscing a lot about my former Idol Gang: RJ Helton, Christina Christian, EJay Day, Justin Guarini, Tamyra Gray, Nikki McKibbin, Ryan Starr, AJ Gil, and Kelly Clarkson. Half of these people I haven't spoken to in YEARS. It's been six seasons since we were all the American Idol Top Ten. It's crazy how much we've all grown up, how much we've changed and unfortunately, grown apart.

I remember the last tour stop in Seattle, Washington...how we all promised not to lose touch after it all came to an end...but, things happen. People go off in different directions, tackle different opportunities that come their way, and that's life.

I thanked them all in my album liner notes when my record came out in 2005. And I hope they read what I had to say; because I meant every word. In fact, I still do. Very much.

More than anything, though...I wanted to try and reach out to as many as I could today, browsing through their Myspace Profiles and writing them "I miss you" messages. Whether they'll write back, I don't know. But, I wanted to do something to let them know that they were on my mind, and that no matter where life takes us, we all shared something so amazing together. Something only a handful of people will ever get to experience.

We were the trailblazers. The originals, and guinea pigs. And in my opinion, no matter who goes on to win season 7,8 or 9...there will be only one true Idol. Kelly. And I hope she knows that.

A lot of this has sort of spiraled from American Idol re-airing on the CW network...and I can't tell you how strange it is to actually re-watch some of that footage five years ago.

Even though American Idol has turned into a "ratings juggernaut," I wouldn't trade my season for anyone else's. Being in that group of ten was the best thing that ever happened to me. And no matter what anyone says, that group of nine are the most amazingly talented and good hearted people that will ever appear on Idol. Take my word for it.

We've struggled harder than any other season of competitors have on American Idol. But, when we do achieve success, it tastes so much sweeter than it would have any other way.

I hope everyone's doing well. What has everyone else been up to these days? Fill me in.

Love You Always,

Jim

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Idol Casting News: Jennifer Hudson, Anwar Robinson Find New Projects

You can't keep a good Idol down!

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson is in final negotiations to join the cast of the Sex and the City movie as Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) assistant. This is a great opportunity for the Dreamgirl, since the film is sure to have massive publicity.

Meanwhile, Season 4 finalist Anwar Robinson will join the touring cast of Rent this fall in the role of Tom Collins. He will be joined on the tour by Heinz Winckler, who won the South African version of the show.

Speaking of Rent, there is a very candid interview with Season 1 finalist Tamyra Gray, who is currently starring as Mimi in the Broadway version of the show, up at Broadway.com. She talks about being back on Broadway, Kelly Clarkson, and how she never wanted to win Idol. Click here for the interview -- it's a good read (if I do say so myself!)

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Sources: Variety, Playbill.com

Theater Notes: Spring Awakening, Grease, and Tamyra Gray

Summer is generally a pretty slow time for theater in New York, but there's still a few exciting things going on worth noting:

-I caught Spring Awakening, the recipient of 8 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), again this past weekend. I had seen the show when it played Off-Broadway last year, and saw the show a few times when it was in previews, so I was excited to see how it was holding up about 6 months into it's run. I'm happy to report it is as good, if not better, than ever. The music is so incredibly beautiful, and the lyrics become more meaningful with each additional listen. The actors, meanwhile, seem to have found new nuances that make the show's story of adolescent sexual repression and the dangers of parents not being honest with their children resonate even deeper.

Tony winner John Gallagher, as tortured soul Mortiz, has definitely amped up the angst, and while he is slightly more affected than he was earlier in the run, it's still a very powerful performance. Lea Michele is as effective as ever as the ill-fated Wendla, but it's Jonathan Groff who really stands out as the rebellious Melchior. His singing voice is superb, and his acting is nothing short of sensational -- he's funny, he's moving, and he's gorgeous! If you can, catch this show while the three young stars-to-be are still around. Click here to buy tickets.

-Tickets for Grease, starring reality show winners Laura Osnes and Max Crumm, went on sale yesterday. After seeing these kids everywhere during the awards season it's a little hard to believe they just started rehearsals last week. I can't imagine the show is going to be anything but a trainwreck, but somehow it's a trainwreck I don't think I can avoid missing. Click here to purchase tickets.

