Idol Hangover by Laurel E. Anderson
(first published in the Kanata Kourier, Friday Feb 27, 2004)
I live with a Canadian Idol. Her name is Brynn and she is 31/2-lots of emphasis on the half. She's a legend in her own mind when it comes to singing, much like some of her counterparts participating in the real Canadian Idol. As for me, I’ve got a bit of my own rhythm going with my new and hectic career outside of mommy-hood. I'm even returning phone calls.
For those of you that don’t already know it (and I’ve been telling everyone), I worked on the Canadian Idol 2 auditions recently held in Ottawa and when I last left you, I was just finishing up my second day on the job. A long, crazy, hectic and fast-paced day of auditions saw some competitors move one step closer to realizing their goals while others were left to pick up the pieces of their shattered dreams.
After a long day ‘on the set’ I headed out for a nighttime rendezvous with all of the who’s who of the Idol production as the guest of my close friend Scott Henderson, communications guru at CTV. Dinner at the popular Market night spot Social, with fancy grownup drinks and a gourmet dinner to boot was a far cry from Swiss Chalet takeout and a shot of apple juice straight up at home with the kids. It truly didn’t get much better than this. Champagne martinis and a four-course meal was a good way to end the day and a great way to fuel up for what was still to come.
It’s 5:00 a.m. and I am already up, showered and ready to go. I decide to defy the rules and ditch my Canadian Idol t-shirt uniform that I just know is going to be way more cool after Canadian Idol auditions when I wear it nonchalantly on the street. I trade it in for one of my ‘shiny and new’ purchases that I mentioned in last week’s article. Even with my big, blue security pass stuck on the top right corner of my shirt, I looked good and maybe just a little bit funky, like a celebrity myself!
It’s celebrity audition day and I need to be at the National Art Gallery at 7:30 a.m .I’m just about out the door when I realize that I forgot about the kids. The dog was fed, walked and crated until the puppy walker would come at lunchtime but the kids were still all nestled and snug in their beds. Reality check! My husband was out of town. It wasn’t a dream after all. I run upstairs and pull the kids from their still deep slumber, exchanging pajamas for snowsuits and before I know it the clock screams 6 a.m. and it’s time to back the taxi out of the driveway.
Okay, so again I am early. My apologies, huge apologies to my dear friends Rosa and Marlayne for making them get up and take my children a good half-hour earlier than they probably had to. To them I say you will be rewarded! I am now on the Queensway and surprised by the lack of traffic. Does no one else go into work at this ungodly hour? The fifteen minutes it takes me to get to the National Art Gallery parking lot must be a record and I contemplate what to do. I don’t really want to sit in the parking garage for forty minutes and so I make my way inside.
All I can say is that while carrying American Express has it’s privileges, arriving early on ‘set’ doesn’t always. Eager to help and not just stand around giving the floor a reason to be there, I quickly offer my assistance to anyone who needs it. This leads to the highly skilled job of disposing of pizza boxes and the mysteries left inside. Organizing fresh donuts, pastries and juice in a visually pleasing way at the media table was my challenging follow-up task. Everyone knows I love to organize and so I took this task on with great pride.
The star buzz starts as hopeful contestants arrive with their family, friends and some, with their vocal coaches. Everywhere I go I am serenaded and before you ask, yes, even in the bathroom. Competitors are going through scales, humming, yodeling, and warming up their voices in many different ways. Then there are others, totally quiet, yoga-like in their stance, meditating, focusing on the task that lies before them. Still, others are just hanging out, socializing, hamming it up and making new friends.
I run around putting up sponsorship signs, running papers back and forth and most importantly, learning the floor layout from the set back to the production room. The energy in the room is heightened and then everyone is quiet. Ben Mulroney walks out to welcome everyone and to introduce the panel of judges. Sass is back as is Jake Gold aka our Simon Cowell, with Farley Flex and Zack Werner also making repeat appearances. Competitors are warned that the bar is higher this year with lots of extraordinary talent in the room. They tell today’s hopefuls to put it all out there and try their best. Ben tells everyone to have fun and of course comic Jon Dore is along again today to make sure that there is a lot of fun in the room. John Brunton, Executive Producer of Canadian Idol, takes over the mike and reminds the singers to have fun, risk it, to try their best and have no regrets. He is a guy with both a gift and a wealth of knowledge in the music industry and what sets him apart is his willingness to share these things with the competitors, perhaps helping some of them get a little closer to the ultimate prize.
It’s hurry up and wait time now and it means exactly what it says. We all run around and hurry and then we wait. This is the reality of filming for both television and the silver screen. There is a lot of preparation and attention to detail and then there’s a lot of waiting around. Thank goodness for the onsite catering with yummy snacks available for hourly grazing. Playing Jenga and other board games with the vegetable and cheese platters also helps to pass the time.
It’s show time now and the nerves are apparent. The focus in the room shifts. It's no longer a time to socialize but a time to prepare for a performance. Competitors regroup, some put on game faces, there are last minute meetings with family and friends taking place in every corner and the line up to the celebrity judges starts to form. As a shot at fame looms, things quiet down a bit and the wait to compete for the celebrity judges begins. I feel for these contestants and the competitor in me wishes them all well and it is while I am thinking this, that the first competitors finish their auditions and head to the ‘kiss and cry’ area. How many will earn the coveted gold ticket, moving them to the finals in Toronto where they will compete with the best from all over Canada? How many will realize their dream? No one knows for sure, not even me. We will all have to tune in to Canadian Idol this spring to find out.
What I do know is that I had a blast working on Canadian Idol. I made some new friends and learned some new things. Will these new friendships sustain themselves? Who knows, everyone is so busy these days. But what I do know is that for a few days at least, I was Laurel, not Max or Brynn’s mom. Laurel, the executive producer’s assistant, enjoying my two minutes of fame, embracing my Idol experience and living my dream of working in the industry. Would I do it again? You bet! I may just run off and join the tour. Does anyone know a good babysitter?