Voting Now Open For "Wannabe Wicked' Contest

On Wednesday, August 20 at 7pm, "Wannabe Wicked," the competitive performance series, will showcase the 15 finalists who have made it to the last round of the competition. A Grand Prize Winner will be awarded a walk-on appearance in the Los Angeles production of WICKED.

In addition, Valentine, host of "Valentine In The Morning" on 104.3 MYfm, will be on hand for this thrillifying event. "Wannabe Wicked" is presented by Universal CityWalk and WICKED as part of its free "Summer Block Party" entertainment series. The public is invited and admission is free.

Each of the finalists will sing one song from a list of five suggested songs:  "Popular," "Defying Gravity," "Dancing Through Life," "For Good" or "The Wizard and I." The finalists will be judged by theater industry professionals on the basis of vocal quality, performance delivery, vocal accuracy and overall performance.

In conjunction with the "Wannabe Wicked" Finals, beginning August 13, fans of WICKED can log on to www.CityWalkHollywood.com/WickedVote and select the FAN FAVORITE, who will win a great prize package including tickets to WICKED and Universal Studios Hollywood. Fans can vote once a day through August 19 at 12:00am PST. The winner will be announced at the Finals on August 20.

This event is part of CityWalk's "Summer Block Party" featuring free entertainment seven nights a week including live bands, the popular free movie night and talent competitions now through August 31.

WICKED, the smash hit musical that the New York Times called, "one of the most successful shows in Broadway history" continues its long engagement at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through January 11, 2009.  Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED's music and lyrics is composed by Stephen Schwartz and includes a  book written by Winnie Holzman.  The production is directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento.  WICKED is a production of Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

Winner of 20 major awards including the Grammy® Award and three Tony Awards®, WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz. 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.

WICKED tickets are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com/wicked, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878, in person at the Pantages Theatre Box Office, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., or at any Ticketmaster outlet.  Groups of fifteen (15) or more can call 866-755-3075 or online at www.nedgroups.com.

Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex; the Universal CityWalk Cinemas; and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event venue.  The theme park features such groundbreaking attractions as "Revenge of the Mummy™ – The Ride," "Shrek 4-D™," "Jurassic Park® – The Ride," the world-renowned Studio Tour, which takes guests behind-the-scenes of such landmark TV and movie locations and sets as Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," and the new mega-attraction, "The Simpsons Ride."

Universal Studios Hollywood (www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com) is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of Universal Studios, a part of NBC Universal.  NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.  Formed in May of 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks.  NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi. 

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