Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Truth about American Idol Auditions Part 5

Executive Producer Round, Continued

The People
As I stated before, I met many interesting people throughout my journey, as you can well understand.  Just a disclaimer before we start:  *if anyone appears here, please do NOT penalize them in any way, it's me posting about them, not them--- they signed release agreements but had no idea I was posting this about them and it's without their consent*.   I was refraining from mentioning too many details or people's names before, but I realize now that that's just not any fun.   :)   So here goes...

Let's backtrack a little, to Day 1.  I went with my friend and partner-in-crime Javier, who I have to tell you did fabulously.  He also at one point (we were delirious) strapped his iPhone to his backpack strap and walked around and filmed everything that happened to us for a couple of hours.  It was probably the most hilarious video ever made, so we will have to see if we can convince him to let me post some of it here.

On Day 2 Javier unfortunately didn't make it, so I lost him at the tables on the floor of the arena, but at that moment in my small group of 4 I met my first interesting person and pseudo-friend Reagan.  Reagan is gorgeous, blonde-hair, skinny, dressed like you would think Carrie Underwood might if she was just hanging about.  She sang a really sweet little Colbie Calliat song, and it was good.  Not amazing, but really solid.   She also dates Jeff Charleston, who plays for the New Orleans Saints and was an active player in the Superbowl that we won (WHO DAT), so the judges were eating her up for that.  She got a star, and a Y, two amazing things to have on the ticket, and I saw cameras interviewing and featuring her all day.  I'd be shocked if we didn't see something about her tonight.     The only other people I met throughout the interview and media training was this girl who was dressed as a sexy referree.  She's a personal nanny for a famous celebrity comedian who you definitely have heard of, so that made her interesting as well.  Plus she was dressed as a sexy referree.  I never heard her sing.  She fell asleep in media training, ha!  She asked me to "take notes for her".  I had the feeling she was the kind of girl in high school who asked nerds to do her homework.  There are a few crazies too, and a few super young 15 year old and 16 year old kids (with their parents),  but other than that I didn't talk to anyone much.    Mainly just people bragging about how amazing they were, and me trying to figure out if they were good or bad.

Day 3 (at the Hilton Riverside) is where, obviously, I met more of the people and made the more lasting relationships.  I already mentioned the people in costume,  (naughty referee was the other day so she wasn't there), but Pochahontas was okay, Dorothy left a PILE of red glitter EVERYWHERE she went,  Saintsation had a bunch of other real Saintsations with her so that was sort of cool (should have asked if they knew Reagan but didn't), and a fairy here and there.  Mostly just a bunch of New Orleans masks and feathers and things like that.  

Some people had possees.  Most people had one-three people with them.  There were less than 5 people that didn't have anybody with them (I was one of those people... I figured there was a really good chance I would not be portrayed favorably and I didn't want to bring my family along for that ride, plus you had to take off at this point 2 days of work for this whole thing)...  one girl in particular from Mississippi had over twenty people with her.  It was obvious who they were because the entire crowd was wearing hot pink and waving hot pink boas and signs and pictures of her face on them.  I can't imagine how much pressure I would feel if I had an entourage like that waiting for my golden ticket, but to each his/her own, I guess.  I can't remember her name, but I want to say something like Ashley or Caitlin, or one of those.  She was young.  She was good, from what I remember, and had some sort of previous experience, beauty pageants maybe.  I'd be shocked if they didn't feature her either, just by the size of her crowd.  And everyone knew at this point that the judges weren't going to be there (at least I think they had to have, unless they don't watch the show at all),  so to bring that many people that far just for another prelim round is very gutsy.  But at the same token, they probably don't say no to people who have that many people with them, and that might be another thing she was banking on.

We talked about Jorge,  he was the sweetest kid I've ever met.  He was so nervous and kept listening to his cd player (read, not mp3 player or iPod), but actual Discman, yes, it's true,  and even played his song for me.  He helped ease some of my fears and gave positive feedback to everyone around him.  I really like him and hope he reads this and tries to get in touch with me :)   I heard he made the Top 40 and am very pleased with that!   You will probably think he looks familiar, as I mentioned before, he was in some kind of Menudo search when he was even younger.  I think he's 16 or 17 now, but this was when he was 13 or 14.
You can view Jorge Gabriel here: (make sure you look at the Jorge Gabriel, 13 and not the one that just says Jorge). http://www.mtv.com/mtvsites/mtvtr3s/menudo/   - another one that I will be shocked not to see tonight.  

Jessica was the red-head who was beautiful and a cosmetologist, she brought along her husband and mother... not sure she'll be on tonight but she was very sweet.  She sang country music.

This girl, I cannot remember her name, but she was an AMAZING singer.  Everyone was singing or humming in the holding room.  Jessica at one point asked her what she sang, and she broke into SVW's Weak, "I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak..."  it stopped every single person, who immediately ceased singing/humming/playing guitar/talking about how great they were,  just to look at her and listen to her song.  Afterwards everyone erupted into mad applause.  It was seriously impressive.  You can see her in this clip, she's the girl in a black studded top and black leather pants with curly hair, who says something like "I'm like in a dream bubble."   -   Apparently she sings R&B in bars in her hometown, and is poor, but her community raised money for her to participate.  She did make it through the Exec producer round, and although she put up this "I'm tough, I sing R&B" image throughout the entire day, she started crying like a baby (and her grandparents, who were with her), and rightfully so.  Watch out for her tonight!  She reminds me of an older version of JoJo:   Turns out this was Erin Kelly!
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtK8nqNXe9M

There were a few guys who were the ringleaders of the guitar gang, and were playing, and singing all day, and were surrounded by a circle of other contestants.. They were wildly popular.  Everytime I looked at them I remembered previous seasons audition videos were people like David Cook & Ace were the ones doing that in their rooms, and look at how that turned out!  Neither of these boys (one had a bandana on) made it, everyone was SHOCKED.  They kept saying, "bandana guy didn't make it! WHAT!?"  or "if bandana guy can't make it, I'm done."

There was a really sweet red-head guy, who came with his mom and red-head sister who had some sort of problem where she had casts on both legs and was in a wheelchair. But she seemed in good spirits, and I did see him on the previews last night, so we're sure to see him as well.   I couldn't figure out all day whether he was good or bad, but I guess we'll find out!  Update... turns out this was none other than 16 year old Brett Loewenstern!

Finally, there was this girl who had been through the audition SEVERAL times before.  I think this was like fourth or fifth time auditioning.  She had been to Hollywood as well.  She gave everyone pointers, and kept talking about how this was her last year (she was 28, like me).  She was pretty bossy, also, but I guess that's just in her personality.   She was shown on the previews for tonight, her name escapes me, but Steven Tyler makes some comment about "where did you get those lips?".  The only thing I remember about her, other than her blonde hair and glasses, is that I think she had yellow painted nails.   Turns out that this was Sarah Sellers!   I had a pretty impressive group, right??

There were a few crazies too.  There was this one guy who kept showing off his Backstreet Boys songs and moves, and he made it through!   There of course was Flag guy, and he made it through also.  He very proudly gave a wack-job interview afterwards with his Grandmother and another lady, I think his aunt or Mother, who seemed to be kind of wacky as well.  I guess I expected that.  (I did a great job of picking the important people... they were the same ones who were featured on the show.   Smile/Flag Guy took up the first 15-20 seconds of the New Orleans episode).

If I find more pictures or videos of people I know or recognize, I will be sure to post them here as well.

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