-Finally, I revisited the old chestnut Rent last week to check out American Idol alum Tamyra Gray in the role of Mimi. While she is not giving the kind of tour de force performance Fantasia is giving in The Color Purple, she acquits herself quite nicely as the drug addicted, HIV-infected spitfire. If her acting leaves a little bit to be desired, her voice is sensational (she may be the best singer who has ever played the role) and her dancing is surprisingly powerful.

While Christopher Hanke as Mark disappointed a bit (bringing very little humor or charm to the role), the rest of the show is in fine shape -- Troy Horne makes an excellent Tom Collins, Nicolette Hart is a feisty (and loud!) Maureen, and Tonya Dixon brings an unexpected power to Joanne. Best of all, though, was understudy Luther Creek as Roger. Not only does he sing the hell out of the part, his subtle acting choices and rich inner life made me truly believe this guy had shut himself off from the world and was just biding his time until his death. As a result, songs that have at times bored me ("I Should Tell You," "Your Eyes") became incredibly emotional, as you watched this woman (Mimi) actually touch his soul and cause him to change and open himself up. Creek's performance was the heart of the show.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when original stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal return to their roles this summer. Will they seem too old, or will they bring a special energy to The Nederlander? Guess we'll have to wait and see...

Click here to buy tickets to Rent.

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Ranking the 4th Place Finishers

Now that we have gotten to the Top 4, rankings become much more subjective -- all of these contestants were great, it's now just a matter of personal taste. Remember, these rankings are determined on American Idol performances only, not on what the contestants have accomplished since their time on the show.

1. Tamyra Gray (Season 1)
Best Known For: Immersing herself in each week's theme; shocking elimination
Best Performance: "If I Were Your Woman," "A House is Not A Home," "Minnie the Moocher"
Worst Performance: Only one that was even remotely bad: "New Attitude"
Post-AI: Released a CD; appeared on "Boston Public" and in the movie The Gospel; appeared on Broadway in Bombay Dreams and will return as Mimi in Rent later this month



2. Latoya London (Season 3)
Best Known For: One of Season 3's Three Divas; soaring voice; shocking elimination
Best Performance: "All By Myself," "Somewhere"
Worst Performance: Nothing terrible, just a bit boring: "Ooh Baby Baby," "Love You Inside and Out"
Post AI: Released a CD; currently appearing in the Chicago production of The Color Purple as Celie's sister Nettie



3. Chris Daughtry (Season 5)
Best Known For: The show's first authentic rock contestant; shocking elimination
Best Performance: "Wanted, Dead or Alive," "Hemmorhage," "Walk the Line"
Worst Performance: "Innuendo"
Post AI: Debut CD still in the Top 10 nearly six months after it's release; joins Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood as one of the most successful former contestants



4. LaKisha Jones (Season 6)
Best Known For: Huge gospel voice; emotional backstory
Best Performance: "And I Am Telling You," "God Bless the Child," "This Ain't a Love Song"
Worst Performance: "Jesus Takes the Wheel"
Post AI: We'll see...



5. Josh Gracin (Season 2)
Best Known For: The show's first country contestant; being a marine
Best Performance: "I'll Be," "To Love Somebody"
Worst Performance: "Celebration"
Post AI: Released a successful country CD, featuring three Top 5 hits; new album in stores later this summer



6. Anthony Fedorov (Season 4)
Best Known For: His "born in Ukraine"/early childhood tracheotomy backstory
Best Performance: "I Surrender," "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
Worst Performance:
Post AI: Escorted Carrie Underwood to the ACM Awards; currently appearing Off-Broadway in The Fantasticks

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The Ten Most Shocking Results in American Idol History

Over the years, American Idol has supplied us with many shocking results. Here are my picks for the most surprising.

1. Tamyra Gray's elimination (Season 1)
We didn't even know shocking results were possible at this point in Season 1 -- we just assumed the two best singers (Kelly and Tamyra) would make it to the finals. Boy, were we wrong! I wish I had a photo of my face when the results were announced -- my jaw was literally on the floor.

