It was a bit ironic that the audience of the American Idols in Concert at the American Music Theatre was missing its favorite TV show Wednesday night.

But the crowd didn't seem to mind.

It turns out that President Obama's televised address on Tuesday had postponed "American Idol" for one evening. So instead of watching this week's episode of Season 8's American Idol, Lancaster audiences got to see and hear some past season idol finalists up close and in person.

     SLIDESHOW: 'American Idol' stars at AMT

Season 6 finalists Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey and Gina Glocksen, along with Season 7 finalist Chikezie, entertained the nearly full house with an array of songs. Some were from their "American Idol" performances, while others were from their albums.

Stacey even joked with audience members, telling them that his wife was watching "American Idol" at home and it was "a really great show."

As it turns out, you don't have to be number one to make a big impression.

Doolittle came in third, Stacey in sixth and Glocksen in ninth in Season 6, while Chikezie was in 10th place in Season 7.

If Simon, Paula and Randy had been there last night, they surely would have liked what they heard.

The four performers were supportive and cohesive as they provided backup for each other, sang duets and added a touch of humor. Glocksen laughed as she told Stacey, "You are so weird." Doolittle turned up the heat for a sound tech named Neil, who was celebrating his 30th birthday and sat on stage for her rendition of "W-O-M-A-N" in her resounding voice.

In fact, it was obvious that the petite singer epitomized the saying that big things come in small packages. Doolittle's voice was a powerhouse as she sang "My Declaration," a song from her new album. She was also a force to be reckoned with in the opening medley of Motown hits like "My Guy" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," which was performed by all four Idols.

She also showed her very tender side, when she sang the classic "My Funny Valentine," a song she had sung on "American Idol." It was a touching moment from the idol contender who was often told that she was almost too nice.

Glocksen, with her red-streaked dark hair and ankle tattoo, proved that she, too, was a sweetheart. She told the audience that she had just gotten married and Season 6 "American Idol" winner Jordan Sparks had sung a special song at her wedding. Glocksen then sang that song, a gorgeous version of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" in a way that would have made the Beatles proud.

One of the shining moments of the concert was when Glocksen and Doolittle sang "For Good" from the Broadway musical, "Wicked," a song first sung by Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel about early days of the witches from the "Wizard of Oz." It was a heartfelt performance from what Glocksen called "my favorite musical."

Glocksen and Stacey showed that they were singers and songwriters too.

Glocksen performed "Just Me," a song she had written about letting go of a bad relationship. Stacey put his patriotism as a U.S. Navy veteran on stage with his composition, "Old Glory."

Chikezie brought the audience to its feet with his lively performance of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." They were soon singing along to "...alright now, alright now..."

And as the concert closed with Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," followed up by an autograph signing by the idols, it was clear that the only thing that could take "American Idol" fans away from their favorite TV show was getting to see, hear and meet them in person.