By: Victoria Hurley-Schubert – The Packet Group
A trip to Disney World is a dream come true for many young persons. For Avery Epstein of Princeton and her friend Taylor Blanton of Lawrenceville, the dream came true, along with an unexpected role in the park’s "American Idol Experience" and a chance to audition for the hit television show.
As Hun School seniors last spring, both girls were on the class trip to Orlando, Florida, along with a third friend, Laura Del Prado of Cranbury, when they learned about the talent competition."While we were standing in line I looked over and saw Michael Lynche from "American Idol’s" season nine," Ms. Epstein said.
"I went up to him and told him that I was a huge fan and that I thought he had done an amazing job," she said. "My friend then mentioned to him that I was a singer… and told him that I secretly wished I could be on ‘American Idol."
"American Idol" is a reality television show on the FOX network where singers compete for a recording contract and viewers vote to select the winner. The show has been on for nine seasons, with auditions going on nationwide for the upcoming 10th season. Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Rubin Studdard were all discovered on the show.
The "American Idol Experience" at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, is modeled after the television show and allows guests to audition before judges to perform in a vocal competition. The performers are judged by other theme park guests, sitting in the audience and voting, as viewers do at home while watching the TV show. One winner each day gets a "dream ticket" to their regional "American Idol" television show auditions.
The day after meeting Mr. Lynche, Ms. Epstein, Ms. Blanton and Ms. Del Prado went over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the audition.
. "When I got there I went into a room with Laura, as my manager, and introduced myself to the two women judging me," Ms. Epstein said.She and Ms. Blanton ended up competing in the day’s finale show, along with other theme park guests."We got to go backstage and meet with a hair and makeup artist and a vocal coach," said Ms. Epstein. "We then got to walk out on stage, which is a replica of the real American idol stage, and do a dress run for the show… The theater was huge and the stage was covered in lights and of course there was a judges’ table."
Performers sang choose and sing a song for a live audience and three judges who then vote for a winner. The judges were actors, cast to play the TV show’s actual judges, Simon Cowell, RandyJackson and Paula Abdul. "The man who was supposed to be Simon would make mean remarks and the audience would get very excited that they got to boo him," Ms. Epstein said.
"The judge who played Paula was fantastic," she said. "I got to talk to her after my first show and she told me that she had a musical theater background as well. It was nerve racking to perform, knowing shortly after you were going to be judged, but once I started singing I forgot about the judges."
The judges and audience liked Ms. Epstein, who is headed to Syracuse University this fall to study musical theater. They named her the winner for the day, which earned her a dream ticket to regional auditions for the television show.
"After I had received my dream ticket and was leaving the building to go find my friends who were waiting for me, a little girl came up to me and was wondering if she could have my autograph," said Ms. Epstein. "I was shocked that she wanted my autograph but I was also incredibly honored and touched."
She auditioned for the "American Idol" show earlier this month at the Izod Center in East Rutherford.
"The auditions went by pretty quickly it was almost a blur. There were twelve tables set up in the middle of the arena and four at a time we were sent to a table with two people sitting behind it," Ms. Epstein said. "We only got a chance to sing 10 to 30 seconds of a song. The whole day was incredibly nerve racking; there was a lot of waiting for only a few seconds of singing.
"Even though I got cut it was still an amazing, once in a lifetime, experience," she said. "Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would be auditioning for American Idol, but the fact that everything fell into place and I got that opportunity was surreal."
Ms. Epstein said she has been involved in musical theater since performing in a first grade school play.
"I loved the idea of getting to play different characters and performing in front of a live audience," she said. "My mom, a former opera singer, introduced me to music and singing. Throughout high school I have always been known as one of the ‘theater kids.’"
vschubert @centraljersey.com

