The Z100 "Be Wicked" Singing Contest — held at various locations in the tri-state area — will require entrants to sing a song from the hit Stephen Schwartz musical. Finalists will be chosen at each location, and Wicked co-stars Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty as well as Miss USA Chelsea Cooley and casting director Bernie Telsey will judge the final competition at the "Wicked Day" Block Party Oct. 30. The Grand Prize winner will receive three tickets to the musical, dinner, limousine service, hotel accommodations, Wicked merchandise and a backstage tour at the Gershwin Theatre.
A book signing of the new coffee-table book "Wicked: The Grimmerie" will be held Oct. 24 at Borders Books in the Time Warner Center (10 Columbus Avenue). The new tome, written by David Cote, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the musical and color photographs by Joan Marcus. Cote, Marcus and members of the Wicked cast and creative team will be on hand for the 5 PM event. A second book signing will be held Oct. 28 at 4 PM at the NBC Experience Store at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza.
The week of events concludes Oct. 30 with the "Wicked Day" Block Party. Held in front of the Gershwin Theatre, the event runs from 10 AM to 1 PM. In addition to the singing contest finale, the three-hour event will include face painting, games, food and refreshments.
Based on Gregory Maguire's novel, which turned every Oz myth inside out, Wicked explores the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. The two main characters meet at Shiz, a school where both hope to take up sorcery. Glinda is madly popular and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding, they wind up roommates and, after an initial period of mutual loathing, begin to learn something about each other. Their life paths continue to intersect through a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and convictions take them on widely different paths.
Wicked, with a book by Winnie Holzman, began previews on Broadway Oct. 8, 2003, with an official opening Oct. 30, 2003. The Broadway company — directed by Joe Mantello — continues to play the Gershwin Theatre. Tickets are available by calling (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. For complete details about the week of Wicked events, visit www.wicked-week.com.
