Update: Local Idol winner is N. Kingstown teen / Video
5:06 PM Fri, Jul 25, 2008 | Permalink
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After naming 12 finalists, the winner, who will perform in front of the producers at the Idol's Jacksonville , Fla., auditions that begin Aug. 13, is a 16-year-old from North Kingstown who has been singing since she was 5. Melanie Donnelly, who just turned 16, sings for Trinity Repertory Theater and Theater by the Sea. She performed at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater when she was 10. 
Journal file photo / Melanie Donnelly, in 2004 At the news that she had won today's competition, she was nearly speechless. "I feel like . . . I don't even know what to think." Melanie's winning audition featured the song You'll Never Walk Alone. Melanie referenced Elvis Presley's performance of the song, as well as 2007 Idol Jordin Sparks'. She and her family planned to stay Thursday night at a hotel near Swansea Mall, in Swansea, where today's auditions were held. But around 3 a.m., they decided they wanted to get in line. When they arrived at the mall, there were only seven people in line, so Melanie's father, Dennis Donnelly, stayed behind to save the spot. Contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 28, and Melanie's mother, Sharon Donnelly, said if those limits hadn't been in place, her daughter would already have tried out. "She's been wanting this for so long," Sharon Donnelly said. The eight judges conducting today's auditions for hundreds of "American Idol" hopefuls included local music promoters, DJs, vocal coaches and musicians. Matt Tortorella, lead singer of the band, Days Unknown, said he liked Melanie right from the beginning. "Her song built with each verse and she kept control throughout the whole thing," he said. She really impressed him, he said, so much so that he thought she would win the day. No men made the final cut today. The top 12 finalists, in no particular order, are: 1. Janel Hurtt, 27, from Neward, Delaware The tryouts were sponsored by Fox Providence, which has held local auditions for the last four years. The Florida tryouts are among five remaining locations where contestants are tested to see if they should perform for Randy, Paula and Simon. Contestants are judged on stage presence as well as vocal talent. Angela Fox seemed quiet, at first. Petite, dressed casually with a bright yellow top, jeans and a printed clutch, the North Attleboro resident blended into the crowd as just another 18-year-old. She smiled at the judges and introduced herself, and that's where the softness ended. Though she's "used to being behind the scenes" as an event planner, her powerful voice erupted and resonated throughout the small room, covering "At Last" by Etta James. The judges were smiling. "This is kind of a nerve-wracking situation," Fox said afterward. Kasey Jeronimo, 18, picked a traditional audition song -- "Open Arms" by Journey -- confessed she "was starting to get butterflies" as she entered the audition room. Samuel Aboh, 21-year-old Providence resident who arrived in the United States six years ago from Ghana, chose a gospel piece for his audition, "His Eye is on the Sparrow." He'd been up since 3:30 a.m. to get to the mall by 4:45 to be near the front of the line. The first contestants arrived at 6 p.m. last night and slept in the rain. -- With reports from Journal staff writers Alisha Pina and Chloe Thompson Video: Idol auditions draw a crowd at Swansea Mall 
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