1,500 line up for shot at 'Idol'

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Armed with gear for daytime humidity (bikinis, tank tops, shorts) and overnight cool (blankets, sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses), "American Idol" contestants — about 1,500 at last count — descended upon Aloha Stadium yesterday, from the wee hours on into the night.

Mandy McNair of Rexburg, Idaho, thinks advertising may better her odds in the "American Idol 3" auditions today at Aloha Stadium. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Some grabbed microphones supplied by local radio stations and belted out impromptu auditions that blared over the heavy-duty speakers to anyone who cared to listen (and even those who didn't).

Other contestants tried to seize the moment — walking behind anyone who looked official and breaking into song in hope of making an impression.

The selection process doesn't officially kick off until this morning, when the auditions are held inside the stadium with the show's producers.

Everyone will get a chance to sing at least a verse. From there, it could be a quick trip home after spending the night in line, or it could be on to this weekend's finals and a chance to audition in front of "Idol" judges Simon Cowell, Paul Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Those who impress — or puzzle — the judges may be asked to put on a longer performance. During last year's tryouts, runner-up Clay Aiken sang several songs for the judges. At the time, Cowell didn't believe the voice he was hearing was coming from Aiken's body.

The overnight hopefuls' battle cry: Whatever it takes.

"I'm doing this as a challenge to myself," said Crystal Mateo, 19, the first local in line. Mateo, a Kamehameha Schools graduate who attends the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, had been wrist-banded by 8 a.m., meaning she gets a chance to appear before a panel of producers.

Anyone in line by 8 a.m. today will have a shot at the first phase of the first-ever Hawai'i scouting mission by the "Idol" producers. If you arrive at 8:01 a.m., you'll have to wait until next year.

"It's just something you gotta do," Mateo said of sitting in line, perhaps prompted by the fact that she was getting firsthand tips from Jordan Segundo, an "Idol" contestant from the second season earlier this year. Segundo spent part of yesterday morning chatting with Mateo and other friends in the morning sun.

Jason Andino, left, William Gilmore IV and Frankie Connolly of Las Vegas, the first in line yesterday morning, spent some time practicing. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

It is definitely not a cinch that a Hawai'i contestant will make it past the auditions. Many in line yesterday traveled across the country, as well as over the ocean, to audition.

Three Las Vegas buddies, hungry for stardom, were first in line. They came to the stadium directly from the airport.

William Gilmore IV, 21, a massage therapist, here with pals Jason Andino, 21, in the cell phone accessories business, and Frankie Connolly, 23, who works at The Cheesecake Factory in Las Vegas, said they first tried lining up at noon Sunday and were scooted away.

"We tried two other times, finally getting in line at 6:45 a.m. (yesterday)," Andino said. The trio parked in a rented car in the Kmart lot across the street and were nearly towed away.

"Imagine, we might have been on 'America's Most Wanted,' " Gilmore quipped about eluding a tow truck. "We had five hours of sleep in (the last) 48 hours. They were going to tow us away, but we drove off."

Gilmore and his pals said they each spent about $500 to get here, spending Sunday in a car and last night in sleeping bags near the circular artwork area of the stadium. The trio was looking forward to finding a hotel, bed and bath tonight, but were mainly concerned yesterday about how to deal with the heat.

Throughout the line, a mood of anticipation and fellowship dominated, with strangers becoming friends, bonded by the quest for fame and the need to hold each other's place in line during bathroom runs.

The lineups and waiting process were orderly and smooth, said Scott Chan, a stadium spokesman.

David Goffin, supervising producer of the show, said several hundred more contestants were expected to line up last night and this morning.

"It's the American dream, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Goffin said.

One bikini-clad girl in line yesterday took the opportunity to work on her suntan.

Melissa Desruisseux and Russ Holliday, a couple from New Hampshire, were reclining on newly purchased chairs, pads and pillows beneath a beach umbrella. They were combining a vacation with a stab at the "Idol" tryouts — their sixth audition.

"We did New York," Desruisseux said; 12,000 showed up for that one.

"New York was our fifth," Holliday said of the number of times they've tried.

The trek came with a price tag. Besides $1,400 apiece for airfare, the couple shelled out about $300 for creature comforts from Kmart, including the chairs, blankets, pillows, a large cooler, ice and water.

"It was easier to buy than bring over," Desruisseux said.

And then there's Kailua's Heather Briskin. Her bright purple hair probably made her the most eye-catching contestant. If not the hair, then maybe it was the way she was nesting her body in a smallish red Radio Flyer wagon — her bed for the evening.

"This is my little vacation," said the 24-year-old UH student and new mother to 9-month-old triplets Pippie, Charlotte and Oscar. "I'm just planning for 24 hours. My husband, (Jonathan Briskin, a psychiatrist), is very understanding; luckily, our nanny is watching the babies. You can't beat this."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055. Assistant features editor Dave Dondoneau contributed to this report.