Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest at a 2006 press conference in Minneapolis/ photo by JOEY MCLEISTER
Start your vocal exercises immediately. "American Idol" will kick off its audition process for season 14 in Minneapolis on June 18, roughly six months before the show returns to the air. It's the show's first visit back here since 2006 when more than 10,000 hopefuls showed up at Target Center.
Don't expect those kind of numbers this time around. The show is at an all-time low in ratings with an average of 12.3 million viewers. Fox president Kevin Reilly told reporters earlier this week that "Idol" will be more "streamlined" in 2015 with roughly 37 hours of programming compared to 50-plus in the past.
Keeping in mind that the hoopla has died down, the auditions will be held at the smaller Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.
After the Minneapolis stop, the judges will travel to New Orleans, Long Island, Nashville and San Francisco over the course of nearly four months.
Here's the nitty gritty:
WHO: Men and women 15-28 years old as of June 18 who are eligible to work in the U.S.
WHERE: Mariucci Arena, 1901 4th St. SE, Minneapolis
