North Haven’s Gabi Carrubba Breezes Through ‘American Idol’ Group Day

So this is what happens when you avoid backbiting, vomiting and parental interference during group day on “American Idol”: you breeze through like North Haven resident Gabi Carrubba did on Wednesday’s show.

She and her group, Hollywood 5, performed a smooth, well-rehearsed version of “Mercy” by Welsh singer Duffy. Judge Jennifer Lopez swayed in her seat, Randy Jackson chuckled appreciatively and Steven Tyler did some witchy arm-waving.

“You’re all through to the next round,” Jackson said when it was over, prompting an outburst of excited squealing and jumping up and down.

Their song was a rare bright spot on a show full of train-wreck performances, as singers blanked on lyrics, sang wildly off-key and, in the case of Melody Armadi, collapsed onstage during her group’s performance. In other words, it was business as usual for this season of “Idol.”

Her competence is part of why Carrubba, 16, a senior at North Haven High School, hasn’t gotten much screen time over the past several weeks, though she was certainly thrilled to show up Wednesday.

“It felt amazing to see myself on TV,” Carrubba told FoxCT’s George Colli Wednesday. “It reminded me how awesome it felt to move on with everyone I love in the Hollywood 5.”

She credits a bond formed during auditions in Savannah, Ga., with the lack of histrionics in her group.

“We just knew that in order to get through to the next round and to achieve our dream we had to stay away from all that drama,” Carrubba told Colli. “We had to stay healthy.”

Staying healthy hasn’t been easy for many of the contestants as a flu bug swept through “Idol” nearly as fast as the virus in “Contagion.” Carrubba and her team had a simple strategy: avoid the Idol contestants’ buffet in favor of going out to eat.

The drama may ratchet up for Carrubba, though: “I’m not trying to bash anyone, I just feel like I’m pulling the weight of the group,” she says in a teaser for the next episode, when the candidates head to Las Vegas.

“American Idol” continues Thursday at 8 p.m. on FoxCT.