Auditions held for Menudo boy-band

Menudo, the famous Latin boy-band that launched the career of Ricky Martin, is coming back.
Hundreds of hopeful teens packed the food court area of the Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, to take their shot at a big break in showbiz, support a friend, or maybe get a glimpse of a star being born.
Epic Records is developing the reincarnation of the wildly popular group, best remembered for replacing its members when they turned 16, or if their voices changed. The current rules state that contestants must “appear younger than 19.”
The open audition on Saturday, April 28, was the last of four in the U.S., after similar tryouts in Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami. Over 60 boys auditioned.
Among the celebrity judges at the event was “reggaeton” music creator and Latin music superstar, Don Omar.
“We decided to come to Queens in New York City, because of its large Hispanic population,” said Caroline Bubnis, Director of Media Relations for Epic.
When informed that there were an estimated 200,000 Colombians who lived in Queens, she replied, “I was wondering why there were so many people waving flags and yelling, ‘Colombia!’”
According to Epic, seven finalists will be selected from all the entrants, and will appear on a program called “The Road to Menudo,” which will debut May 12, on Cable TV network MTV’s Latin music outlet, “Tres.”
Ultimately, five of the boys will be chosen to form the new group, cut their first single recording in July and an album by the end of the year. The process is scheduled to be chronicled in a 10-part reality series, as yet unnamed, to air on MTV in the fall.