LI's Christian Guardino now in 'American Idol' Top 7 

Patchogue's Christian Guardino made it into the Top 7 on "American Idol" Sunday night on the strength of his performance of "Circle of Life" from "The Lion King." Guardino's rendition got a standing ovation from the judges on the themed edition of the show on which competitors performed songs from Disney animated musicals.

Set against a backdrop of deep-red clouds moving behind a giant sun, the legally blind 22-year-old contestant performed that anthemic opening number from the Academy Award-winning 1994 animated feature, its 2019 CGI remake and the long-running, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. As he sang the soaring Elton John-Tim Rice tune, audience members waved their arms like savannah grass in the wind. A quartet of backup singers accompanied Guardino, with the performance concluding in pyrotechnic eruptions of white light.

Guardino, whose parents Beth and Nino Guardino applauded from the wings, earned a standing ovation from judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

"We were, like, 'Gosh, we hope he nails this,' and you nailed it," Bryan told the Patchogue-Medford High School graduate. "Like, you sang it perfectly."

"Tonight you were standing totally in your light," enthused Richie. "You actually were shining bright. Amazing! Amazing performance."

And Perry, costumed like Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," told Guardino, "Before you started the song, I was, like, 'Oh, this is a whole bit, and I hope he doesn't, like, overdo it.' It was perfect," she concluded. "It was a perfect 'Circle.' It was, I think, your best performance yet. And you did 'confidence,' friend."

Throughout the judges' accolades, a near-speechless Guardino could only repeat "Thank you, thank you so much."

In a moment of suspense as the closing credits rolled, Guardino was the final singer chosen for the Top 7, with Emyrson Flora, Lady K (née Kezia Istonia) and Mike Parker eliminated.

Guardino had impressed the judges at his Nashville audition earlier this year with his rendition of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You." Progressing to the Hollywood Week shows, he delivered a winning performance of Billie Eilish's "My Future," followed by a powerful duet with fellow contestant Nicolina Bozzo on Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer." The following night he delivered a stunning "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon.

His subsequent April 17 performance of the John Lennon classic "Imagine" brought Perry to tears and sent Guardino to the top 14, which he celebrated with a rendition of Radiohead's "Creep." His soulful version of Hozier's "Take Me to Church" on April 24 advanced him to the Top 11, and he breached the Top 10 last Monday with Sam Smith's "I'm Not the Only One."

On Monday's show, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, two of the three founding judges of "American Idol" when it launched in 2002, return for a reunion episode. Former contestants Lauren Alaina, Kris Allen, Laci Kaye Booth, David Cook, Laine Hardy, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Grace Kinstler, Scotty McCreery, Maddie Poppe, Jordin Sparks, Willie Spence and Ruben Studdard were also scheduled to be on the show.