Fans get up-close view of 'Idol' stars
Article created: 07/26/2006 04:44:34 AM EDT
SEAN SPILLANE
sspillane@ctpost.com
It's been more than two months since tickets went on sale for Tuesday night's "American Idols Live" concert in Bridgeport, and the wait has been excruciating for some.
Tuesday night, that wait was over.
"My mother told me about the tickets a while ago, so I'm really glad it's finally here," said KellyAnn McManus of Woodbridge. "It's really exciting."
There was even more excitement in store for McManus, who ran into "Idol" singer Elliott Yamin near the backstage area at the Arena at Harbor Yard before the concert started and he gladly posed with her and her group.
"We came in through the back entrance and he was just there," she said. "I love 'American Idol' and now I have a picture to hang in my room."
Yamin was part of the "Idol" troupe that included finalists Ace Young, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Lisa Tucker, Mandisa, Paris Bennett and, of course, Season 5 champ Taylor Hicks.
Once again missing was runner-up Katharine McPhee, who has yet to perform on the "Idol" tour because of throat problems.
Among the disappointed was Kim Arthur of Meriden, who had heard through an Internet report that McPhee was going to sing Tuesday night.
"I'm really disappointed," said Arthur, who wore her "McPhee-ver" T-shirt to the concert. "I like Chris and Taylor and Elliott, but Katharine's my favorite. I liked her all the way."
At least the fans were warned that McPhee wasn't going to take part in the event, unlike at past "American Idols Live" shows. A sign announcing McPhee's absence was posted at the doors of the arena.
But there were still plenty of other "Idols" to cheer for, with many members of the sell-out crowd wearing homemade shirts in support of their favorites, the most popular being Hicks and his "Soul Patrol" group of followers.
"If I got to the door and I saw a sign like the one they had for Katharine that said Taylor wasn't going to perform, then I'd have been ticked," said Nora Tenk of Stratford, who was part of a group that included her daughter and some of her grandchildren.
Actually, the Tenk contingent was very representative of the crowd Tuesday night, which was largely female and spanned all generations. Soaking it all in was Mary Beth Nevins of Stratford, who attended with two friends who drove in from Cape Cod to see the show.
"This is insane," Nevins said of the hectic pre-concert scene. "This is absolutely insane."
Nevins said she has previously been to the Arena at Harbor Yard for basketball games and Boston Pops concerts, "but I've never seen anything like this."
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