The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK
Brittany Wilhelm had always dreamed of becoming a supermodel, but her height cut that dream short.
That was until Saturday, when the 5-foot, 4-inch student from Charlotte, N.C., lined up with hundreds of other women at The Gallery at Military Circle hoping to become "America's Next Top Model." For the first time in 13 seasons , the hit reality TV show lowered its height requirement, inviting women 5 feet, 7 inches tall or shorter to audition.
The response was tremendous, drawing the largest turnout of any casting call so far, said Chris Wolf , director of creative services and programs for The CW Television Network, which hosts the show.
"It's the biggest line we've had," Wolf said, as he took a break from yelling out directions on an air horn outside the mall. More than 1,000 applications were downloaded for the tryout here, he said.
The line of hundreds had already snaked around the outside of the building by the time the auditions began at noon, with women waiting as long as four hours in stiletto shoes, fitted jeans and miniskirts.
Despite standing for nearly four hours in three-inch heels, Tiannah Bruce, 23, said her feet were her last concern.
"I'm mostly excited, and I have a lot of anxiety," said Bruce, of Norfolk, who works as a digital technician at a local news station.
Lowering the height requirement is a great move for the fashion industry, which has received a lot of criticism for promoting unhealthy body images, Bruce added.
"This represents more young women who want to be models," she said.
Wilhelm, 20, a student at Johnson & Wales University in North Carolina, started driving at 2 a.m. in order to reach the tryout in time. When she finally made it to the front of the line around 12:30 p.m., a cameraman directed her to show off her best cat walk and then record a message for supermodel Tyra Banks , the show's creator and executive producer .
"I'm spunky and energetic ... and I have a lot of class," Wilhelm told Banks, before breaking into a cheer she choreographed for the audition.
I'm "your next top model," she cheered, "who can't be stopped!"
Wilhelm's tape and application package, along with those of the other women, will travel to California and be reviewed by the "Top Model" producers, Wolf said.
The show is scheduled to film in the spring or summer and air this fall, he said. The winner will receive a modeling contract and other prizes.
Even if she doesn't make the cut, Wilhelm said, she was happy to have had the chance to try.
"I have always had a really big passion for modeling; my mom was a model," she said. "But I was always told I was too short, I couldn't do it, it was a waste of my time to try. And now I'm ready to prove everyone wrong."
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
shorter candidates
"America's Next Top Model" lowered its height requirement to include shorter women. The result: The largest turnout in the TV show's history as hundreds of women flooded The Gallery at Military Circle in Norfolk.
Copyright 2009
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