Featuring powerful ballads, multiple group numbers and a Michael Jackson medley that included an appearance by College President Jim Yong Kim, this year's "Dartmouth Idol" finals succeeded in presenting an evening packed with great entertainment.
While all six finalists performed well, Dan Van Deusen '11 won the greatest percentage of audience votes and became this year's Dartmouth Idol, directed by Walt Cunningham, head of the Dartmouth Gospel Choir. Kevin Oh '12 was the second place winner and Jamie Hwang '10 came in third place for the second year in a row.
Van Deusen, a member of the Glee Club and musical director of the Dartmouth Dodecaphonics, received a $500 prize and will record a two-song demo. According to Van Deusen, other perks include the opportunity to perform as a back-up singer at a Martina McBride concert next week and an appearance as a guest soloist in this Spring's Gospel Choir concert.
"I had a great time performing and I would have been happy just with that," Van Deusen said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
When asked what aspects of his performance he believed sold the audience, Van Deusen commented on the variety and power of his song selections "Open Arms" by Journey and a medley that combined Queen's "Somebody to Love" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."
"[Cunningham] encouraged us to have both a slow song and a more up-tempo song for a reason. I think it's to try to appeal to lots of members of the audience," Van Deusen said.
Although his training in high school consisted of musical theater and choir, Van Deusen's performance proved he has the capacity to pull off rock songs, hitting and controlling the high notes in both his selections.
Van Deusen described "Open Arms," his first song of the night, as "a power ballad." Not surprisingly, his stirring performance and stage presence immediately captured and held the attention of the audience.
In his Bon Jovi/Queen medley, Van Deusen, accompanied by members of the Gospel Choir, hit all the right notes, securing his win. The panel of student judges Amber Dewey '12, Harmony Gbe '10 and Michael Odokara-Okigbo '12 commented on the intensity with which Van Deusen sang each note. Van Deusen said the medley was his favorite part of his performance.
The transition in Van Deusen's second piece between "Somebody to Love" and "Livin' on a Prayer" lacked fluidity, however, and appeared forced. Because Van Deusen sang the majority of "Somebody to Love" but only the chorus of "Livin' on a Prayer," the latter served only to emphasize the characterization of Van Deusen as a "rocker." Odokara-Okigbo said he regretted that Van Deusen did not sing the upper belts in "Livin' on a Prayer."
Regardless, Van Deusen's memorable performances demonstrated that this year's "Idol" competition was as much about entertainment value as vocal prowess. Producers, judges and finalists all foresaw that this year's outcome would rest on who could deliver the most crowd-pleasing performance.
"This is the first year [Cunningham] and I have both felt this that we don't even have guesses on who is going to win or who is going to come in second or third," Joshua Kol, co-producer of "Dartmouth Idol" and director of student performance ensembles at the Hop, said in an interview with The Dartmouth prior to the performance.
With a higher level of competition and more hype surrounding the contest, the show was a bigger production than in the past two years. Further, a large emphasis was placed on song selection finalists and producers chose a variety of songs that showcased the range, vocal abilities and stage presence of each finalist.
"The diversity of the songs [showcases] that it's not simply a vocal competition. It's going to be about the performance and who can perform their songs the best and who can really bring a character on stage rather than just singing a ballad," finalist Katie Horner '11 said in an interview with The Dartmouth before Friday's final round.
Dewey also emphasized the importance of performing well and interacting with the audience.
"It's more about getting the message of a song across than it is about hitting all the right notes, because you can hit all the right notes and still be boring," Dewey said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
The "Idol" finals were certainly anything but boring. In front of a full house in Spaulding Auditorium, the finals opened with a high-energy group performance of "Boogie Wonderland." The show continued to gain momentum through the first act thanks to the variety and strategic ordering of the selections, building towards a 13-song Michael Jackson medley before intermission.
The Michael Jackson medley proved to be a highlight of the show. The soloists were joined on stage by Odokara-Okigbo, Khadijah Bermiss '08 and Kaitlyn Sheehan '09. Not to be outdone, Kim unexpectedly joined in for Michael Jackson's "Thriller," sporting a leather jacket and a fedora.
"No other Ivy League president can dance like that," Cunningham said after Kim's performance.
Other highlights included Hwang's moving rendition of Beyonce's ballad "Listen" from "Dreamgirls" (2006) and Oh's performance of "My Funny Valentine" by Frank Sinatra.
Cunningham commented that Hwang and Oh had their "moments" with these two performances.
Hwang described "Listen" as a "slow, emotional ballad." Although the composition presents many vocal difficulties, Hwang's unique interpretation and trajectory from soft to powerful provided the audience with a stirring performance.
Some less successful song selections, however, included Michael Tree '13 singing "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan and Hwang's Gloria Estefan medley, which seemed to showcase the band more than Hwang's own range.
Finalists Andrew Purpura '11, Horner and Tree all sang well despite not placing in the top three. Horner's choice of "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks, in honor of the Dartmouth women's hockey team, perfectly complemented her voice. Tree improved in his second number, a medley of "Whip Appeal" by Babyface and "I'm Lost Without You" by Robin Thicke. Purpura's second selection a medley of "Do I Do" by Stevie Wonder and "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 was also successful.
With such variety and a few surprises, Idol finals presented the audience with a great show and many memorable performances.
