from the NY Post:The next edition of "American Idol" doesn't start until January - but the Hollywood phase of the show, where scores of hopefuls are narrowed down to 24 semi-finalists, is about to begin and a new season is officially underway.
Several changes are in the works, officials say, including:
* changing the format to let singers show other musical talents, such as guitar playing.
* many fewer "mentors," those established musical stars like Diana Ross and Tony Bennett, who appeared every week last season and took attention away from the contestants.
* and next summer, the annual "Idol" live tour may be combined with the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour - to create a show with both singing and dancing.
"We're bringing about 160 people back to Hollywood at the end of this month," says "Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.
"We'll bring everyone there, and the judges will spend four days with them and bring the list down to the top 24 contestants - 12 boys and 12 girls."
The seven-city audition tour ended late last month with a few standouts, Lythgoe says.
"There are one or two that stand out - there are three girls who are superb, including one girl we saw three years ago who wasn't an American citizen [and is now] and we're happy to have her this year," he says.
"There are one or two that stand out - there are three girls who are superb, including one girl we saw three years ago who wasn't an American citizen [and is now] and we're happy to have her this year," he says.
