Written by Carrie Edelstein

ABC’s “American Idol” successfully pulled off the first of the “live” episodes for the top 20 countdown of contestants. It was a little different… Ryan Seacrest using the show’s original anchor desk for Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson in season on of the show which premiered shortly after 9/11. Seacrest had saved it as a memento in his garage. To prep for last night’s live show, contestants film themselves from their homes without a professional wardrobe consultant or makeup artist, and judges watched the playbacks simultaneously. Up next for live rounds in singing competitions will be NBC’s “The Voice.” With studio production in front of a live audience off the table due to COVID-19 restrictions, it’s unclear exactly what the live shows will look like when they begin May 4.

St. Louis’ Joanna Serenko is staying positive. Her advancement from the knockout rounds and the save from Blake Shelton scored her a spot in the live episodes. This is the point when watch parties were being planned at Ballpark Village for St. Louis native Kennedy Holmes when she made it to the finals in 2018. It’s not quite the same for Serenko, despite the fact that she’s with her number one fan.

“I am watching from my home in St. Louis. With the quarantine it’s just my mom and I. It is unfortunate that COVID has prevented a lot of opportunities that I would’ve otherwise gotten, but hopefully they will still be there when it finally passes,” says Serenko.

Luck has been on Serenko’s side though. She thought her time on the show was ending when she was eliminated from Team John Legend. But as she was exiting the stage, both Nick Jonas, her ex-mentor, and Blake Shelton wanted her back. Serenko says, “I was extremely nervous as I walked off stage. They took a long time to hit their buttons and I thought I was really going home! I was elated that I got stolen.” Serenko ended up choosing to go with Shelton since Jonas had eliminated her from his team in the past. 

So for now, she’s just waiting to hear how to take part in the finals remotely. Last year at this time, she was celebrating winning the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, an annual showcase of the emerging talent in the St. Louis performing arts community. The show, which is put on by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, invites students to compete for college scholarships, cash awards, prizes, and public appearance opportunities. Serenko shares this advice for the contestants who are also on standby: “Continue working on what you’re doing! Stay safe and healthy and we can get through this.”