Clint Jun Gamboa, Jacee Badeaux, John Wayne Schulz and Julie Zorrilla among the 50 moving on. By Gil Kaufman Contestants audition on “American Idol” Thursday Photo: FOX And then there were 50. If you thought Wednesday night’s “American Idol” was harsh, the final night of Hollywood Week really brought down the hammer. Unlike the previous night, when the show dithered away with group dynamics, Thursday night’s (February 17) show jumped right into it, presenting what host Ryan Seacrest promised was one of the most talented group of Hollywood finalists ever assembled. And, for once, he wasn’t just blowing smoke, as some of season 10’s standout singers brought it and punched their ticket to next week’s Vegas round. Haley Reinhart, 20, barely made it through the previous round after forgetting her lyrics, but the 20-year-old Wheeling, Illinois, student was back on track Thursday night, growling out a gritty and bombastic “God Bless the Child.” Though we’d barely met Tennessee’s 24-year old Ashton Jones before — she was in Ashley Sullivan’s group the night before — she killed it with a soulful “Idol” favorite “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Confident 15-year-old Thia Megia got no shine Wednesday, but when she got back in the spotlight, she did it again, showing some supple vocal beauty with a cool “What a Wonderful World.” The girls definitely brought it, so it was up to the boys to prove they had it too. One of the rising stars, karaoke host Clint Jun Gamboa, peeled the paint off the walls with his dynamic cover of Ray Charles’ “Georgia,” a feat almost equaled on the same tune by sultry 22-year-old Tennessee office manager Kendra Chantelle, who traded bombast for buttery softness. Chris Medina went out of the box with an acoustic ramble through Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” which was also picked by onetime groupmate Carson Higgins. The blond beach bum played it straight with the band, doing a high-energy, slightly spastic soul shout, while Medina did a Dave Matthews-like folk strum take that didn’t go over as well. Able to play their instruments for the first time, a number of the contestants took the opportunity, including Los Angeles student Julie Zorrilla, getting jazzy at the keyboard on Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song.” Murfreesboro, Tennessee, emo kid Colton Dixon, who came on strong during group night, emoted his way through a dramatic version of Daughtry’s “What About Now,” while 16-year-old Florida student Brett Loewenstern strapped on his acoustic for a fragile stroll through Brandi Carlile’s “The Story.” Melodica-blowing soul man Casey Abrams keeps surprising, and he continued his streak by being the first “Idol” contestant to bust out a stand-up bass for a finger-snapping jazzbo dig at Ray Charles’ “Georgia on my Mind” that earned a standing ovation. Already without her ex-boyfriend by her side, Chelsee Oaks seemed distraught when former groupmate Jacqueline Dunford was forced to bow out of the competition due to illness. The Nashville waitress pulled it together and dug down deep for an emotional “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson, but her nerves were evident. After producers dropped the age limit to 15, a number of teens have proven their worth, none more than 15-year-old Lauren Alaina, whose big personality and charming smile have worked their magic on the judges. The savvy high-schooler kept in judge Steven Tyler’s good graces by reprising her cover of his band’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” putting a cocktail-lounge spin on the bombastic ballad, complete with a piled-on-top curly hairstyle. We just met Jacob Lusk the night before, and the Bobby McFerrin-like master of vocal tics and tricks did his thing again with a whisper-to-a-scream gospel throwdown on “God Bless the Child.” It’s been awhile since we saw real-life cowboy John Wayne Schulz , but his strummy aw-shucks cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” mesmerized the crowd and inspired judge Jennifer Lopez to harmonize along. The unpredictable Sullivan proved to be the bundle of nerves she’s promised, falling apart singing Michael Bubl
