FOX

There apparently weren't too many Jesus fans in the audience last night.

Although she positively rocked the title track from Jesus Christ Superstar on an evening dedicated to the work of musical-theater titan Andrew Lloyd Webber, Carly Smithson was eliminated from American Idol Wednesday, leaving five aspiring popsters in the mix to become the next big thing.

"I'm very proud of myself—I'm not upset that I'm going home," said the Irish-born songstress, who earlier in the competition was told more than once that she needed to lighten up.

To which Simon Cowell, always the antidiplomat, replied, "Well, you should be."

Despite being one of Smithson's more vocal critics, Cowell was ultimately a strong supporter of the 24-year-old singer, who was on her second Idol journey after a visa complication prematurely ended her first run in season five.

It was almost "One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many" for the sprightly 21-year-old, who joined Smithson in one of the least-deserving bottom twos in recent memory, even though 24 hours before she had hit the jaunty tune from Webber's Starlight Express out of the park.

Maybe the low quality of Jason Castro's performance caused a temporary stupor that prevented people from picking up the phone.

But while everyone was trying to forget Castro's rough, albeit doe-eyed, manhandling of "Memory" from Cats, one of the most famous stage ballads of all time, no one could stop buzzing about Brooke White.

Webber had been especially psyched for White's performance, expounding on how connected she was to the music and how lovely her voice sounded.

"In the dress rehearsals, she was flawless," the composer told Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

And upon further review, White's take on "You Must Love Me" from Evita did evoke the big-screen Madonna version, but her composure never recovered from her start-stop opening hitch—a misstep similar to the one that plagued her on '80s night, when she performed the Police's "Every Breath You Take."

"You must never start and stop," Paula Abdul told White afterward.

But both Cowell and Randy Jackson said they probably would have done the same thing, and maybe the voters agreed.

So even though her faux pas turned ”You Must Love Me" into a literal plea for acceptance, the sweet-natured nanny from Arizona gets the chance to start again. Literally.

"I really wish that wouldn't have happened, but it just did," White said tonight. "I didn't take too much time to think about it, I just went by instinct."

Also golden were David Cook and David Archuleta, polar opposites in style yet currently Siamese twins as far as the fans' love is concerned.

In addition to a group performance of "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera, Cowell protégé Leona Lewis stopped by to perform her single "Bleeding Love" off the erstwhile chart topper Spirit, which was dethroned this week by Mariah Carey's E=MC2.

Next week, the Top Five mix it up with mentor-for-a-day Neil Diamond. He and Natasha Bedingfield will perform on Wednesday's elimination show.