Photo: Becker/FOX

While cutting down the final 54 hopefuls that will move on to semi-final competition on last night’s American Idol, the judges told onetime major-label singer Joanna Pacitti, “We all believe you deserve the chance” and gave her a pass to final 36. But by this morning, Pancitti was gone: “It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition,” reads a statement released by Fox. “American Idol contestant Felicia Barton has replaced Ms. Pacitti as part of the Top 36.” Pacitti, who had ties to bigwigs at Idol-affiliated 19 Entertainment and other biz players like Interscope honcho Ron Fair, notably forgot the words to nearly every song she performed during Hollywood Week, which the judges had said would lead to automatic expulsion.

To amp up the drama of last night’s show, producers moved the final cuts to an L.A. mansion and forced five pairs of singers to croon on the spot in a sing-off sudden death. That meant lots of shots of tortured emo diva Nathaniel Marshall and a final showdown between the show’s two working stiffs, roughneck Michael Sarver and welder Matt Breitzke. And wouldn’t you know it, they both get a yes! What a nice message for hard-working Americans in the midst of a recession. The American dream lives! Thanks, Idol!

In other news, it’s nice to see Idol isn’t waiting for those pesky things called commercial breaks to air Ford ads — banners wrapped across the screen during particularly emotional celebrations, like single mom Alexis Grace’s teary reunion with her toddler daughter. So where do we go from here? Each week for the next three, groups of 12 contestants will sing on Tuesday and face elimination on Wednesday. On March 5th, the anxiously awaited wildcard will return, and the judges’ picks will fight to get back into the competition.

Visually impaired singer Scott MacIntyre is moving on to the top 36 (”We’ll see you again,” proclaimed Kara DioGuardi), as are Rock Daily favorites Anoop Desai and Norman Gentle (before he got the news, he promised “I’d even wear a bikini like Bikini Girl”). Unfortunately, so is national nightmare Tatiana Del Toro, who entered the judgment room with “Oh my God, I’m alive, is this it?” After the requisite humiliating montage of the finalists dancing awkwardly to the Pussycat Dolls’ “When I Grow Up,” it was.

Here’s the final 36:

Alexis Grace
Allison Iraheta
Ann Marie Boskovich
Arianna Afsar
Casey Carlson
Felicia Barton
Jackie Tohn
Jasmine Murray
Jeanine Vailes
Jessie Langseth
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Lil Rounds
Megan Corkrey
Mishavonna Henson
Stevie Wright
Tatiana Nicole Del Toro
Taylor Vaifanua

Adam Lambert
Alexander Wagner-Trugman
Anoop Desai
Brent Keith
Danny Gokey
Jorge Nunez
Ju’Not Joyner
Kai Kalama
Kris Allen
Matt Breitzke
Matt Giraud
Michael Sarver
Nathaniel Marshall
Nick Mitchell
Ricky Braddy
Scott MacIntyre
Stephen Fowler
Von Smith