It's not quite "American Idol," but Oscar Mayer wiener fans are expected to pour their heart and soul into the Sing a Jingle, Be a Star contest on May 23.
A fleet of six wienermobiles will be sidling up to the MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, that day from 7 to 10 a.m.
Anyone in the Las Vegas area who has ever wished they were an Oscar Mayer wiener -- or at least wished to sing the famous jingle -- can give it a try.
Lyndsie Jackson of Weber Shandwick, the public relations firm coordinating the jingle-singing contest, said the event will mark the first such competition Oscar Mayer has had in Las Vegas. Organizers are expecting a great turnout.
The Las Vegas contest is part of a nationwide search for stars of a future Oscar Mayer commercial. The overall winner will star in commercials and also win $5,000.
After collecting video footage of singers from Las Vegas and various cities around the country, there will be online voting to determine the winner.
Country music singer Julie Roberts will be on hand to show the contestants how it's done, and Wienermobile drivers, called hotdoggers, will be giving out hot dogs and wiener whistles.
There also will be celebrity impersonators at the event portraying Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Tina Turner.
Laura Chia, one of the hotdoggers who will be at the Las Vegas event, said she has a wonderful job.
"You can't help but get a big smile when you see a giant hot dog on the road," said Chia.
Singers will be judged in three categories: overall performance, style and creativity, and suitability to appear in an Oscar Mayer television commercial, according to the Web site.
Costumes, props and instruments are allowed, but groups are not. Contestants are expected to sing alone.
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