Broadway night on 'Dancing with the Stars' brings 1 more elimination

LOS ANGELES -- The bright neon lights that famously shine on Broadway illuminated the ballroom for week nine of "Dancing with the Stars."

The six remaining couples first performed to Broadway show tunes, before pairing up for a "team-up" challenge. Two-time mirror-ball champ Mark Ballas returned to DWTS, not to dance but to sing. He's currently starring in "Jersey Boys" on Broadway, and performed two songs from the show. Tony winner Idina Menzel not only performed, she also sat in at the judges' table.

Here's a rundown of the night's scores, from highest to lowest:

Laurie Hernandez - 40 out of 40 for solo; 40 out of 40 for team up = 80 total

Laurie is assigned the cell block tango from "Chicago" for her routine (an Argentine tango actually). And Val lets her know right away he's going to use the "S" word a lot this week... sexy! And the 16-year-old giggles just about every time he says it (adorable). They actually go to NYC to see the Broadway show and Laurie gets to see firsthand how she should be performing this dance. One move from the Broadway dancer made Laurie think of smearing peanut butter on Val (again, adorable). Carrie Ann Inaba loved that the dance allowed Laurie to show all of her strength; Julianne Hough thought the routine showed off Laurie's flexibility and power; Bruno Tonioli called her a deadly delinquent who was guilty of killing the tango; and Idina advised Laurie not to worry about being sexy; she has that just by being her confident beautiful self.

Jana Kramer - 40 out of 40 for solo; 40 out of 40 for team up = 80 total

The evening's other perfect score belongs to Jana and Gleb, who almost didn't dance because of an injury. Jana was extra emotional this week, not only because of the prospect of Alan replacing Gleb, but because she let us know how much this show has helped her regain her confidence after a tough patch in her personal life. Julianne said they showed beautiful storytelling with their waltz that was captivating and authentic; Bruno thinks their partnership is a dream; Carrie Ann thanked Jana for sharing her life with us through dance; and Idina loved the complexity of the routine.

Terra Jole - 38 out of 40 for solo; 36 out of 40 for team up = 74 total

Last week the judges told Terra and Sasha they felt they had been seeing the same steps over and over; Terra took that to heart and promised she would change that with their Charleston. Terra has always been a confident person but she says DWTS has boosted her even more; getting into the finals would mean she is able to conquer anything. All of the judges praised Terra's performance abilities; Carrie Ann told Terra she brings it to the ballroom every single week; and Julianne thinks the spotlight is too small for Terra.

Calvin Johnson Jr. - 37 out of 40 for solo; 37 out of 40 for team up = 74 total

Calvin, aka Megatron, is nothing but a good sport. He doesn't put up a fight or act the least bit embarrassed when Lindsey asks him to get into full "Cats" mode when they go to NYC. Calvin obliges and puts on the one-piece body suit (but NOT the dance belt), plus full makeup. He's a pro who knows you have go for what you want, and go all the way, if you want to reach a goal. Julianne thought their waltz was smooth and graceful and one of his best dances; Bruno called him majestic; and Idina said she could see why he was an amazing athlete in the first place.

James Hinchcliffe - 36 out of 40 for solo; 37 out of 40 for team up = 73 total

James had to perform Sharna-less again this week. Her knee is still banged up and she doesn't want to risk it. Sharna lets us know it's bittersweet to see James dancing with someone else, even if they did get a perfect score last week. Jenna steps in for their jazz routine tonight and one small mistake on James' part knocked him down a bit this week. However, Bruno told James he has such versatility and skill he can master and inhabit every dance style; and Julianne reiterated her comment from week three that James belongs on Broadway.

Marilu Henner - 36 out of 40 for solo; 36 out of 40 for team up = 72 total

Marilu and Derek had a rocky time last week but they showed us for this round of dancing that they'd worked through any drama. She says they are like family and feels like the duo is on the upswing. The judges went nuts for their samba, with Julianne saying Marilu looked free and it seemed she was having the time of her life in the ballroom; Bruno called the routine bright and sizzling; and Carrie Ann thought with this dance Marilu gave us her best yet.

There were no duds in the bunch so it was going to be tough no matter who was being sent home. On the "safe" list: Laurie, Terra, James and Calvin.

That put Jana and Marilu in jeopardy, and this week nine is when we had to say goodbye to Marilu Henner.

Next week: the semifinals!