3rd WICKED Block Party Announced Leading Up to 3rd Anniv.

To celebrate the third anniversary of the Broadway blockbuster WICKED, an entire week-long series of events will be held leading up to the anniversary on Sunday, October 29th. The events will include the annual "WICKED Day" Block Party; the Z100 "Be WICKED" Singing Contest; cast appearances at Dylan's Candy Bar, the NBC Experience Store at Rockefeller Plaza and the Paramount Hotel in Times Square; and "Give A Little, Get A Lot" Bloomingdale's Shopping Event at participating stores. For complete info, please visit: www.wickedday.com.

Throughout the week and in honor of "WICKED Day," the semi-finals for the Z100 "Be WICKED" Singing Contest will be held at various locations in the tri-state area, including Garden City, NY; Livingston, NJ; and Manhattan. Finalists will be chosen at each event and will then participate at the finals in New York City (on "WICKED Day"). The finals will be judged by WICKED stars and other special guests. The Grand Prize will be: "The Ultimate WICKED Package" in which the winner plus 3 guests will receive free tickets to WICKED with an exclusive backstage tour, hotel accommodations, the "Behind the Emerald Curtain" tour, a personalized WICKED platinum record plaque, a $500 Bloomingdale's gift card, treats from Fat Witch Bakery & Dylan's Candy Bar, and a selection of WICKED merchandise.

The week's activities all lead up to the "WICKED Day" Block Party, to be held on Sunday, October 29th. From 11 AM to 2 PM, in front of the Gershwin Theatre (West 51st Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue), the blow-out bash will offer face-painting, games, food and refreshments, and feature the finals of the "Be WICKED" Singing Contest. The first 100 people to arrive in green face receive a free copy of "Son of a Witch," by WICKED author Gregory Maguire. Sponsored by Z100, Virgin Megastore, Bloomingdales, Decca Records, Dylan's Candy Bar, Regan Books and Fat Witch Bakery, the Block Party will take place rain or shine.

Called "Broadway's biggest blockbuster" by The New York Times and "a cultural phenomenon" by Variety, WICKED has been sold out at virtually every performance since having its official opening at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, breaking house records with box office receipts of over $1.4 million per week. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, WICKED is currently being presented on Broadway, on a national tour, and in a separate, open-ended engagement at Chicago's Ford Center for Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. The London production opened on September 27 and is currently playing to capacity crowds at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. A Los Angeles production will begin performances at the Pantages Theatre this February.

The Grammy Award-winning original cast recording of WICKED, produced by Stephen Schwartz for Decca Broadway, has been one of the fastest-selling Broadway recordings of recent years. In October 2005, it was certified 'Gold' by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for sales of more than 500,000 copies.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

The performance schedule for WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) is Tuesday evenings at 7 PM; Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM; matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. The scale of prices is $50 - $110. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 (or you may visit www.ticketmaster.com) or at the Gershwin Theatre box office. For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.

COMPLETE CALENDAR OF WICKED EVENTS (you may also visit www.wickedday.com)

Saturday, October 14 (11:30 AM)
"BE WICKED" Semifinal #1
Livingston Mall, Livingston, NJ 10:00 – 11:00 on site registration. A random drawing will select 50 contestants from all eligible registrations. Entrants must come prepared to sing a song from WICKED. Accompaniment will be provided.

Saturday, October 21 (11:30 AM)
"BE WICKED" Semifinal #2
Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden City, NY 10:00 – 11:00 on site registration. A random drawing will select 50 contestants from all eligible registrations. Entrants must come prepared to sing a song from WICKED. Accompaniment will be provided.

Tuesday, October 24 (4:00 PM)
CAST PERFORMANCE
Dylan's Candy Bar
(Third Avenue at 60th Street) Members of the cast will perform. The first 50 WICKED fans are invited to make free WICKED sundaes.

Wednesday, October 25 (5:00 PM)
"BE WICKED" Semifinal #3 Virgin Megastore
Times Square 3:30 – 4:30 on site registration. A random drawing will select 50 contestants from all eligible registrations. Entrants must come prepared to sing a song from WICKED. Accompaniment will be provided.

Thursday, October 26
"GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LOT" SHOPPING EVENT
Participating Bloomingdale's The Mall at Short Hills, The Shops at Riverside, Bridgewater Commons, Willowbrook Mall, White Plains Mall, Roosevelt Field Mall, Walt Whitman Mall Shop in the New View, and you could be eligible to receive a complimentary pair of tickets to see WICKED on Broadway. (One per household, while supplies last.)

Friday, October 27 (11:00 AM)
CAST APPEARANCE NBC
Experience Store, Rockefeller Plaza A meet, greet and autograph signing with cast members.

Saturday, October 28 (5:30 PM)
CAST APPEARANCE
Paramount Hotel, 235 West 46th Street An up-close and personal autograph signing with cast members.

Sunday, October 29
"WICKED DAY" Block Party (11:00 AM-2:00 PM)
"BE WICKED" Singing Contest Finals (12:30 PM)
(Rain or Shine) Gershwin Theatre, 51st Street between Broadway and 8th Ave. The first 100 people to arrive in green face receive a free copy of "Son of a Witch," by WICKED author Gregory Maguire

Eligibility and Limitations for "BE WICKED" Singing Contest. Participants and winner(s) must be US residents of at least 18-years old. A parent or guardian of any participant who is a minor must sign a release on behalf of the minor to be eligible to receive a prize, but sponsors reserve the right to refuse to award a prize to or on behalf of any minor. Only one (1) entry per person, one (1) prize per household for the Contest. Employees of Z100, Virgin Megastore, Bloomingdales, Decca Records, Dylan's Candy Bar, Regan Books, Fatwitch Bakery, the Contest's other participating sponsors and their advertising agencies, employees of other radio or television stations, employees of Wicked LLC and members of the immediate family of any such persons are not eligible to participate and win. The term "immediate family" includes spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren, whether as "in-laws," or by current or past marriage(s), remarriage(s), adoption, co-habitation or other family extension, and any other persons residing at the same household whether or not related.