The Peak 11
May 5, 2003
Arts
arts editor email phone
Stephen Thomson arts@mail.peak.sfu.ca 604-291-4630
The quest for pop stardom Two singers seek instant fame at the Canadian Idol auditions Stephen Hui Peak Staff Disa Cameron and Kimberly Stetsko wait nervously in the hall. Inside Prejudge Room 3, a women belts out American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s hit “A Moment Like This.” Suddenly, the door opens and a few singers emerge — their dreams of pop stardom crushed by the producers of Canadian Idol. Cameron and Stetsko were among the over 2,000 people who attended the open casting call in Vancouver for the new ‘reality’ television show, which will crown a new Canadian pop star after an intense competition involving 100 contestants. After holding auditions in eight cities across the country, the 26episode series will air this summer on CTV. I met the young pair of singers as they waited inside the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
for their auditions. Although the pair had met only moments earlier in the auditorium line up, they were already getting on like good friends. Disa, applicant 1057, was outside the theatre by 5 a.m. on the opening day of auditions. Kimberly, applicant 1058, arrived 12 hours earlier than Disa and spent the night on the sidewalk with about 500 people.
“Everyone was singing all night and it was so annoying.” Kimberly Stetsko, Canadian Idol applicant 1058 “It was cold,” said Kimberly, who brought along a lawn chair and sleeping bag. “It was loud too. Everyone was singing all night and it was so annoying.” Kimberly came all the way from Castlegar for a shot at
Stephen Hui / The Peak
Thousands of would-be Justins and Britneys wait to be judged.
fame. The 23-year-old student sings in her school choir at Selkirk College. She also plays the piano. Disa, however, is 17 years old, which seemed to be a particularly prevalent age among the aspiring pop stars I interviewed at the auditions. The selftaught singer is a Port Coquitlam resident enrolled in grade 12 at Terry Fox Secondary School. She plays several instruments, is in several bands, and performs on a semi-regular basis. Disa planned to sing Audioslave’s “Like a Stone” for the producers judging the first round of auditions. Stephen Hui / The Peak “It’s one of their bal- Disa Cameron and Kimberly Stetsko after the first round of auditions. lads,” she said. “It’s not too “That was not what I expected,” heavy. So, hopefully that will turn Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston. A minute later, another she said of the audition. “It was out well.” “I’m going to sing ‘Vision of one sang “O Canada,” the na- like this little white room with mirrors — a change room — and Love’ by Mariah Carey, hopefully tional anthem. When the door opened, only the judge was just sitting there. without any cracks because of my cold,” Kimberly chimed in, three applicants came out, in- She didn’t look happy with any of cluding a disappointed Disa. She us. I could tell right away that she laughing. Numbers 1055 to 1059 were said that one of the producers liked Kim though. She had this called out. I accompanied Disa stopped her when she started look on her face.” After Kimberly sang “Vision and Kimberly as they and three singing and asked her to perform of Love,” one of the producers other applicants headed down- a song played on the radio. asked her to perform another stairs to wait outside Prejudge song — “At Last” by Etta James. Room 3, where two producers The producers asked her and would decide their fates. The “I know I don’t sound another applicant to stay in the pair took a quick washroom like Britney Spears room for a few minutes after break. Everyone in the group dis- and Christina the others left. They emerged played a mixture of apprehenAguilera.” grasping yellow tickets, sion and excitement. Disa Cameron granted the opportunity to perWhen Kimberly returned, she Canadian Idol applicant 1057 form for the show’s executive applied lip gloss and shook the producers in the second round nervous energy out of her arms. “I was totally caught off guard of auditions. Then she burped and lifted her When we returned to the audibecause both of those songs are arms to reveal pit stains. torium, Disa decided to leave and “I expect the judges to be star- off the radio,” she said. When Disa could not think of said goodbye to Kimberly, who ing at us, waiting for us to turn them on,” Kimberly said. “I’m another song to sing, the pro- then went upstairs to the balcony going to stare into the middle of ducer suggested the national to wait for her next audition. “I’m trying to feel calm — not their foreheads because eye con- anthem. “I totally forgot how to sing the too excited, not nothing — just tact makes me nervous.” “I expect to just walk in there national anthem,” Disa said. “It trying to remain mellow,” Kimand do the best I can and just to- was pretty bad. Those nerves, berly said. Later in the afternoon, before tally take over the room, grab all they get to you.” Fortunately, Disa did not taking I was asked to leave along with the attention towards me,” Disa added. “My voice is really over- the producers’ decision to ex- the rest of the media, the first bearing, so it’s not just some- clude her from the next round applicant carrying a blue ticket for an audition before the thing you can just sit there and too seriously. “I’m not going to take it person- show’s judges walked across the tune out.” Finally, it was their turn to au- ally at all because, whatever, it’s a stage. Few got that far and even dition and they disappeared into TV show,” Disa said. “I know I fewer will compete on the the room. Behind the closed don’t sound like Britney Spears show, which will be filmed in Toronto. door, I heard an applicant sing “I and Christina Aguilera.”