"It felt like my voice was probably going to stop moving, at one point," said Elethorp, who was initially a music major in college.

Both of the local performers made it through all that and on to the second part of the audition.

Elethorp described a theater with about 10 tables in the front, with one or two judges at each. Possible contestants were called up in groups of four, and each sang a song of their choice.

Elethorp sat, waited and watched for about an hour and half.

"Some of them are really good, and some of them suck," she said.

Wood echoed the same sentiment.

"They were sending home people that were twice as good as me. They were sending home Jessica Simpsons and Whitney Houstons."

Elethorp watched for a while before a hint of anxiety set in.

"I wasn't nervous until about two rows away, when we were about to go," she said. "Then my stomach just fell through the floor. "¦ Even if they were bad, it still made me nervous."

Finally, it came time to go. She sang "At Last" by Etta James.

"I can probably sing that song in my sleep," she said.

But she didn't make the cut. Neither did Wood.

"At first, I was very upset and angry, and I wanted to punch the judges in the face," Elethorp said. "But I don't regret it because I learned a lot."

Wood said he doesn't regret it, either. He said it was difficult because of all the people who had given him money to fund his trip and who had believed in him.

"That was the hard part, having to go home and tell everyone I'm not going to Hollywood."