Pia Toscano and Scotty McCreery also wow the judges. By Gil Kaufman “American Idol” top ten plus one Photo: FOX Theme nights are always tricky, and on Wednesday (March 30), the “American Idol” top 11 had to take on the imposing catalog of Elton John. Some soared and some crashed, and a couple of recent cellar dwellers — Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart — appeared to pull themselves out of the fire with gutsy performances. As always on non-country theme weeks, the question was “What is Scotty McCreery going to do this time?” He made the obvious choice, the obscure “Country Comfort,” which he picked because it had the word “country” in it, but also because it’s one of Elton’s only country-leaning tunes. With lyrics about grandmas and factory closings, it was pretty much what you’d expect: a Vince Gill-esque, aw-shucks acoustic amble accented by pedal steel and piano — with a shout-out to his real granny! — that, well, sounded like just about everything McC has done so far. “Nothin’ I could say to you that an old-fashioned pair of high-heeled cowboy boots wouldn’t fix,” Steven Tyler gushed cryptically, adding that he (still) loves everything about the teen crooner. Once again, Jennifer Lopez gave the most sage advice, encouraging Scotty not to get too in his head and doubt himself. Randy Jackson marveled at how fast Scotty has matured on the program and said he felt like he was at a headlining show by the “Idol” finalist. If Scotty always brings the country rumble, dreadlocked rude girl Naima Adedapo similarly finds a way to add a reggae swag to her songs. Wearing a white jumpsuit with red, yellow and green accents, she gave a Bob Marley-esque island vibe to “I’m Still Standing,” struggling at points to keep in tune but truly making it her own and creating one of the most unique “Idol” makeovers in the recent memory. Lopez and Jackson loved the reggae lilt but weren’t sure if it wasn’t a better idea than the payoff, and maybe a bit corny. Talk about someone totally in the pocket on Elton night. Paul McDonald went for it with the legendary “Rocket Man,” which mentor Jimmy Iovine suggested he play like it was an encore in front of 20,000 screaming fans. Wearing his signature flowered country suit and strumming an acoustic guitar, McDonald started out mellow and seductive, with just a piano for accompaniment. It seemed like he blew off Iovine’s advice, because while he retained that ragged Ray LaMontagne vibe, he barely got out of second gear, keeping things mostly low-key and feathery. Randy called it “quiet comfort” and said, despite being pitchy, Paul’s soft, gentle voice was once again infectious, and Jennifer suggested he was holding back and needed to let loose. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is an old “Idol” favorite, and despite being counseled to move out of the ballad-ballad-ballad routine, Pia Toscano went with the emotional staple. With a subtle arrangement, Toscano put the focus squarely on her powerful voice and, backed by a gospel choir, she seemed to hit the sweet spot once more. “Pia, you’ve done it again,” Tyler said, gently needling Randy’s suggestion that Pia switch it up. “That’s what you are and you sang it, you nailed it. And you know how I know a good song? It makes me cry inside … that’s just about as good as it gets.” Lopez said the notes Pia chooses take the audience to “an otherworldly place” and that Toscano seems poised to break through to another level. Stefano Langone made his first trip to the bottom three last week, so he was probably hoping that the epic “Tiny Dancer” would do the trick. But the cheesy arrangement and his smarmy Disney-style performance probably didn’t save the day. All three judges liked it and said Stefano seemed to be really taking their notes and trying to connect with the audience, keep his eyes open and his voice focused on his sweet, high range. Teen Lauren Alaina was just a toddler during the second revival of ultimate weeper “Candle in the Wind” in 1997, but her restrained, country lilt came off like the ultimate mash-up of past “Idol” divas Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Though the performance was a bit sedate, her vocals were controlled and crisp and she gave off her usual
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