TUESDAY JUNE 26, 2007 07:30 AM EDT


Think you've got what it takes to win American Idol? Can you see yourself as the next golden-throated superstar adored by millions? Confident you could survive Simon Cowell's insulting jibes and mean-spirited put-downs?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then get in line.

The immensely popular FOX talent hunt has just scheduled its new audition times and places in seven cities across the country. They are:

• San Diego: July 30 at Qualcomm Stadium
• Dallas: Aug. 6 at Texas Stadium
• Omaha: Aug. 10 at Qwest Center
• Atlanta: Aug. 14 at a location to be announced
• Charleston, SC: Aug. 18 at N. Charleston Coliseum
• Miami: Aug. 22 at AmericanAirlines Arena
• Philadelphia: Aug. 27 at Wachovia Center

Thousands of hopefuls are expected to attend – although in a move considered a possible swipe at big-city folks, the New York Post reports that New Yorkers face a two-hour drive to the nearest tryout town, Philadelphia.

Los Angeles hopefuls will need to travel south some three to four hours, to San Diego.

Next season's Idol – its seventh edition – is set to start in January 2008.

Jordin Sparks, who triumphed in the most recent May 23 Idol finale, started on her journey at a Seattle tryout – so anything can happen.

dang it i wanted them to come to memphis again so i could go watch the funny people. lol. oh well they will come back. I hope

ho-hum!

:rotfl:

Hey, it's season lucky 7. Maybe they should relocate the show to Las Vegas this year? :) lol

I hope they find some talent in my home town-Philly!

I have been watching CI again this year. I enjoy CI so much more, it seems younger, more edge, more organic, less over produced and scripted, and the judges interaction between themselves, and between those auditioning is very different then AI.

Or maybe I enjoy it more because I can vote.

This article makes an interesting comparison.
Link to complete article:

http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca:80/.../070619_idol_JC

Last part of article . . .
. . . But fashion sense, 80s hair, tastefully decorated homes, “my vagina is angry” speeches – these are not what give our Canadian judges the upper hand. What does: something called “tact.”
Case in point – an older, heavyset dude comes in to audition. He does a hilariously bad singing routine, accompanied by a lot of snapping. Do the judges tell him he’s awful and deluded? No. They snap along, thank him for being so entertaining, and politely suggest that perhaps he’s not quite right for this competition. The laughter his performance induces is appreciative, not mocking.

Canadian Idol judges set a tone of inclusiveness and respect. They put kids through that American Idol would have sent packing – not for lack of talent, but for lack of fitting in to the rigid “pop star” niche Idol refuses to deviate from. The emo-looking kid with the guitar who sang, not a Dashboard Confessional chanson, but “This Magic Moment”; the girl with the red hair and crazy shirt who played the keyboard; they got their gold tickets. Those who were rejected didn’t have expletive-laden tantrums or throw water at the judges (or if they did, it wasn’t televised).

What a boring show, right? Wrong. It was fun and entertaining, and didn’t make me cringe.

You have secured another viewer for your television program, Canadian Idol producers. You have won me over with a delightful, dare I say “Canadian” mélange of kindness and discretion. I hope you will continue to learn form the missteps of our neighbours to the south, because I will turn the TV off like that if you do a Bee Gees tribute episode.

I did notice that when watching the show. AI seems to be sticking to the strong sarcasam and sometimes downright meaness towards the contestants. However, I have a strong feeling that a great deal of these things are scripted or they are told to act overly dramatic.

I wonder how many bad renditions of WFY people are gonna try? :rotfl:

LOL!

The good side of this is that Simon will hear Elliott's wonderful lyrics over and over and over.

:agreed: