Standing ovation for Jessica, Joshua in ‘Idol’s’ final 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8xrlOUvyEI&feature=plcp

Filipino-Mexican Jessica Sanchez earned her fourth standing ovation on “American Idol” Thursday with her stirring rendition of “And I Am Telling You,” the torch song from the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls.”

USA Today’s music writer and critic Brian Mansfield described Sanchez as “a Jennifer Holliday/Jennifer Hudson kind of diva. Just much smaller.”

The song was interpreted by both Tony Award-winning actress Jennifer Holliday in the “Dreamgirls’” original Broadway production and former “Idol” contestant Jennifer Hudson in the musical’s film adaptation. Both their versions of the song catapulted them to stardom.

“If this show’s still about big voices and glory notes, she vaults right to the top of the competition with this bravura performances. She’s got the notes, she’s got the attitude,” wrote Mansfield of Sanchez’s performance.

Holliday herself was all praise for the 16-year-old on her Twitter account @Jennifersspot: “Wish Jessica was my daughter! When I was 16, I also sang like Jessica. They used to tell me that I had an old soul.”

And from record producer and mentor Jimmy Iovine: “If the audience sees and the judges see what I saw [during rehearsals], it could be game over.”

Close race

The “Idol” website predicts a close race among the Top 4 finalists, who each had their moment in Thursday’s two-theme episode “California Dreamin‘” and “Songs the Idols Wish They Had Written.”

Both Sanchez and Joshua Ledet brought judges on their feet for their individual back-to-back performances in the episode, which also featured nonjudged duets.

Sanchez first sang the Etta James gospel song “Steal Away” with a jazz band for the “California Dreamin’” round, which judge Steven Tyler said showed “the other side” of her voice. Raving Jennifer Lopez called the performance “crazy” and Randy Jackson thought she can tap into James’ soulfulness.

Jessica Sanchez. Image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube

But it was her rendition of “Dreamgirls’” showstopper that brought the house down.

Jackson told Sanchez she chose “one of the hardest songs in the world to sing but you slayed it.”

Lopez called it “a real moment” while Tyler praised Sanchez for another “over-the-top” performance.

Online support for Sanchez continued to flood the social networking site Twitter, including those from well-known celebrities.

‘Just crown her’

Wrote “Extra” TV show host Mario Lopez, who openly supports the Filipino bet: “Wow … My girl @JSanchezAI11 killed it tonight! C’mon, it’s game over … Just crown her!”

“@jsanchezai11 just stood there on stage and sang. But her melody and soul walked all around the world,” said fellow “Idol” Heejun Han.

Posted singer and actor Jim Paredes: “Just watched Jessica Sanchez do ‘Steal Away.’ Wow … What can she not sing well?”

“Jessica Sanchez sang ‘And I Am Telling You’ so flawlessly and effortlessly! It’s a showstopping performance,” said advertising-promotions executive Eric John Salut.

The three other contestants delivered equally impressive performances.

Phillip Phillips chose CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and Damien Rice’s “Volcano”; Hollie Cavanagh belted Journey’s “Faithfully” and Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me”; and Joshua Ledet sang Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” and James Brown’s “This Is A Man’s World.”

On the duets portion, Phillips and Ledet sang “This Love” by Maroon 5 while Sanchez and Cavanagh did their take on The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame.”

Today’s elimination episode features judge Lopez, who will perform her single “Dance Again” and “Idol” season 7 winner David Cook, who will sing “The Last Song I’ll Write for You.” The season finale is on May 23. With a report from Inquirer Research