2. Three Divas/Jennifer Hudson's elimination (Season 3)
No more needs be said about this one -- the looks on the faces of Latoya, Fantasia, and Jennifer said it all.

3. Latoya London's elimination (Season 3)
Jasmine instead of Latoya? Simply insane.

4. Chris Daughtry's elimination (Season 5)
Slightly less surprising than Tamyra and Latoya's ousters, simply because at this point in the show's run we knew surprising results were possible. Also contributing to the exit -- Elliott, who was presumed to be the most vulnerable, came out firing, and Chris suffered from dreaded voter compacency.

5. Ruben Studdard's first Bottom 2 appearance (Season 2)
Ruben's trip to the Bottom 2 caused Oprah to call her friend Gayle and proclaim "Girl, we need to start voting!" When Oprah is shocked, you know it's big.

6. Constantine Maroulis' elimination (Season 4)
Even though he was considered a favorite, his lackluster Nickleback cover made it less than mind boggling why the rocker got the boot.

7. Ruben Studdard winning over Clay Aiken (Season 2)
After "Bridge Over Troubled Water" I thought Clay had it in the bag. I still think if busy signals hadn't been a factor Clay would have been Season 2's champ.

8. Sabrina Sloan not making it into Top 12 (Season 6)
I'm still sore about this one -- the girl could sing! It only make it hurts more that she lost out on a spot due to Haley Scarnato.

9. Jim Verraros making it into Top 10 (Season 1)
Again, we didn't know what to expect back in Season 1, and Jim making into the Top 10 was just the first of several surprises.

10. Vanessa Olivarez' elimination (Season 2)
Vanessa was definitely not the worst during the Top 12 in Season 2 (I'd give that honor to Charles Grigsby or Julia DeMato), so her early ouster was nearly impossible to predict.

What do you think are the most shocking results in Idol history?

Ten Best 'Top 5' Performances of All Time

Yep, it's time once again to dig into Idol history and identify some of the best performances of all time. This time around, it's the Ten Best 'Top 5' Performances.

Click here to read Ten Best 'Top 6' Performances
Click here to read Ten Best 'Top 7' Performances
Click here to read Ten Best 'Top 8' Performances

The most famous runner-up tops this list, with two other runners-up and three winners also making the cut. This is also the first time that a contestant has had two songs on the list, and the recipient of this honor is not who you might expect it to be!

There were also so many good 'Top 5' performances that I decided to include a few more as honorable mentions. Enjoy...

1. Clay Aiken, "Solitaire"
This is one of those magical Idol performances, where everything -- singer, song, lighting, timing -- come together to create something truly memorable. Until Clay wrapped his golden vocals around this song, it was just an old Neil Sedaka chestnut. Once Clay got through with it, to paraphrase Mr. Sedaka himself, it was Clay's song forever. Truly astounding.

2. Tamyra Gray, "A House is Not a Home"
Simon called this performance one of the best that he had seen on television ever. While that may be a bit of an overstatement, there is no denying that Tamyra felt every single word of this Burt Bacharach classic, proving that she had the chops of a modern day Dionne Warwick. Bringing the audience, Paula Abdul, and herself to tears, Tamyra totally nailed it.

3. Carrie Underwood, "Bless the Broken Road"
Every once in a while a contestant gets the chance to sing a song that gives the audience an idea of what kind of music they will put out if/when they achieve success after the show. Giving an understated yet beautiful spin to this Rascal Flatts tune, Carrie did just that -- proving she more than had the chops to become a successful country music artist. With this performance she launched herself (and Rascal Flatts) into the stratosphere.

4. Katharine McPhee, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
What Carrie did for Rascall Flatts, Katharine did for KT Turnstall. Boldly performing the entire song from a kneeling position (something she would repeat a few weeks later with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"), Katharine flirted with the band members and the audience, and brought a youthful spark to this infectious tune. A perfect song choice and a near-perfect rendition.

5. Trenyce, "Proud Mary"
Trenyce must have known she didn't have a shot at cracking the Top 4 back in Season 2, but that didn't stop her from giving it her absoulte all on the classic Tina Turner song. What could have been karaoke-esque turned into a dazzling showcase for Trenyce's performance and vocal skills. She still got the boot, but this performance has lingered in the memory.

