It’s Rush Week on American Idol XIII, which is basically a new fangled name for this season’s sudden death semi-final round.
Tonight, The Top 15 girls will appear in front of the judges. Only 10 will sing, five will be cut on the spot before they have a chance to show America what they’ve got. Also tonight, we find out the results of the vote off presented at the end of Thursday’s green mile semi final reveal, between country boy, Ben Briley and soul singer, Neco Starr, for the last spot in the Top 30.
On Wednesday, it’s the guys turn to do their thing (or not) in front of the judges. Five guys will also be cut on the spot.
On both performance nights, we’ll see clips from the two-day workshop in-house mentor, Randy Jackson, held with the Top 31 earlier this month. American Idol alums Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry were also on hand to share their unique expertise.
After America’s vote, we’ll find out the results on Thursday. The top 10 vote getters–5 guys and 5 girls–will advance to the finals.
The remaining 3, to make up a Top 13, will be chosen by the judges. Executive producer, Pers Blankens told TV Guide during last week’s new set visit for media:
…the judges will single out five kids to sing live. And from that show, the judges will pick three from the five. And then we have our Top 13. So those are the Wild Card votes. But they can only pick Wild Cards from the ones that performed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There is also a new 360 degree set. Also from TV Guide:
“We have our main stage, and … the judges and talent come through the split screen,” EP Jesse Ignjatovic explained. “Come into the center of the room and we have our judges… And then on the far side of the room obviously we have a seated audience and then our second stage, what we’re calling our B stage, and that’s where, in results shows, we’ll do some eliminations there, predominantly, but also another thing we’re excited about is doing performances that touch the whole room.”
Set designer Baz Halpin added, “We wanted to create multiple areas where performances could take place. We have multiple options now for staging. I think the B stage area and being able to change the direction of what our background is, what we’re looking at when we see the set, is great because it really helps to open up the room.” When action takes place on the B stage, the entire platform the judges are sitting on will rotate “like a turntable.”
Rickey Minor, returning to Idol after helming the Tonight Show band for Jay Leno, will find his house band split between left and right sections of the main stage.
The contestants will NOT be cooling their heels backstage, waiting to perform!
The contestants who aren’t performing will act as an additional audience from the side of the auditorium in a lounge area. “[They’re watching their co-contestants perform, so there’s that extra sense of pressure,” Halpin explained and added, “As you might have seen in Hollywood Week, you noticed the chamber where the hopefuls wait. So here, for the first shows on Tuesday and Wednesday, we have a larger chamber where we’ll keep the contestants before they have to come out to perform, and again, that’s another holding area. There’s more pressure, just to make it even more difficult for the contestants.”
It’s all about the contestants’ stories, yo. And telling those stories visually, as well as verbally.
Blankens said, “We’re also going back to the journey and the narrative and what we’re trying to this year to bring more focus to getting to know the kids, the songs they choose to sing, what they are as a person because if you can tell that story, then obviously you can connect more and the show will be more relevant to the audience who will pick a favorite.”
One of the more subtle ways Idol will highlight the narrative is through its camera work. Live episode director Louis J. Horvitz explained, “We want to make this more like a motion picture framing in 16 x 9… You know, most television shows, it’s just framed for 4:3 television. You may not be able to detect that when I’m talking to you about it, but the first time you see the shows, you say, ‘Oh, that’s that frame that he was talking about.’ When you use the cinematic frame for the people at home that are watching, it really draws them into the show, and our whole focus is to get everybody to watch the show, not as a rock concert, but for the narrative, which is the contestants.”
And beginning with the Top 13 live shows, viewers will be able to vote early, if not as often.
“We’re going to start the voting at the top of the show,” Blankens said. “I don’t know if that’s [been made] official, but I said it. Wednesdays at 8 o’clock, you can vote. You don’t have to wait until after the show. Till 10 a.m. the next morning.”
Also, beginning at the Top 13, Google Search voting begins. “Simply go to Google, search “American Idol” or “Idol.” This search will prompt the Google Voting Module to appear with the images of the Finalists. Before being able to vote, you must first log in to the module with a valid Google account.”
For more Voting FAQ’s check this link.
Voting limits on all platforms will be in place for the first time in American Idol history. 50 votes each for each contestant, per voting show for 1. Landline/cell phone, 2. Phone text 3. Individual Facebook/Phoneapp supervote accounts and beginning with the Top 13 Finals next week 5. Google Search voting.
See you tonight at 8/7c pm for our live blog!
Via TV Guide.
