‘Looking for superstars:’ American Idol to hold virtual auditions in Kansas on Tuesday
FILE PHOTO by Audrey Korte/The Sunflower
Charity Bush, a WSU senior, asks one of the American Idol staffers a question before her audition in Wichita in September 2019. She hoped her regular vocal performances at her Wichita church would give her an edge over the competition. Though she wasn’t chosen to move to the next round, she said the experience was awesome.
“American Idol” will hold open virtual auditions in Kansas on Tuesday.
The auditions will be held via Zoom, marking the first-ever live, virtual nationwide search for the next Idol. The remote auditions are expected to take places across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
To register, visit americanidol.com/auditions. After registering, “American Idol” will email all candidates a Zoom link to the “Idol Across America” video conference. Candidates can expect to be greeted by “American Idol” producer Patrick Lynn, who will then further explain the process.
“You’ll go live with a producer, they will talk to you, find out a little bit about your story and listen to you sing,” Lynn said regarding the virtual process. “Then, they’ll basically tell you what the next steps are going to be.”
Lynn said there could be unexpected issues because of technology, like poor signal and/or sound, but he doesn’t believe it will be a major hurdle.
“We’re listening. We know that sometimes audio isn’t always the best. But we are looking for superstars — that’s sort of the cliche line that we like to say, but it’s actually true,” Lynn said. “I think on Zoom, it kind of forces you into putting your best foot forward.”
Lynn recommends candidates to look at the camera and to smile. He also recommends singing standing up, not behind a desk.
“It’s not just about singing on Idol, it’s about your personality too. So, you have to perform,” Lynn said. “…You can’t just sit there and sing and hope that it goes well, you really have to pour your heart into it.”
Open auditions will begin at 11 a.m. and will end at around 6 p.m. Kansas who miss the time slot tomorrow will be able to register for any of the other audition days “American Idol” is planning across the country, Lynn said.
“It couldn’t be easier to audition,” Lynn said. “We’ve been doing this for more than a few states so far, and it really seems to work. I mean, it obviously has its limitations and drawbacks, but we are all in this together, we are all trying to make this work, and we definitely want to make sure that we represent everybody in the country.”
Karen Galindo was a reporter for The Sunflower. She majored in electronic media and minored in political science and international studies. For her future,...