6. Latoya London, "Don't Rain on My Parade"
Latoya + Soaring high notes = Heaven. It's a hard song to do justice to, and Latoya just nailed it. Barbra Streisand, eat your heart out.

7. Fantasia, "What Are You Doing the Rest Of Your Life"
Speaking of Babs, Fantasia took on another of La Streisand's songs, and once again showed off her amazing interpretational skills. I mean, no one feels a song like Ms. 'Tasia. Dedicating this tearjerker of a song to her daughter, Fantasia left nary a dry eye in the house (in my house, at least).

8. Trenyce, "Love Will Keep Us Together"
Yes, surprisingly it is Trenyce who is the first performer to grab two spots on one list! Flirty and fun, Trenyce absolutely killed this song, making some wonder if they should have taken the one-named shoplifter more seriously earlier in the competition. Despite her strong one-two punch, it proved to be too little, too late.

9. Kelly Clarkson, "Walk on By"
Kelly has called this her least favorite Idol performance, but I love the way she showed off her lower register, wrapping her blues-y tones around the Burt Bacharach tune. I'd be lying, though, if I said that I haven't always wanted to hear her sing her original song choice for that evening, "Anyone Who Had a Heart." Now that would have been amazing.

10. Justin Guarini, "Look of Love"
How appropriate for Justin to sing about the "Look of Love," when he had been giving the camera that same gaze all season! Dressed, appropriately, in a flowy/hippie-esque shirt, this was Justin at his breeziest and sexiest. Easily one of his best performances.

Honorable Mentions:
Chris Daughtry, "Renegade"
Diana Degarmo, "Come On Get Happy"
Diana Degarmo, "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Kimberley Locke, "Where The Boys Are"
Latoya London, "Too Close for Comfort"
RJ Helton, "Best That You Can Do"

Tamyra Gray To Join Broadway Cast of Rent

I got this inside scoop this afternoon but had to wait until 12:01AM to post the story, but that time has come and I can now report that Season 1 American Idol finalist Tamyra Gray will be joining the Broadway cast of Rent in the role of Mimi Marquez beginning May 29. She will perform in the role through November 25.

This will be Tamyra's second Broadway gig, after having appeared in Bombay Dreams a few years ago.

Two months after Tamyra joins the show, original Rent stars Anthony Rapp (as Marc Cohen) and Adam Pascal (as Roger Davis) will re-join the cast for a six-week engagement (through September 9). Both also played their roles in the film version of the show.

Tamyra will be joining Fantasia and Anthony Fedorov, who are appearing on the New York stage in The Color Purple and The Fantasticks, respectively. Other Idol alumni who have hit the Great White Way are Diana Degarmo (Hairspray) and Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer).

To purchase tickets to Rent, click here.

Ten Best 'Top 6' Performances of All Time

Yep, it's time again to take a glance backward into Idol history, to choose the Ten Best 'Top 6' performances of all time. Each member of this list ended up in their season's respective Top 4 -- there are two former winners, four runners-up, and two third and two fourth place finishers.

(As a reminder, performances from the current season are not eligible for on any of these Ten Best lists)

Ten Best Top 7 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 7th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 8 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 8th Place Finishers
Ranking the 9th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 9 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 10th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 10 Performances of All Time
Ten Best Top 11 Performances of All Time
Ten Best First Finals Performances
Ten Best Semifinals Performances of All Time

1. Kelly Clarkson, "Stuff Like That There" (Season 1)
Words can't possibly do justice this iconic Idol performance that basically secured the title for Ms. C. Just when it seemed like Kelly had revealed all she had to offer, she came out and wowed the judges and audience alike with this show-stopping ditty. Transporting herself to a different age, Ms. C was sounded so good and was so charming, you couldn't help but fall in love with her. I know I did!

2. Elliott Yamin, "A Song For You" (Season 5)
There is a reason this is Elliott's signature song -- there is no one in the world (except, possibly, it's originator Donnie Hathaway) who sings it better. Handling the vocal runs like it was a walk in the park, Elliott transformed himself into a true contender for the title with this confident and beautifully sung performance. It was so good he recorded it on his recently released debut CD!

