Carrie, Bo make giant strides in ‘Idol’ race

When this week’s "American Idol" began, all eyes were likely on Paula Abdul.

Heading into the upcoming ABC report on the show, she's suffered through a week of nonstop rumor-mongering and innuendo. It was tough to figure out what to expect. Would the producers showcase her this week? Would she be unusually quiet, or even more bizarre?

In the end, Abdul was her usual self; smiling and supportive, a little subdued and less combative towards Simon, but perennially cheerful in her comments. And with each singer performing twice, once a Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller tune and one a current Billboard Top 40 single, there wasn’t much time for her to get in trouble anyway.

As far as the singing is concerned, nothing is official or anything, but it’s looking more and more like everyone except Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood are playing for third.

Sure, Vonzell Solomon has a nice voice and personality, Scott Savol has a dedicated constituency and the anti-Simon vote, and Anthony Fedorov has … well, probably not enough to survive the week. But Bice and Underwood once again performed at a wildly different level from everyone else, lighting up the stage and giving the record producers new hope that they’ll get some real talent to sell instead of having to figure out how to market an Anthony Fedorov CD.

Anthony Fedorov, 19, Trevose, Pa.: Fedorov began the night by covering "Poison Ivy," made famous by The Coasters. He said he wanted to show his lighter side. What he wound up showing was that if he starts off shaky, he has a hard time getting in tune — and that much like Superman he loses some of his powers when he puts his glasses on. The glasses came off for his second song, but Fedorov’s rendition of "Incomplete" by the Backstreet Boys wasn’t much better than his initial effort. After a succession of bottom-three performances, this may be the week his luck runs out.
Grade: C-
The judges: "That was an insipid, amateurish performance. It did you no favors at all." – Simon Cowell, after "Poison Ivy."
Odds of winning: 2 percent
Odds of advancing: 50 percent
Bottom line: Fedorov didn’t show much on a night he really had to shine. Both performances were flat, he had problems hitting the right notes, and neither song seemed to inspire the audience. He’s lasted a lot longer than most thought, but this is probably it for the competition’s last remaining teenager.

Scott Savol, 28, Shaker Heights, Ohio: Savol began with a dig at Simon, saying he chose George Benson’s "On Broadway" because Simon told him last week to pack his bags "and I’m not leaving until I become a star … on Broadway." If this were "Musicals Idol," Savol would have a shot — it was his best performance in weeks. His version of Brian McKnight’s "Every Time You Go Away" wasn’t quite as good, but still impressed the judges. When Ryan asked what would be going through his mind tomorrow night, Savol answered "[I’m] probably going to start thinking about what I’ll sing next week."
Grade: B
The judges: "You’ve had more escapes than Houdini. You had a couple of bad notes, but in my opinion that was probably your best performance." – Simon Cowell, after "Broadway."
Odds of winning: 5 percent
Odds of advancing: 70 percent
Bottom line: Savol’s far from the best remaining in the competition, but for once his confidence is probably justified. If he’s made it this far, he should last another week. He’ll very likely be in the bottom three, but for once is not the favorite to be sent packing.

Vonzell Solomon, 21, Fort Myers, Fla.: Solomon dusted off an obscure Elvis tune in her opening "Treat Me Nice," which Randy and Paula loved and Simon called a mess. As if she wanted to balance the risk of her first song, her second choice took the concept of playing it safe to a whole new level – picking "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" as sung by … the "American Idol" finalists. Randy thought it was perfect, as it probably should have been since she’d had to learn the song a few weeks ago anyway. Simon was once again the lone judge unimpressed.
Grade: B+
The judges: "That was one of the best vocals, of a song I’ve barely heard of. That’s how to win." – Randy Jackson, after "Treat Me Nice."
Odds of winning: 13 percent
Odds of advancing: 75 percent:
Bottom line: Solomon seems to be right in the middle … better than Scott Savol and Anthony Fedorov, not as good as Bo Bice or Carrie Underwood. She’s done well enough to have a great shot at a career in music, and should advance to sing another week, but she was in the bottom three last week and she’ll probably wind up there again this time around.

Bo Bice, 29, Helena, Ala.: Bice started the night with "Stand By Me," which Ben E. King made famous and Bice did not dishonor. The judges all loved it, as they did his second song "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys. It was a low-key week for Bice, but he still came through with two really strong performances and had all three judges eating out of his hand.
Grade: A-
The judges: "I think you made some of the other contestants here look like amateurs." – Simon Cowell, after "Heaven."
Odds of winning: 35 percent
Odds of advancing: 96 percent
Bottom line: Bice’s big danger in the competition is that not enough voters may like his style of music, and Constantine Maroulis’ elimination last week probably will make him a little nervous Wednesday night. But that would be the only reason he’d be in trouble … he did well enough to be safe, and as Simon said, he was one of the most professional acts of the night.

Carrie Underwood, 21, Checotah, Okla.: Underwood closed off the Lieber and Stoller half-hour with another Elvis tune, "Trouble." One thing’s for sure … she’s not in trouble at all, as all three judges were impressed despite an arrangement that was somber at both ends and super peppy in the middle. For her Top 40 selection she picked, stunningly enough, a country tune – Rascal Flatts’ "Bless The Broken Road." Again, she impressed everyone. If she gets a chance to sing country songs every week from here on out, she’s a lock to win it all.
Grade: A-
The judges: "It was so much fun to see a whole different side of you. This was my favorite of your performances … you’re a star." – Paula Abdul, after "Trouble."
Odds of winning: 45 percent
Odds of advancing: 99 percent
Bottom line: Underwood hasn’t been in the bottom three yet, and it would be a stunner if she landed there this week. She’s one of the judges’ favorites, has a strong fan base both in studio and at home, and picks songs she’s comfortable singing. With less than a month to go in the competition, Underwood’s the one to beat.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.