From the moment she began her rendition of the Roy Orbison classic "Blue Bayou," Worcester native Alisan Porter had the listener's attention. Appearing in a promotional video for the NBC singing competition "The Voice," Porter's voice is strong and smoky, echoing Orbison's distinctive emotional resonance and yet also making the song her own.

Her audition opened strong, and she appeared less a TV show hopeful than a consummate professional. As soon as she hit the chorus, judges Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton had hit their buzzers, indicating they each wanted her on their team. The final judge, Christina Aguilera, waited to hear the entire verse, but she hit her buzzer, too. Indeed, when Porter finished, Levine went up to hug her, and Aguilera went further, sitting on the stairs in front of her, staring up at her adoringly.

"OK, I'll go sit down because now I feel like your stalker fan," joked Aguilera, after Porter introduced herself. "Remember who sat up on stage and worshiped you." Indeed, the judges had nothing but praise for Porter, each practically groveling to get her to join their team. "That was the most beautiful, flawless, passionate, pitch-perfect thing I have ever heard in my entire life," said Levine. "I'm astonished by you. You're going to win 'The Voice,' and I believe you can do it on my team."

















Which team did she pick? Viewers will have to find out when the new season begins at 8 p.m. Feb. 29 on NBC, airing on Mondays and Tuesdays. A representative from NBC could not confirm which episode Porter would appear on, but one thing is certain: Porter's audition made an impact, bringing both the judges and the audience to their feet.

One person who knew Porter would be a showstopper was her her grandmother, Charlotte Klein. Klein — a Worcester native who founded The Charlotte Klein Dance Centers and who now, like, Porter, lives in California — can be seen on the video, standing offstage in the wings with the rest of Porter's family, applauding gleefully at her granddaughter's bravura performance. When asked what she was feeling watching Porter perform, she responded, "Are you kidding? Extreme pride!"



Klein says that Porter began singing at an early age, adding that "she danced at my studio when she was really young. She was on 'Star Search' and a five-time junior champion on that. She's been singing ever since. Got married, had two children and is still singing." In addition to "Star Search" — which Aguilera is also a veteran of —Porter appeared as a child star in the John Hughes film "Curly Sue" and on Broadway in the musical "Chorus Line," a show her mother, Laura Klein-Weiner, performed in 30 years prior. Although she's sung some locally in California, Porter has been out of the limelight for some time, having become disenchanted with acting.

When asked if she thought the pressure of the audition pushed her granddaughter to make such a spectacular performance, Klein said, "I think that’s just her. That’s just the way she performs. She puts everything she has into it, and that’s really who she is. She's a very passionate performer."



Jessica Cabral, a Worcester native who now lives in Los Angeles and who recently competed on "American Idol," says that Porter has a "beautiful voice, especially in that high register! If she can cross over and sing other styles she could do really well in this competition!" Likewise, Worcester musician Sam James, who competed previously on "The Voice," says, "I think her voice and delivery are amazing. She crushed that audition. I am a fan for sure. We may have to do a Worcester show together!"

Klein says she was gratified by the response people in Worcester had to Porter's performance. "I may live 3,000 miles away," she says, "but my heart is still in Worcester."



Email Victor D. Infante at Victor.Infante@Telegram.com and follow him on Twitter @ocvictor.