Now's your chance: The preliminary rounds of the first annual Be Wicked singing contest will be held Oct. 19 at Chicago's Navy Pier and Oct. 20 at Chicago's Northbrook Court. The contest is open to those ten and older, and contestants will be asked to sing a 60-second selection from one of the five aforementioned Wicked tunes.

Fifty contestants will be randomly selected from those who register before 4 PM at both Chicago locations. A panel of judges will select five winners at the Navy Pier and Northbrook Court, and those ten finalists will move on to the Wicked singing finals on Oct. 30 at Pumpkin Plaza.

The Wicked finals will be presented from 11 AM-1 PM.

The Chicago production of Wicked plays the Ford Center for the Performing Arts' Oriental Theatre at 24 West Randolph Street. Ana Gasteyer (Elphaba) and Kate Reinders (Glinda) head the cast of the hit Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical. Tickets are available by calling (312) 902-1400.

* In related news, a new block of tickets for the Chicago run will go on sale Oct. 16 for performances Jan. 17-April 30, 2006.