Triumph and tears at the LA Auditions
Approximately one year ago, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, Megan Joy and Allison Iraheta, Alexis Grace and Anoop Desai arose before dawn to stand in line with thousands of dreamers, waiting for their long shot at stardom. Five years ago, Carrie Underwood camped out and waited for her turn, four years ago Chris Daughtry was a face in the mob. Three years ago, Jordin Sparks was passed over in one city so flew off to try again in another. Two years ago, David Cook escorted his brother to his audition, with no thought that he was taking the first step in a life-changing journey of his own.
Yesterday, outside the Rose Bowl, 11,000 would-be superstars waited in the darkness, nursing their dreams. There are a thousand stories in the naked city, but in the end only three or so of the stories waiting in this line will make it to the big stage.
Among the faces in the crowd- the legendary Ashley Ferl, aka The Crying Girl, who's tears in support of Sanjaya once echoed around the world. Three years later, Ashley has come of age and with her ever-supportive mother was queued up dreaming of crossing over and becoming one of her own deities. Would she cry for herself? The day would perhaps tell.
A couple hours after they filed into the stadium, with the sun beginning to bear down hard over the parking lot, the trail of tears began as a steady stream of rejectees poured out. Brave faces, hard set young jaws stumbled out of the gates lucky alternately dazed, outraged and determined.
All who entered the stadium today appeared in groups before one of 10 - 15 tables at each of which sat three judges. Told to prepare three songs, they stepped forward from their group one by one. By most accounts each audition was very brief before the judges handed down their ruling, with brief notes such as "We need something more contemporary" or "It just wasn't good enough"
Hugs of consolation dotted the tarmac as comrades from the morning's gleeful line-up found each other, and compared notes akin to survivors of a natural disaster swapping tales.
"I feel so bad for the coming out crying, who haven't been through this before, because that's how I felt in season six," said one ridiculously young looking girl.
"I'd rather get discovered through another show. Maybe America's Got Talent," says another.
A conversation between two long faces:
"Oh this sucks."
"It is what it is."
"Eight years of training and this is what it comes to!? Enough!"
A young woman in a halter top tells her friends, "I'm going to come back and get another judge. I'm a grand champion on a California state level. You can't beat that!"
At last, after a solid hour of despair, winners began to appear. A tiny trickle, clinging together in the parking lot to avoid being swallowed continuing flood of rejectees. For the ones emerging, the journey truly starts today, although given the odds, even those who get through to the next level today still face huges odds against making it to the Top 24 or 36. Lying ahead is another off-air round, followed by the on air Simon/Paula/Randy/Kara round, followed by Hollywood Week, followed by the Green Mile.
But today in the parking lot for those few called forth from the masses, the dream is now almost, just maybe in sight.
-- Richard Rushfield
