By Chip Dombrowski, Entertainment Editor

Anticipation builds as contest kickoff nears

COOS BAY — The contestants are excited.

The parents are excited.

The organizers and the judges are excited.

It’s two weeks from the start of Bay Area Teen Idol 2009, and the anticipation is visible and audible. Faces brighten, voices lift and some people actually bounce up and down when they talk about it.

“It’s an exuberant group,” organizer Stephanie Kilmer said Tuesday as rehearsal was letting out.

In a Newmark Center room too small for its 22 occupants,  enthusiasm at the group’s second rehearsal demonstrated why the kids and adults involved give a substantial portion of their summers to Teen Idol.

As the rehearsal was winding down, no one was enjoying it more than Thaddeus Miller. While the contestants were getting their first listen to one of their group numbers, the 13-year-old danced in his seat to the disco tune, starting a trend that a few others picked up.

 “I love this kid,” said veteran contestant Star Moralez.

Though it’s her third year in the contest, Moralez showed as much enthusiasm as the first-timers, some of whom have waited years for their chance to compete. Her voice was often the loudest as they ran through the group songs.

Moralez, 16, was last year’s runner-up and is one of five returning contestants, along with finalist Destyni Fuller. Also returning are Karissa Fults, Kara Shore and Allison Warrick.

Auditions in May drew about 35 hopefuls — the most since the inaugural competition in 2003. But with only seven elimination rounds between the opening and the final, organizers had to make their biggest cut at the outset.

Eighteen contestants will take the stage on opening night, July 9. Some who competed last year didn’t make it, Kilmer said.

Reigning Teen Idol Alyssa Birrer is also back, pledging to perform with the contestants faithfully each week. She too got excited when talking about spending a fourth summer in the program.

Organized as a drug-, alcohol- and tobacco-free summer activity for Coos County teens, the contest has become more than a talent competition for its impassioned followers.

For those involved, their drug of choice is Teen Idol.

Comment Policy

The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.

Please follow these basic rules:

• No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
• No deliberately false information.
• No obscenity or racially offensive language.
• No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
• No information that invades another person's privacy.
• No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.

Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.

Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.

The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.