3. Tamyra Gray, "Minnie the Moocher" (Season 1)
Kelly may have stole the show during Season 1's Top 6, but Tamyra was a solid second best performing on this Cab Calloway tune. Looking like she just stepped out of the 1920's, she was incredible -- and she even scatted!

4. Bo Bice, "I Don't Wanna Be" (Season 4)
Singing a song that is playing on the radio is always a risk for Idol contestants, but Bo scoffed at the risk, delivering a totally credible (and enjoyable) version of the Gavin Degraw hit. He may not have nailed the high note at the end, but everything leading up to it was totally rockin'.

5. Justin Guarini, "Route 66" (Season 1)
After becoming the early favorite in Season 1, Justin had hit a bit of a rough patch, even falling into the Bottom 2 during the Top 7. He came back with a relaxed and well-sung version of this old standard that clearly showed he, along with Kelly and Tamyra, were the best Season 1 had to offer.

6. Clay Aiken, "I Could Not Ask For More" (Season 2)
Clay Aiken + Dianne Warren power ballad = magic. These were the kind of songs Clay was meant to sing, and if Warren had written Clay's CD (instead of the unwise choice of releasing a CD of covers) I bet he'd be topping Adult Contemporary radio. Alas, at least we have this performance to look back on.

7. Diana Degarmo, "Turn the Beat Around" (Season 3)
Diana continued her mid-season turnaround with this Gloria Estefan number, effortlessly handling the tounge-twister lyrics and adding in a few dance moves to boot. This is by far the best version of this song that has ever been performed on the show (sorry, Haley!)

8. Carrie Underwood, "When God Fearin' Women Get the Blues" (Season 4)
Carrie was best when performing two different types of song on American Idol -- 80's power ballads and country tunes (especially, like this one, that were originally sung by Martina McBride).

9. Anthony Fedorov, "I Surrender" (Season 4)
Kelly Clarkson gave the definitive Idol performance of this song back in Season 1, but Anthony put his own spin on the Celine Dion power ballad, acquitting himself better than anyone (especially me) expected him to. This is my favorite Fedorov performance.

10. Kimberley Locke, "If You Asked Me To" (Season 2)
After her Billy Joel week triumph, K-Lo continued her hot streak on this Dianne Warren song, giving it a soulful spin that ended with a beautiful note sung in her rarely-heard head voice. Not Kim's best performance, but very strong nonetheless.

Ten Best 'Top 7' Performances of All Time

Yep, it's time again to take a glance backward into Idol history, to choose the Ten Best 'Top 7' performances of all time. This list is dominated by women, although two rockin' men manage to sneak on. In addition only two winners appear on the list, with two famously evicted-before-their-time contestants grab the top two spots.

(As a reminder, performances from the current season are not eligible for on any of these Ten Best lists)

Ten Best Top 8 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 8th PLace Finishers
Ranking the 9th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 9 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 10th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 10 Performances of All Time
Ten Best Top 11 Performances of All Time
Ten Best First Finals Performances
Ten Best Semifinals Performances of All Time

1. Jennifer Hudson, "Weekend in New England"
It would have been a travesty if Jennifer Hudson had been voted off after any of her performances on American Idol, but it was particularly devastating that she got the boot after this showstopper, which, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the best performances ever seen on AI. It was here that we got a glimpse of what we would later see in droves in Dreamgirls -- that soaring voice and that ability to take a song and infuse it with such emotion that it, as guest coach Barry Manilow said, transcends "to another level." Simply magnificent.

2. Tamyra Gray, "If I Were Your Woman"
As I wrote in my post Is Sanjaya (Gulp) The Second Coming of Tamyra Gray, Tamyra, better than any contestant before or after, totally threw herself into that week's theme, embracing not just the music but the style as well. For 70's week, she appeared resplendant in an afro, long flowy skirt, and barefoot, to blow away the judges and audience with this Gladys Knight hit. One of Tamyra's best performances.

