Philadelphia had not one but two performers land spots among the final 10 contestants of "American Idol" on Sunday night.
- RELATED STORIES
- East Falls native wows Katy Perry on ‘American Idol,’ advances to next round
- Philly native makes latest 'American Idol' cut with Alanis Morissette cover
One of them, East Falls native Michael J. Woodard – known for receiving a dramatic amount of attention from judge Katy Perry early in the season – will advance to the next round and sing among the final seven contestants next week. The other, Dennis Lorenzo, was sent home along with two other hopefuls.
Keeping with the episode’s “Disney Night” theme, Woodard sang the title song from “Beauty and the Beast,” again getting a bombastic reaction from Perry, who was dressed as Snow White.
His performance turned out to be one of the biggest successes of the night as judge Luke Bryan declared Woodard “magical.” Many on Twitter agreed.
Though eliminated last night, Lorenzo won the hearts of many "American Idol" viewers after sharing stories about his childhood in West Philly and the death of his father, who was murdered on the street when Lorenzo was only five years old. When Lorenzo first moved to Los Angeles, he was homeless.
Performing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” from “The Lion King,” Lorenzo was the last of the night to sing – which is causing some backlash among fans.
At this phase in “American Idol,” contestants are chosen to advance based on votes. Because Lorenzo played last, it’s leaving some viewers wondering if there simply wasn’t enough time for everyone to vote for him before the polls closed.
Do you think Lorenzo got robbed? Check out his performance below and decide for yourself.
“American Idol” returns next Sunday and will showcase the final seven contestants.