"American Idol" campers hope to help their odds

NORTHFIELD, Mass. — Hundreds of star-struck teens have been finding a little bit of Hollywood in New England this summer.

Homemade sandwich-board signs edge the country road leading to Idol Camp. They advertise pure maple syrup and sweet corn. Just around the bend, not far outside the center of Northfield (population 3,000), is a vibrant blue Idol Camp sign hanging from an old-fashioned street lamp.

The sign's color and design look like the logo for the TV hit "American Idol." No surprise — the camp is run by a division of the company that produces "American Idol" and is based on the show. Except this isn't Los Angeles. It's a shuttered prep school with well-manicured lawns and stately 19th-century buildings.

" 'American Idol camp' — that's something," said camper Natalie Kais, 12, of Fairfield, her eyes shining.

The camp, for 12- to 15-year-old teens, just finished its inaugural year. Campers dream of moving from the camp's makeshift wooden platforms to the shiny "Idol" stage.

One overcast morning in the second 10-day session, the whole camp belted out "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and then trooped off to singing, dancing and acting classes.

They walked with new friends, varying their paths to better their odds of running into guest teacher Vonzell Solomon, the third-place finisher in Season 4 of "American Idol." They gossiped about how she gave an exclusive Idol Camp performance. They discussed how their lives will be when they're as famous as she.

Alyssa Rowe, 13, of South Carolina said that when she is a famous singer, she will use her earnings to help cure cancer and save Ethiopian children.

"It's the chance of a lifetime for me," said Rowe.

The camp's Web site (www.idolcamp.com) states clearly that attending Idol Camp lends no advantage in future "American Idol" auditions. But a connection to the show helps the camp, said director Donna Milani Luther.

"Certainly the benefit is the 'Idol' name," Luther said.

Last week, Broadway actress Jodie Langel visited for the day to give three master classes on audition techniques.

Langel instructed campers to take turns lining up outside the room and then enter one by one, pretending to be entering an audition. She suggested changes campers could make to exude more confidence, like unclenching their fists and speaking clearly.

Langel's bubbly personality kept the tone lighthearted, but the fun had a serious undertone.

"This business is about being judged," Langel told her pupils.

Few performers know that sentiment better than past "American Idol" contestants, seven of whom visited the camp, helping teach the two sessions. Campers were also taught by a group of experts Luther pulled in, professionals she relies on for many of her projects. They lived with the campers during the 10-day sessions.

Officials declined to release the number of applications to Idol Camp. This year, each session had 150 campers who paid $2,900 per session. The application costs $35 and includes an essay, not an audition tape.

"I didn't want the most talented kids," Luther said. "What I wanted to identify was kids that were the most passionate about being in the arts."