3. Vonzell Solomon, "I'm Every Woman"
Baby V was in the shadows of Carrie, Bo, and Constantine up until this point, but when she unleashed her inner diva on this Chaka Khan classic, she made sure she was in the shadows no longer. Hitting some of the highest notes that have ever been sung on the show, Vonzell announced she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

4. Kimberley Locke, "New York State of Mind"
Kimberley had stuggled mightily the first few weeks of the competition to get into the good graces of the audience, but when she wrapped her golden vocals around the Billy Joel gem, giving the song a sultry, jazzy spin, she sewed up their love and affection once and for all.

5. Christina Christian, "Ain't No Sunshine"
Sometimes a song and performer meet and magic can happen. Christina certainly wasn't Season 1's strongest vocalist, but when she used her smoldering good looks and pleasent-enough vocals on this Bill Wither's tune, the result was, indeed, somewhat magical.

6. Bo Bice, "Vehicle"
Bo + classic rock = great performance. That formula worked several times for Season 4's rocker, and this may have been the best combination of the two. This performance was so good, it ended up the B-side of his single (featuring Richie Sambora on guitar).

7. Katharine McPhee, "Someone to Watch Over Me"
As far as I'm concerned, Katharine never sounds better than when she is singing standards ("Come Rain or Come Shine," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow") and her performance of this Ella Fitgerald gem is no exception. Looking magnificent and sounding just as good, this is Katharine in her true element.

8. Fantasia, "It's A Miracle"
'Tasia goes to church! This is one of the strangest performances ever seen on Idol (with cut-aways to Fantasia's mother and daughter watching from backstage), but there is no denying the sheer force of energy and passion this girl can bring to a song. I loved it.

9. Chris Daughtry, "It's A Wonderful World"
Proving he was capable of showing a softer side, Chris wrapped his vocals around the tender song, providing an unexpectedly moving musical moment from the rocker. True, he didn't smile much, but he did show he's capable of more than just rockin' out.

10. Kelly Clarkson, "Don't Play That Song"
Even though I had never heard this song, Kelly sold it, riffing like crazy toward the end. Definitely not Ms. C's strongest performance of the competition, but it proved she could sing anything and make it work.

Is Sanjaya The (Gulp) Second Coming of Tamyra Gray?

Before I begin, let me prefice this by saying I am not a fan of Sanjaya Malakar. I believe his success is damaging the credibility of American Idol, and I literally can not wait until he gets voted off the show.

Having said that, I have started to think that Sanjaya might (gulp) be the second coming of Tamyra Gray.

What, you say? How dare I compare the pitchless wonder to one of the greatest Idol contestants ever? Sacrilege!

Bear with me as I lay out this theory...

There are two different kinds of Idol contestants -- those who come out every week, regardless of the theme, and perform in their own style, adapting their song choice to what they do; and those who wholeheartedly embrace that week's theme, evoking the style to the extent that they attempt to actually become an artist from that genre or time period.

Ruben Studdard, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, and Bo Bice are examples of the first kind of Idol contestant -- they would take a song, be it from the 60's, a country tune, or a current pop hit, and sing it in their own unique style. Every song Ruben sang, be it "A Whole New World," "Sweet Home Alabama," or "Nights on Broadway," was a Ruben song. LaKisha Jones and Chris Richardson are doing that this year -- each week, the song, regardless of the theme, feels like LaKisha or feels like Chris. This is not a bad thing -- in fact, it could be a great thing. A successful Idol contestant, after all, should be able to sing anything, and the success of Ruben, Daughtry, 'Tasia, Carrie, and Bo is a testament to how well this strategy works in the competition.

Then there is the other kind of contestant -- the one who really throws himself into each week's theme, adopting the persona of the time period or style in an attempt to really summons the vibe of the genre. In my opinion, Tamyra Gray is the perfect, and most succesful, example of this kind of contestant (Nadia Turner is another, slightly less successful example). For the motown theme, Tamyra was Diana Ross. For the 60's, she became Tina Turner. She turned into Roberta Flack for the 70's, Cab Calloway for standards week, Dionne Warwick for Burt Bacharach week, etc. From hairstyle to clothing choices, Tamyra didn't adapt the song to her style, she adapted her style to the theme. And it was often thrilling to watch.

So, I come back to my original question -- is Sanajaya Malakar the second coming of Tamyra Gray?

