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Carly Smithson out in "Idol" travesty

BY VERNE GAY | verne.gay@newsday.com

April 24, 2008

American Idol Top 12 Party - Carly Smithson

American Idol contestant Carly Smithson attends the American Idol Top 12 Party at the Pacific Design Center on March 6, 2008 in West Hollywood, California. (Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images / March 7, 2008)

There are usually few surprises at this point in " American Idol" - mostly either disappointments or travesties - and it's up to you to decide which category last night's Carly Smithson's ejection falls into.

Irish-born and (yes) dramatically inked, Smithson was easily one of the more talented performers over seven seasons in "Idol," but more than that, she has history with the show too. She auditioned for the fifth season, got in the door, then had the door slam in her face when her visa had expired.

She was also a onetime professional - when her name was Carly Hennessy - and was holder of a lucrative contract with MCA who had the bad luck to have her debut album launch in the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

It flopped badly.

So last night's loss has to hurt, and hurt deeply. A travesty? Smithson - almost always good, and sometimes splendid - turned in one of the better performances on Tuesday, a rendition of "Jesus Christ Superstar" that actually even got Simon Cowell (kind of) excited.

She was also almost absurdly better than two other contenders who were expected to land in the bottom two ( Jason Castro, who butchered "Memory," and Brooke White, who actually stopped, then restarted her Andrew Lloyd Webber number - a no-no at "Idol" but something she's done before.)

Yet as Randy Jackson observed last night, this week seemed to be more of a popularity contest, and Smithson never seemed to have a convincing edge in that category.

"Idol's" now down to the final five, and the top two contenders - David Cook and David Archuleta - may think they're safe, but "safety" is a relative term in "Idol" land. Maybe even they should be worried.