“American Idol” fans can watch their own local version of the hit reality show this spring by attending the sixth annual MSU Idol.
The singing competition based on the hit FOX television show began in 2005 and has been a part of the MSU campus life since then, Campus Activities Board (CAB) student director Dejanae Banks said.
“This is one of our most successful event series,” Banks said. “It’s another way to showcase student talent, those that can sing. Also, it’s just a form of entertainment for students who, when ‘American Idol’ isn’t on, can come and catch a glimpse of their fellow students entertaining us with their performances.”
Auditions will begin Wednesday in room 330 of the Colvard Student Union. Contestants will be asked to perform 30 to 60 seconds of a song of their choosing a capella.
Judges will vary from round to round and ballots will be passed around the audience during performances to vote contestants off.
Jamal Davis, a senior marketing major, said he thinks he has what it takes to compete in MSU Idol.
“I’m thinking about trying out this year,” Davis said. “I chickened out last year, but this time I like my chances. I feel like I could be similar to Ruben Studdard. I plan on bringing some old school into it, like some Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder songs.”
Others try out just for fun, such as Garrett Wood, a freshman communication major.
“I honestly have no idea about my chances,” Wood said. “I’m just going to have fun with it and see what happens.”
Though Wood simply plans to have fun, he said he knows what he will audition with.
“But I’m going to audition with ‘Forgiven and Loved’ by Jimmy Needham. I just like these types of things. I’m hoping I can keep my energy level up and just have fun.”
Like any CAB event, admission is free. Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium will be the new location this year for MSU Idol.
Banks said she hopes the larger venue will encourage a larger audience, as the Union’s Dawg House became overcrowded in previous years.
“We’re not going to host Idol in the Dawg House to start out,” Banks said.
Banks said the decision was based on capacity.
“It’s because the Dawg House fills up so much. We thought that it would be a good idea to move to Lee Hall to accommodate for all of our guests and not turn anyone away.”
The event will consist of four rounds beginning with 12 participants on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and continue each Wednesday until the finale on March 3.
Each round will consist of a new and unique theme for contestants to display their creativity in song choice, as well as variety of vocal skills.
CAB Entertainment division head Lacey Johnson said she hopes this will be successful year for the event with a record turnout.
“So far we have a big applicant base,” Johnson said. “So we’re looking for a big turnout and big things. We’re trying to do some more things for the finale where we get all the contestants involved.”
Banks said she has seen MSU Idol grow over the years.
“Every year that I’ve been a part of MSU Idol, we’ve had extremely huge turnouts,” she said. “And I don’t look at this year being any different, especially with the new season of “Idol” just getting started. That comes on Tuesday nights, so I expect for people to still want some sort of “Idol” high on Wednesday night on campus. It’s been pretty consistent in recent years and so I think we can expect the same this year.”
Senior graphic design major Kelly Dimos is looking forward to seeing how it compares its television show counterpart.
“Yes, I’m quite a big fan of ‘American Idol,'” Dimos said. “So I’m pretty excited to see if MSU’s version will do it justice. Also, I’m hoping to see some originality from the judges. Too many times these knock-off ‘Idol’ gigs have judges that try to mimic the originals. That gets old fast. And, of course, I’d love to see what real talent we’ve got around here.”
Not only will the winner of MSU Idol will walk away with $300 but he or she will have the opportunity to perform in other campus events for the remainder of the spring semester.