As far as I am concerned, no contestant since Tamyra has so immersed themselves in the different themes as Sanjaya has. For British invasion week, he rocked out like the Kinks, hairstyle and all. For Gwen Stefani week, he transformed into a ska punk rocker, complete with faux-hawk. Tony Bennett week meant Sanjaya slicked his hair back and rocked a white suit. And now, according to comments made by Jennifer Lopez's manager in this morning's Variety, it appears Sanjaya will actually sing a Spanish-language song. Talk about really embracing the genre!

Of course there is no way for Sanjaya to even hold a candle to Tamyra Gray -- he simply doesn't have the vocal chops (not by a thousand miles) or the performance savvy. But (and of course I am not the first person to suggest this) I believe Sanjaya's success in this competition has come, at least in part, because of his willingness to really throw himself into each week's theme. Despite the nails-on-chalkboard sound that he produces, there is no denying the entertainment value in watching someone embrace the spirit of each week's genre like Sanjaya has. And it creates an additional excitement value -- what will he do next?

So yes, maybe Sanjaya is the second coming of Tamyra -- in some sort of alternative universe where pitch and tone are irrelevant.

Now that we've identified that -- can we please get rid of the kid?

Ten Best Top 10 Performances of All Time

Yes, it's that time again. In anticipation of this week's Top 10, here is my list of the Ten Best Top 10 Performances of all time.

Click here to read Ten Best Semifinal Performances, Ten Best First Finals Performances, and Ten Best Top 11 Performances.

Please note, due to the fact that Kelly Clarkson's "You're All I Need" and Tamyra Gray's "Touch Me in the Morning" were included on the Ten Best First Finals Performance list even though they were Top 10 Performances, this list has only 8 entries. Had they been included, Kelly would have been #1 on this list, with Tamyra clocking in at #5.

1. Ruben Studdard, "Sweet Home Alabama"
"Superstar" may be his signature song, but this is the performance that really sealed the deal on what Ruben had to offer the competition -- a great big voice with a ridiculously infectious smile to match. Joyfully singing about his homestate with a huge 205 t-shirt on, Ruben was about as lovable a contestant as there has been on American Idol, and this performance personifies why.

2. Taylor Hicks, "Trouble"
To some, even at this point in the competition, Taylor was simply a novelty act, but this performance of the little known Ray Lamontaigne song showed that Taylor had a real voice to go with his quirky personality.


3. Bo Bice, "Remedy"

4. Constantine Maroulis, "I Can't Make You Love Me"

This was the round when it became clear what the differences between the two Season 4 rockers were. Both Bo and Constantine gave great performances this week, Bo rockin' out on "Remedy" and Constantine sounding better than he had the whole competition on a surprisingly understated take on "I Can't Make You Love Me." Had Constantine left the rockin' to Bo, instead of making the ill-advised choice of trying to prove his credibility by singing Nickelback in the Top 6, he might have gone further in the competition.

5. Carrie Underwood, "Independence Day"
Carrie sang the hell out of this Martina McBride song two years ago -- now she is outselling her idol and beating her at award shows. This kind of country pop is Carrie's bread and butter, and has helped her sell over 5 million albums.

6. Kimberley Locke, "I Can't Make You Love Me"
Kimberley's smoky vocal tone and quality is the perfect match for this Bonnie Raitt song, and she shows off her control to excellent effect. I am convinced that had she been dressed better (her jeans and top made her look a bit too casual) this performance would have been much more better-received. As is, it egregiously landed her in the Bottom 3.

7. Vonzell Solomon, "I Have Nothing"
Yes, this song has been sung ad nauseum on the show, but Baby V managed to give it her own twist in Season 4, easily scaling the Whitney high-notes. Until this point in the competition, Vonzell wasn't taken very seriously as a contender. After this performance, though, even Simon had to admit he was impressed.

8. Elliott Yamin, "I Don't Wanna Be"
Elliott knew he was taking a risk singing a song Bo Bice had gotten great acclaim for during the previous season, but he took it on anyways, infusing it with a soul and texture that had been missing from Bice's more straight-up rock version. This performance closed the Top 10 in Season 5, and was the first time Elliott looked truly relaxed and like he was having fun on stage. He nailed it.