Thousands Flock to Philly for 'American Idol' Tryout


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Thousands Flock to Philly for 'American Idol' Tryout

Some had been to one after another after another.

If they didn't make the cut at the first "American Idol" audition, they went to the next city, and so on, until they reached the sixth and last during the weekend in Philadelphia .

Fortunately for two of them, they are superheroes, or, at least, the Wonder Woman and Batgirl costumes they donned depicted them as such.

The two long, lean stiletto women who arrived late yesterday for auditions received the nod from producers, the front-end judges who said which "Idol" competitors will likely be used for viewer fodder during season seven of the so-called star-maker show. The pair was among a few hundred approved to compete later this week in the next round of auditions.

Perhaps they'll receive the highly sought public celebration, or humiliation, which the Fox network hit, is famous for.

Record turnout: They were among thousands who sought celebrity status during the three-day audition period. An estimated 20,000 participants turned out for the

record-setting event that bested the show's all-time registration record, said Ryan Seacrest, "Idol" host.

Seacrest said all of Los Angeles is "abuzz" with talk of the turnout, the desire of participants reaching for a chance in the spotlight, a moment before celebrity judges -- or at least increased gigs in their hometowns.

But for many, the event that began before sunrise Saturday and ended yesterday evening brought nothing more than disappointment. Some participants perceived their spot in the bottom 19,500 as failure, exiting Wachovia Center in tears.

Back to normal life: Katie Robinette, a 24-year-old singer from Red Lion, was close to the next round, but was turned away after a 12-hour wait yesterday. She said weeks ago that she'd always shied away from the show, but gave in for the heck of it, at the request of friends and fans and family. Of course, she also had hope that maybe the road to her dream of working in the industry could be shorter.

"This was the first and last time," Robinette said yesterday afternoon after her audition. "It's reality TV. And that's something I've kept in mind all along; it's something I said to (fellow competitors) when we were inside."

The comrades she'd met in line included 22-year-old Allison Heroy from South Bend , Ind. Heroy drove 10 hours for the audition. She called in sick to make the trip, hoping every mile of the way that Patsy Cline's "Crazy" would woo the judges.

"If I don't make it, it will be a long drive home," she said yesterday before sunrise.

By 8 p.m., she was headed home with an expected arrival at 4 a.m. This morning, she arrived at the bank where she works for an eight-hour day.

Toledo , Ohio , native Calen Savidge also headed home. The 22-year-old and his wife, Sarah, were awake 68 hours by the time they'd registered Saturday. They'd driven all night, too, to make the deadline. He hasn't performed for long, but the folk-ballad singer said he figured he'd give it a shot.

If nothing else, he'd hoped for a few extra bookings in the coffee shops back home.

Some going on: There were first-round winners, too, like Alexis Brown, a 26-year-old Providence, R.I., woman whose eyes welled with tears when she stepped out of the "winners' doors." Among the first contestants fed to the press, Brown talked with second-season "American Idol" finalist Kimberly Caldwell, who now hosts a couple of TV Guide Channel shows.

Many of the first-round picks said all was a blur, which they hardly remembered what they said or sang or did. They couldn't believe the crush of media, the lights, the cameras, the questions. All of it promises yet another successful and lucrative season of "American Idol," Robinette says.

"I've done it, but I can't say it was a learning experience," she said and laughed about the past weekend. "Now I can share my 'Idol' story with everyone else, and I'll be back at the Roosevelt Tavern, at the Harp & Fiddle this weekend doing what I do."

AMERICAN IDOL NEWS

Josh, Bucky and Phil’s 4th of July Performances

Second Season’s Josh Gracin will spend July 4^th in McKinney, Texas for a show at Craig Ranch before returning home to spend the remainder of the long weekend with family in Tennessee.

Season 5’s Bucky Covington will play the Red, White and Boom Festival in Lexington, Kentucky on July 4. (One can only imagine that if Bucky were at home in Nashville over the holiday, he’d be waterskiing or motorbiking around.)

Finally, Season 6’s Phil Stacey will play the Wild West Fest in Hays, Kansas on July 4 before vacationing with family in Oklahoma.

Check out Josh's profile, Bucky's transformation gallery and Phil's latest interview with us.

Jordin, Kat and Taylor Perform for 4th of July

This year’s Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks Spectacular will feature the singing talent of two American Idols: AI Season 6 winner, Jordin Sparks and AI Season 5 Runner-up Katharine McPhee! Jordin will be performing her latest single, “One Step at a Time” and Katharine, who is working on her second album, will perform “Save The Last Dance For Me.”

Meanwhile, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, AI Season winner Taylor Hicks will perform at the 2008 Fourth of July Concert in Washington, D.C.

Check out the transformation galleries for Jordin, Kat and Taylor. See how they changed over their season on Idol!

Paris Bennett Is Mom To Be

Season 5’s Paris Bennett is pregnant with her first, according to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Paris, who will be 20 years old when the baby arrives in October, is maintaining her privacy with details including the identity of the father.

According to the Star-Tribune, some high profile celebrities have said they will be attending the August baby shower with the intention of spoiling the baby mercilessly, with or without Paris' permission. Queen Latifah reportedly told Paris, “You’re the Princess, I’m the Queen!”

Since finishing fifth place on American Idol, “Princess P” as Ryan Seacrest liked to call her, released a debut album, “Princess P” on May 8, 2007.

Check out our Season 5 transformation photo gallery for the new mom!

Who Will Be The Next Singing Superstar? Auditions for the eighth season of American Idol begin Thursday, July 17, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA, and will continue in seven other cities. Once again, auditioners will have an extraordinary opportunity to perform before millions of TV viewers and become household names, with one winning the coveted American Idol title and a major recording contract. The official docs for the auditions are as follows: FAQs Rules Release Form Guardian Release Form Auditions will be held as follows: Thursday, July 17 San Francisco, CA The Cow Palace Monday, July 21 Louisville, KY Freedom Hall Friday, July 25 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena Tuesday, July 29 Salt Lake City, UT EnergySolutions Arena Saturday, August 2 San Juan, Puerto Rico Coliseo de Puerto Rico Friday, August 8 Kansas City, MO TBD Wednesday, August 13 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena Tuesday, August 19 East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center at the Meadowlands Specific information for the San Francisco auditions is below. More details for the additional audition cities will be announced shortly. San Francisco American Idol Auditions WHO: Men and women 16-28 years old as of July 15, 2008, who are eligible to work in the U.S. Some restrictions apply – please visit americanidol.com for specific information. WHERE: The Cow Palace 2600 Geneva Ave. Daly City, CA 94014 WHEN: Thursday, July 17 HOW: Wristbands will be distributed from 7:00 AM on Tuesday, July 15 until 8:00 AM on Thursday, July 17. Auditioners will not be permitted to camp out; therefore, once they obtain their wristbands, they will be asked to return to the Cow Palace on Thursday, July 17. Take a look at some of our favorite photos from Season 7's Auditions!

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