Updated at 6:15 p.m. June 22, 2015
Around 1,500 aspiring singers hoping to become the next Adam Lambert or Jessica Sanchez got their chance Monday as the “American Idol” auditions tour came to San Diego.
The tryouts for the 15th and final season of the Fox singing competition took place at the Waterfront Park outside the County Administration Center.
The show has two audition buses that are traveling to various cities. Both started last week — one in Seattle and one in Providence, R.I. They’ll continue through the end of this month.
More formal auditions are scheduled next month at arenas in Denver; Savannah, Ga.; Philadelphia, Little Rock, Ark. and San Francisco.
Fox 5 San Diego, which carries the show, reported that producers were looking for a “wow factor” in the 30- to 40-second snippets the hopefuls were allowed.
“We’re looking to go really big in Season 15, and there’s been a lot of idols before, so it has to reach a really high bar,” senior producer Brian Robinson told the station. “We’re looking for someone who is ready to compete in the finale.”
Lambert, who attended Mount Carmel High School in Rancho Peñasquitos, won Season 8 in 2009 and went on to stardom. Sanchez, who went to Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, was the runner-up three years ago.
—City News Service
