Under sway of musical king

Tuesday night, in taking on the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, “American Idol” came face to face with its spiritual creator, the man who elevated vocal performance to the level of spectacle. History has been filled with singing competitions, but until Lloyd Webber transformed the stage, the idea of singing as single combat -- a combat to master one’s soul and to enslave an audience -- would have been impossible.

But though “American Idol” may have been shaped in the passed-down image of the master, the show has needed time to work its way back to its creator.

It is fitting then that now, seven years in, the strongest cast in “Idol” history should be chosen to fight this battle. And for this season, Andrew Lloyd Webber Night will clearly mark the year’s definitional battle, the night that showed at last who is destined for “Idol” immortality (and the final three) and who has officially written a check their skills can’t pay.

As Lloyd Webber made clear, the challenge of Tuesday night was not just to belt out “money notes” but to connect with a song, with the character behind it and use it to tell a story. Raw vocal talent has gotten them all this far, but to make these last steps calls for something much scarier -- emotional depth.

Royalty in the house

It was a night of pomp in the Idoldome, with the harp-equipped band set up on stage. Music director Rickey Minor walked the floor in formal wear and Lord Lloyd Webber himself joined us in the audience. As it turned out, Lloyd Webber proved to be the greatest of Idol mentors. He worked with and shaped the contestants, to the point of demanding different songs, rather than merely dispensing good wishes as some previous mentors have contented themselves to do.

However, with the crowd near a fever pitch as the season enters the final stretch, tension hung in the air. As you read this, one of the six will have been eliminated.

The night opened with a rousing performance from Syesha Mercado -- enjoyable, but ultimately still lacking the intensity to take her all the way.

Jason Castro and Brooke White both showed that they have risen to where they belong. Both had strong appeal in their niches and have won legions of admirers, but when this last push was demanded, it was a bridge too far. Brooke, in particular, seemed to have the Idoldome on edge with concern, her fragility so nakedly on display. After being upbraided by Paula for having to restart her version of “You Must Love Me,” one could have heard a false eyelash drop clear in the bleachers. Sadly, talented though she is, she gives the impression of coming undone in these recent weeks.

Though challenges serve to bring some to their knees, they serve to bring out greatness in others. For the front-runners -- the two Davids -- they once again managed to inhabit their songs to a supernatural degree. But to the crowd, the night was a clear, unadulterated victory for this column’s candidate, Carly Smithson, one of the most electrifying performers in “American Idol” history.

At last, with “Jesus Christ Superstar,” everything fell into place for Carly, and it is fitting that “Idol’s” spiritual godfather should have warned her off a major false step and guided her to her greatest success.

However, it must be said at this point that Carly cannot seem to get a break with the judges. Randy and Simon seem to be on a mission to deny her the praise she deserves. Even on this night, while praising the brilliance of her work, their plaudits remained tempered, Randy claiming it wasn’t her best, and Simon delivering the strange backhanded compliment that it was one of his favorites of the night (there had been four at this point).

Although I will not demand an investigation yet, and though I support the right of judges to their opinions, I demand some sort of system of instant replays or bonus voting be instituted to recompense Carly for undue damage done to her prospects. But as ever, this column has complete faith in the wisdom of the electorate.

Finding their star

What is happening now to the contestants is that those who survive are completing the process of icon building. It is a source of fascination that in this era when fame is our ultimate commodity, the “Idol” stars seem to draw more attention and fascination than any A-list screen actor.

I recently heard a story of one of this season’s survivors visiting a Westside mall -- a showbiz-friendly locale where Brad and Angelina could go underwear shopping and attract barely a raised eyebrow -- where the Idol was mobbed and gawked at by seemingly the entire place.

In a recent New Yorker essay on the changing nature of stardom, David Denby discusses how stars of yore, before we knew every intimate detail of the every actor’s life, became vessels for the roles they inhabited.

He wrote: “At some point, however, an actor’s looks and temperament would merge with a role that brought out, perhaps, an underlay of humor or menace, and the public would take notice, get excited, and the actor would become a star.

“The actor then imposed a unifying temperament on his characters; he became the characters, they became him, and any given performance offered a palimpsest of his past performances.”

Too much information

In an era when we can recite more about our performers’ drunken debauchery than about what roles they have played, “American Idol” is the only star-making machine we have. It is the one place where those contestants can -- on a stage that is at once public and yet controlled (not unlike the old studios) -- piece by piece, song by song, create personas for themselves as compelling today as the types inhabited by Bogart or Cary Grant in their time.

In confronting Lloyd Webber, the final six had their greatest opportunity yet to draw a richer, deeper shape for their persona. For those who rose to the challenge, their stars are about to soar into the heavens.

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richard.rushfield@latimes.com