Last modified: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 2:11 AM EST Brown in the spotlight BY LAUREN CARTER / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Local `` American Idol'' contestant Ayla Brown got her first taste of the national spotlight Tuesday night, as one of the show's Top 12 women to take the stage in the competition's first performance show. The 17-year-old Wrentham native was the fourth contestant to perform, singing `` Reflection'' by Christina Aguilera, off the soundtrack to the movie `` Mulan.'' It was a relatively intimate setting that featured the three celebrity judges, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, the show's Top 12 men sitting off to the side and a small crowd. Brown said the movie and the song are favorites of hers because they tell the story of a woman who, as the lone female in the army, has to overcome hardships, a feat Brown can relate to after playing boys' football for three years at King Philip Middle School, and struggling to earn respect. Apparently that personal connection to the song paid off. All three judges said they were pleasantly surprised by a performance that showed both vulnerability and emotion. `` I didn't expect it to be that good,'' Jackson said. Abdul agreed, saying she liked the fact that Brown made it `` her own song'' and `` worked the mic,'' calling the song a `` very ambitious undertaking.'' Even Cowell jumped on the Brown bandwagon. `` I think you're probably a hard worker, Ayla,'' he said. `` For the first time, for me, I saw some emotion, and I think that's very important. This time it was more real, so I think it was one of your better performances.'' After her performance, Brown said she had taken to heart the criticism she got back in Boston, where the judges commented on her stiff, polished performance style. She said she altered her style slightly, and pysched herself up. Brown also said that although she's loved `` Reflection'' ever since it came out, singing it that night was `` something different.'' `` I just feel so complete,'' she said. As for what the `` Idol'' audience thinks, the results will air live on Thursday night starting at 8 p.m., when two women and two men will be eliminated from the competition. The Top 12 contestants will be announced on March 9. The Top 12 men perform tonight in a two-hour show starting at 8 p.m. Brown is the daughter of state Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, and WCVB-TV newscaster Gail Huff. LAUREN CARTER can be reached at 508-236-0339 or at lcarter@thesunchronicle.com.