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75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, August 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 25, 2004 Fox station manager Cary Jones, front, and Brad Nelson, Craterian organizer of Southern Oregon Idol, welcome finalists before directing the hopefuls to their final auditions where 32 were selected to perform in the theater. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Variety marks ‘Idol’ competition By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune They came in all shapes, sizes and singing abilities. From soft whispery voices to powerful projectors, 120 local "Southern Oregon Idol" contestants spent Saturday vying for one of the judges’ 32 affirmative nods — and their shot at becoming "American Idol" No. 4. "I think it’s going to be tough for the judges to narrow this group down to the top 32," said contestant Cody Lindsey, 18. "There are lots of people in this competition who really have a shot." The original 190 contestants were culled to 120 for Saturday’s competition after sweating through sweltering temperatures during preliminary auditions at the Jackson County Expo this past week. The singers, age 16 to 24, spent six hours waiting in the wings, which was broken up by one "Show-us-what-you-can-do" minute spent giving their a cappella all before judges Leona Mitchell and Michael Mish — two professional actors and singers. In spite of the judging duo’s best efforts to create a positive audition atmosphere, the stress created its own heat. Shaking hands, shaking voices and mind-numbing cases of nerves were evident as some of the singers clutched everything from lyric cheat sheets to pitch pipes. Advertisement "I’m just so freaking nervous!" said one girl who had to restart her song. They arrived at the Ginger Rogers Craterian Theater dressed in everything from tuxedos and evening gowns to cut-offs, halter-tops and flip flops. The contestants’ song choices were just as varied as their wardrobe selections. Although "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Amazing Grace" were two popular standards, others chose new pop favorites or old ballads, including 17-year-old Brendan Thoms’ version of "Mack the Knife." One singer, Paige Comer, wrote and performed her own song, "Mystery." "I do all my own stuff," said Comer, who has her own band. "I’ve been writing since I was 12. I’ve been trying to sing opera since I was two. I’m always singing somewhere in the (Rogue) Valley." The large group was broken down into four smaller groups. Each singer was given a "Yes," "No" or "Maybe" by the judges after singing an a cappella rendition of a song of their choice — or at least part of a song. "Don’t be offended if we stop you (before the end of your song.) It doesn’t mean anything bad," Mish said. "We can tell what we need to know pretty quickly, and we’re moving this along because we have so many people." After getting two thumbs up at the Expo on Wednesday evening, Lindsey had been warned by one of that evening’s judges, Brad Nelson, to kick his performance up a notch. After performing for Saturday’s judges, Lindsey said he was pleased with his effort. "I felt like I did a lot better," Lindsey said. "I wasn’t as nervous. I was in a better key, and I was able to interact with the judges." Lindsey, Comer and Thoms all made the cut and will perform new songs at the Craterian. The karaoke-style shows begin at 8 p.m. nightly on consecutive nights Aug. 3, 4, 5 and 7. The audience will select the final three singers from a pool of eight Saturday. From the three finalists, five judges will select the local Idol winner. Call 779-3000 for ticket information. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected] . Southern Oregon Idol Finalists Paige Comer Cody Lindsey Jennifer West- Stowe Chelsey Small Aimee Dietrick Erica Bancroft Laurie Carlson Kaleigh Causey Brandon Thoms Chelsi Horton Tanya Lunt Garnet Cox Emily Marshall Tina Waddell Kimberly Teaters Justin Snow Aaron Vaniman Kelsey Weaver Dawna Crocker Kennie Lee DeLuz Katrina Hanning Windy Belle Gish Stephanie Hayes Melissa Beck Laural Thurmond Kaitie Warner Mellissa Nethery Megan Harrell Shaeny Johnson Kelley Chaffee Julia Strickland Stephanie Lewis Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? 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