New York's Metropolitan Opera holds own Idol contest

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The Metropolitan Opera in New York held its own version of the hit television show "American Idol" on Sunday, choosing the opera stars of tomorrow.

Nine singers, all aged in their 20s, were selected from a nationwide search of 2,000 artists to take center stage and perform two numbers each at the Met for the Grand Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

The prize, in addition to performing with a full orchestra under the baton of Stephen Lord, was $15,000 for each of the five winners. Runners up received $5,000.

Met soprano Patricia Racette, who opens in the latest Met production of "Peter Grimes" on Thursday, hosted the competition.

Instead of singing, she told jokes such as: "What the difference between a soprano and a terrorist? You can negotiate with a terrorist."

While there was plenty of applause from the audience, there was no phoning or texting for your favorites. Instead the judges were all from the Met.

Two hours after the performances began, Racette announced the winners saying: "This feels so like American Idol."

The winners were tenor Rene Barbera, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson, soprano Simone Osborne, baritone Edward Parks and mezzo-soprano Daveda Karanas.

(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)