Eyes on the next Idol

At first, it’s difficult to hear their singing.

Over the echo of voices, phones and rustling shopping bags bouncing off walls in South Coast Plaza’s Carousel Court, hundreds of boys and girls tried to sing.

Perhaps deliberately, kids weren’t given microphones — something you might expect in a talent show to find Orange County’s best singers — and instead had to rely on the strength of their voices.

But how else would you find the next Orange County idol?

For a few morning hours Saturday, kids 7 to 18 and their parents crowded in end of South Coast Plaza to compete in OC Idol, a local singing competition put on by WBZB Entertainment.

The eventual winner from each age division — 7- to 10-year-olds, 11- to 14-year-olds and 15- to 18-year-olds — have a chance to perform regularly through the entertainment company.

“I’ve enjoyed singing most of my life,� said Alex Berman, 16, of San Clemente. “I want to see what other people think.�

Alex said he was the only boy in his division and after his performance, the two judges gave him some encouraging words and told him to “stick around,� meaning he might move on to the next round of qualifying.

Thirteen-year-old Allie Matthews believes she did good enough to make it to the second day of qualifying too.

“I just want to make it,� the Ensign Intermediate School student said. “I think I made it. They just told me to smile more.�

Like so many other kids there, Matthews wants to have a career in singing and acting. With contestants belting out their best vocals in the middle of a crowded mall of strangers, Saturday was a first true test.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Aug. 29 at a location yet to be announced. The finals are scheduled for Sept. 19.