By Kate O'Hara (October 31, 2002)

It’s 6:30 on Thursday night, and it’s pouring down rain. My mom and I have arrived at Falls Church’s State Theatre with provisions to camp out overnight despite the freezing rain. We get lucky. The president of Fox has decided, due to the sniper attack earlier that afternoon, that he doesn’t want a large group of American Idol fanatics waiting out in open view all night long. He sends us home with the promise of a guaranteed audition early the next morning.

5:30 AM, Friday morning: I arrive, again, at the State Theatre with my mother. It’s still raining, and there are only four and a half hours until the actual auditions begin. There is a group of 22 singers, including myself, who have been promised an audition before the judges. We’re the same crazies from the night before. However, there are still 200 people waiting in line behind us, just hoping to have the chance to even register for an audition.

At 8 AM, registration begins. Signing, signing, and more signing! Each person that registers is given a number and a little piece of hope. Hope that the judges will see something in them, a spark of celebrity, or a flare of talent. None of us know exactly what they’re looking for.

We are seated around large tables facing the stage, dressed in Hot 99.5 gear. A promotional CD blares from the speakers throughout the theater. We sit and wait. There’s nothing else to do now. My nerves have gotten the better of me. To bide my time, I warm up in the bathroom, walk around, ponder the insanity of what I’m doing, and wonder why I’m even bothering. But at least I’m not out in the rain anymore.

10 AM: My group is called to go upstairs and prepare for the audition. We’ve been “preparing” since 4:30 this morning! We wait in a tiny room, sitting on old couches, amid empty refrigerators. The interns from the radio station, 99.5, explain the audition procedures and the criteria for selecting the winner. But all we can think about is ourselves, because everyone in the room wants to win. Everyone.
 

Mason senior Kate O'Hara sings 'Amazing Grace' for the panel of judges at the American Idol 2 auditions. (Photo by Katie Rosenberger)

At 10:30 AM, I am about to walk on stage. I am the last person in the second group of performers. Everyone preceding me was incredible. I have never been in the presence of so much talent in my life. I hear 99.5’s head DJ Marc Anthony announce my name, someone hands me a microphone, and I walk on stage. I can’t see a thing; the bright stage lights temporarily blind me. I open my mouth to sing and sound flows out, nothing but pure sound. I sing the best rendition of ‘Amazing Grace,’ that I can, and hope that the judges will think it’s enough. I walk offstage and head back to sit with my mom and the people I’ve spent the morning with. They’ve already performed; already taken their stab at the big time. I am the youngest out of anyone I’ve met today. The others mainly hail from Maryland and nearby cities in Northern Virginia. We sit and watch, waiting to see what twist of fate might occur.

2:30 PM: The auditions were supposed to end 30 minutes ago, and there are still 130 American Idol hopefuls left. The judges stop at 170 and give their condolences to the unlucky groups who didn’t get a chance to audition. The judges are then sent to deliberation. They return with five names as their top choices; a girl from my group has made it. The top five are asked to sing their chosen tune as best they can for the judges one last time. Each person on that stage has earned it; they’ve worked for this break. Now, only the judges can decide.

They make their pick. I am not chosen, nor are most of my fellow competitors. The girl that wins reminds me of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and countless other pop artists. She’s good, she’s amazing even, but I still wished it had been me, as did so many others.

I walk home. It’s still raining and my life will go on the same as always. I might not be a pop star yet, but hey, at least I can say I tried.

Related Story:
A Chance to be Heard: Hundreds Audition for American Idol 2 at State Theatre