One South Dakotan survives ‘Idol’ cut, one doesn’t

Winner native Mallorie Halley, who so wowed the "American Idol" judges in Atlanta that it seemed like she was destined for stardom, was unceremoniously dumped from the show during Hollywood auditions that aired this week.

From the Rapid City Journal:

She performed "Cry" by Faith Hill on the stage of the Kodak Theater and received lukewarm feedback from new Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres.

"She said, ‘I really like your voice, I like your look, but I would want to see more emotion out of you,’" Haley said. "It wasn’t bad. She was really nice. It wasn’t some like traumatic experience."

Meanwhile, Sioux Falls native Audri Vargas survived the cut and is one of 71 performers moving on to the next round.

From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader:

Vargas was shown only briefly Wednesday as she and four other singers performed as a group called The Suffragettes.

“The judges told us we had one of the best auditions, so that made me feel good,” Vargas said by phone Wednesday night.