FRACKVILLE — The six semifinalists vying for the title of Schuylkill County Junior Idol VIII made their cases to the three judges Tuesday at the Schuylkill Mall.
Camryn Carduff, 15, of Shenandoah, Ariel Stanalonis, 14, of Frackville, Raven Wesley, 14, of New Ringgold, Sydney Stokes, 13, of Ashland, Jacqueline Bubnis, 13, of Shenandoah, and Jordan Shoffler, 15, of Shenandoah, are the remaining contestants from the 18 who started in January.
Each of the six contestants sang three songs, two of their choosing and one they chose from a list. Some contestants picked the same song to sing, which was permitted. The young women wore attire ranging from a cowboy hat for one, dresses and a casual white Oxford shirt.
“That was excellent. You kept every single note. Every single beat. I loved it,” judge Maudie Becker said to Bubnis, after she finished singing “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley.
Fellow judge Mark Mahal had similar comments.
“You did not let that get the best of you,” he said.
“It was really beautiful,” Julia Medina, the third judge, said.
Bubnis also sang “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield and “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals.
Stanalonis received mostly positive reviews for her rendition of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul and Mary. The song featured her performing while her boyfriend, Jacob Moyer, 18, of Pottsville, sat on a chair during most of the song. She wore a hat, red coat and carried a duffel bag, all which she removed throughout the song. She then danced with Moyer, and he gave her a kiss on the head. The audience and the judges liked the performance.
“Good job,” Medina said.
She added that she would have liked to have seen more interaction between Stanalonis and Moyer for the performance.
Mahal liked how Stanalonis incorporated the attire and her boyfriend into the song.
Stanalonis said she decided to try something new after getting some advice. She picked the song because of the emotions tied to thoughts of a loved one departing. She said Moyer was reluctant at first to join her, but he decided to do so to show support.
She also sang “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar and “House of the Rising Sun.”
Stokes entertained the crowd with “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles,” “Stupid Cupid” by Connie Francis and “The Only Exception” by Paramore.
Stokes sang “Stupid Cupid” to the delight of the audience. Delaney Holland, 2, of Cressona, held a sign that read “Sydney Rocks.” Parker Drum, 6, of Frackville, and Lilah Helwig, 6, of Frackville, held a sign that urged Sydney to sing her heart out.
Stokes said she was not nervous singing Tuesday. She was surprised she had gone so far in the competition. This is her third time trying for the title, having not made it past the first round in her two prior attempts.
“I just really like to sing,” she said.
The three finalists will sing at 6 p.m. Feb. 9. One of the songs will be something from Billy Joel, a Judges’ Choice song and the third has yet to be determined, Elaine Maneval, mall manager, said Tuesday. A winner will be announced after the conclusion.
The three finalists will be announced at 3 p.m. today on the Schuylkill Mall’s website, www.shopschuylkillmall.com, The event is sponsored by Pepsi, the Frackville Rotary, Totally Twisted Pretzel and Rebekah’s Creations.
The winner of Schuylkill County Junior Idol VIII will receive a $500 Schuylkill Mall shopping spree, a $100 gift certificate courtesy of the Bon-Ton, a professional photo shoot courtesy of Michael’s Photography, Frackville, a gift courtesy of Totally Twisted Pretzel and a chance to perform at the Schuylkill County Fair in August.