American Idol: The Scripting, Pretaping And Sorority Girls

American Idol: The Scripting, Pretaping And Sorority Girls

The tens of thousands of hopefuls who lined up last summer to audition for "American Idol" have been trimmed to just six aspiring pop stars, whose fate will be decided by the whims and loyalties of the more than 20 million people who tune in each week to the most-watched show on television.

Determining the winner is about the only part of "American Idol" left to chance. That was made clear during recent visits to Stage 36 in Television City, near Hollywood, where each Tuesday and Wednesday on Fox "American Idol" creates hopes and dashes dreams.

From the placement of local sorority members along camera sight lines to the instructions to the audience members about when to stand and how to wave their hands, "American Idol" is as scripted as a "reality" show dare be.

"At the end of every performance you will stand on your feet." That is one of the commandments offered by Cory Almeida, the indefatigable warm-up man who exhorts and instructs the audience for 15 minutes before each performance and during the numerous commercial breaks.

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