Thousands Flock to Omaha for 'American Idol' Auditions


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Thousands Flock to Omaha for 'American Idol' Auditions

Thousands strong, they came from far and wide for a fleeting chance at fame.

Or, at the very least, to briefly live their "American Idol" dream.

"I got here Wednesday, and it's been an adventure and a half," said Steve Ice, who had garnered a choice spot near the front of the audition line outside Qwest Center Omaha early Friday morning.

Primed to sing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man," the Lawrence , Kan. , resident was among an estimated 8,000 people "American Idol" producers expected to hear in Omaha . They were vying for a spot on season seven of the Fox television show.

If he impresses the judges on Friday, Ice will be invited back to Omaha next month for round 2 and, he hopes, round 3, to audition before Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Recent auditions in San Diego and Dallas each brought crowds of 12,000 to 14,000, but a show producer said he was not disappointed with the lower turnout in Omaha _ the smallest city and the only Midwestern city to host an "Idol" audition so far.

"We didn't know what we were going to get," said senior producer Patrick Lynn. "We've never really been to the center of the country before."

Omaha popped up on the radar as an audition site in part because of Dan Mirvish, director of the 1995 film " Omaha the Movie." Lynn said he knows Mirvish and had heard good things about the city from him.

"I think we're going to find good talent in Omaha ," Lynn said. "We have a really good feeling."

That talent could come from Joe Vercellino or Haylie Miller, both of Midland , Mich.

The self-described street performers said they ran into members of Third Eye Blind, who were in the city for a concert, at an Omaha restaurant and performed for them.

"We're just in it to have a good time," Miller said, but added that fame and fortune would be welcome, too.

In coming weeks, auditions will be held in Atlanta ; Charleston , S.C. ; Miami and Philadelphia . The show returns to the air in January.

"We're going to all of them," said Mike Acton of Lawrence , Kan. , who had been turned down in Dallas earlier this week and in Austin , Texas , during auditions for season two.

Situated near the front of the line that started forming about 5 a.m., Acton said he was prepared for a long day. When he auditioned in Dallas , the whole process _ from arriving at the Texas Stadium until his 15-second audition was over _ took more than 12 hours.

Acton 's fellow auditioners were sure that he would advance to the next round this time, but even if he doesn't, the trip to Omaha won't be a bust.

"It's a great town," he said. "You can actually walk through the streets and not fear of dying."

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