Idol Auditions Get Cooking in Cali

Fox announces eight mostly new audition cities Cowell & Co. will hit in run-up to season eight

The ink is barely dry on David Cook's record deal, but the search for the next overbearing stage father American Idol is on!

Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and man of a thousand job titles Ryan Seacrest are packing their toothbrushes for an eight-city receiving line of wannabe superstars next month, when auditions for the eighth season of American Idol kick off in San Francisco.

Although Cowell publicly toyed with the notion of lowering the minimum audition age—and increasing the personality requirement—for contestants last season, males and females ages 16 to 28 will once again be the range for eligible crooners.

And while the Idol crew is hitting one repeat city—San Francisco—it is otherwise going after untapped talent reserves in new locations, like Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Louisville, Ky., and, for the first time, traveling outside the U.S. for a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Here's the complete list of audition cities:

• San Francisco: July 17
• Louisville, Ky.: July 21
• Phoenix: July 25
• Salt Lake City: July 29
• San Juan, Puerto Rico: Aug. 2
• Kansas City, Mo.: Aug. 8
• Jacksonville, Fla.: Aug. 13
• East Rutherford, N.J.: Aug. 19