‘American Teen Idol’ to film pilot program in Henderson

By Erin Dostal

Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 | 3:45 p.m.

Las Vegas Valley teens looking for fame will have their big chance next month when “American Teen Idol” shoots a pilot show in Henderson.

The show – a younger, more local version of “American Idol” – will be filmed by three local television crews Oct. 23 and 24 at the Henderson Events Plaza on Water Street, said organizer Michael McClarren. Everything – set-up, judging, and auditioning – will be done by local people in the valley, he said.

“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” McClarren said of Las Vegas. “We’ve had a magnificent response from everybody.”

The grand prize will be a recoding deal with Stone Paxton, a Las Vegas singer, songwriter and music producer, McClarren said. Teens ages 13 to 19 can try out.

The group picked Henderson for the filming because it was easier to control – that is, there are fewer people – than there would be on the Strip, McClarren said.

So far, 170 teens have signed up to audition, he said – and that’s without advertising. Auditions are limited to 300 tryouts, he said.

The event will be authentic to the format of “American Idol,” McClarren said. There will be three “celebrity” judges, he said, but likely not Paula Abdul or Simon Cowell.

One of the judges will be John Barr, who sells Toyotas in Las Vegas, McClarren said. He said he couldn’t yet identify the others.

The event will also feature a red carpet, he said, where all of the contestants will be interviewed on camera.

“We’re going to make these kids feel like movie stars before they even get on the stage,” he said. “It’s just going to be a great show. It’s going to be a really nice weekend for the kids.”