The judges were immediately impressed by thirteen-year-old Evelyn Aronte of Phoenix, Arizona, for her effervescent and self-assured attitude as she went onto the platform. She gushed about being “pumped” and said her lifelong goal was to follow in Cynthia Erivo’s footsteps as a superstar by singing her way to Broadway, becoming famous, and breaking into the mainstream. The judges remarked on her laser-like concentration, and Howie Mandel made the astute observation that the most successful auditions are given by those who have a clear idea of what they want. Evelyn had an enormous task ahead of her—to demonstrate that her untapped talent matched her lofty aspirations—in light of the enormous expectations placed on a vocalist of her young age.
Evelyn picked a challenging anthem—”Defying Gravity” from Wicked—for her audition because it is a musical theater classic. Everyone in the crowd was taken aback the second she spoke. Surprisingly for a thirteen-year-old, Evelyn’s voice had an impressive level of maturity and dramatic flair. With the assurance and command of a Broadway veteran, she skillfully traversed the song’s intricate high notes and dramatic shifts. As she concluded her performance, the whole auditorium erupted in applause, having witnessed an extraordinary performance that elevated the young girl to the status of a true diva.
Her performance was so powerful that it moved the judges. Supermodels Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara both gushed over her, with Klum calling her “perfect” and Vergara predicting that she would achieve “very, very far” in her career. Even though Simon Cowell is known for being extremely critical, he admitted that he couldn’t stomach the song but had to admire Evelyn’s incredible skill and drive nevertheless. He ended up deciding that the program should foster such grit after praising her “guts” for singing such a difficult tune. With three “yeses” and a clear road to her celebrity ambitions, Evelyn conquered the panel, even if one judge was initially resistant.
