Ladies and gentlemen, start your Kleenex.
Indeed, 12 seasons in, the giant onion that is American Idol hasn’t lost an ounce of potency. Sit with it long enough — breathe in its swelling strings and its harrowing backstories and its humble notion that, with the right melody, the misfits and outsiders and scrappers of the world can make like Kelly Clarkson and have their very own “moment like this” — and eventually, you’ll be succumbing to the urge to full-throttle ugly cry on your couch.
To put it another way: Nigel Lythgoe, 1; America’s tear ducts, 0.
It may have been edited for maximum audience manipulation, but it was impossible not to feel the heartstrings getting pulled like saltwater taffy as 21-year-old ice-cream scooper Lazaro Arbos talked about a severe stuttering problem that resulted in a childhood with too much heartache and not nearly enough friends. How he was nevertheless able to deliver a haunting, melodious rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is not for me to explain, and quite possibly a miracle. And whether or not Lazaro makes it past Hollywood Week is of no consequence. For 10 minutes on January 17, 2013, the kid was an American Idol. Congrats.
Better still, the Season 12 Chicago auditions gave us a good, long listen to a whopping 16 Golden Ticket recipients — with several legit potential winners in the mix. (They must’ve gotten good and inspired by an appearance from Season 10′s incredible Haley Reinhart.)
Anyhow, I’ll be back overnight to update this post with a full episode recap — bookmark, refresh, and enjoy! — but until then, let me turn things over to you. What did you think of the American Idol Season 12 Chicago tryouts? What did you think of the Nicki-Mariah bickering? And who was your favorite Golden Ticket recipient? Sound off in the comments, take our poll below, and for all my Idol-related news, recaps, interviews and videos, follow me on Twitter @MichaelSlezakTV!
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