'American Idol' hits College Mall

Reality TV came to life in Bloomington on Sunday as screaming fans lined up at the College Mall hoping to catch a glimpse of four of America's hottest 'idols.'\nEJay Day, Kristin Holt, Vanessa Olivarez and Rickey Smith, former contestants on Fox's highest rated television show, "American Idol," entertained Bloomington's reality TV addicts at the "Behind-the-Scenes with American Idol" tour, sponsored by Simon Malls and Coca-Cola.\nThe tour began April 5 in both Miami and New York and will conclude on May 4 in Los Angeles and Atlanta, prior to the season finale of "American Idol 2." The tour is exclusive to Simon Malls because of their multi-marketing partnership with Coca-Cola.\n"The finalists interacted extremely well with the audience," said Dena Marietta, marketing director for the College Mall. "They took the time to sign autographs, take pictures and meet their fans face to face."\nThe four-hour event featured live performances from the stars, karaoke contests designed to feel like an American Idol audition, trivia contests, question and answer sessions with the stars, dance demonstrations from professional choreographers and contests to win prize packages from Coca-Cola and Simon Malls.\nCoca-Cola also created recognizable elements from the show, such as the Red Room and behind the scenes moments that enhance and extend the excitement of "American Idol" for fans.\nSmith said the tour is a great way to show appreciation and give back to "American Idol" fans who devote endless hours to the show.\n"To see all of these people cheering me on is what keeps me going," Smith said. "It's a dream of mine to have participated in the show and tour."\nSophomore Jody Klenetsky entertained the crowd with her own karaoke version of Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Klenetsky was chosen from the audience to compete with three other fans for prize packages.\n"It was really exciting to be up in front of everyone and get feedback from former 'American Idol' contestants on my singing ability," Klenetsky said. "It was definitely something I won't forget."\nHolt said being recognized by people in each city is what keeps her energy flowing.\n"The fans were the ones who made the show what it is," Holt said. "Without their support, 'American Idol' wouldn't last. This tour is a way of showing the fans how much we truly adore them."\nBillie Scott, public relations director for Simon Property Group, said the co-sponsored tour is validation that malls are the perfect place for advertisers and sponsors to directly connect with customers. \n"Everybody is having such a wonderful time with this tour," Scott said. "It's a clean, wholesome and contemporary event."\nKlenetsky said the excitement of participating in the "American Idol" tour was much better than watching the show from her living room.\n"Many times these types of events only go to large cities with huge malls," Klenetsky said. "Having the tour come to Bloomington was a great idea because the turnout was incredible"