Oxygen has what Gleeks want as 'The Glee Project' makes its debut

One-hour casting special, "The Glee Project: The Final 12," will air at 8 p.m. leading up to the premiere episode at 9 p.m.

Calling all Gleeks: The wait is finally over as Oxygen premieres "The Glee Project" on Sunday, June 12, at 9 p.m. ET/PT when one lucky winner from a field of 12 contenders will win the chance of a lifetime -- a seven episode guest-starring role on the mega-hit series "Glee."

Who are they and how did they get there? Before the premiere, Oxygen will air a one-hour casting special titled "The Glee Project: The Final 12" at 8 p.m. ET/PT. During the casting special, fans can log on to www.facebook.com/thegleeproject beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET/PT for an exclusive live event with all 12 contenders, hosted by Oxygen's own Tiffany Smith. Additionally, log on to www.OxygenLive.com at 9 p.m. ET/PT for a live chat with contender Damian.

"The Glee Project: The Final 12" begins with a close-up look into the "Glee" phenomenon and in turn explores how "The Glee Project" was born. Viewers will be introduced to Robert Ulrich, casting director for "Glee" and "The Glee Project," and will get an inside look at the casting process that discovered "The Glee Project's" 12 talented contenders. Amid nearly 40,000 applicants -- identified through MySpace.com, open casting calls in Chicago and Dallas and searches through industry channels -- "The Glee Project: The Final 12" takes viewers through the exhaustive search for the final selected contenders. Viewers will also witness moments of drama and excitement when Ulrich informs the lucky 12 they have been chosen to compete for the role of a lifetime.

In the premiere episode, "Individuality," the chosen 12 contenders are introduced to the world of "The Glee Project" by going straight to work on their first "homework assignment." During this assignment, the contenders have the chance to show the judges who they are by showcasing their individual personalities. The winner of that assignment is awarded some coveted one-on-one time with a guest mentor - this week, it's Darren Criss ("Glee's" Blaine). With the help of the mentors -- casting director Ulrich, choreographer Zach Woodlee and vocal producer Nikki Anders -- the contenders prepare for the main challenge -- performing Katy Perry's "Firework." Tension builds as the mentors determine the bottom three contenders and challenge them to a final performance in front of "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy, who determines the ultimate callbacks.

"The Glee Project" is a groundbreaking, 10-episode competition series from Murphy, the Emmy-winning executive producer of "Glee." The show finds and trains a group of extraordinarily talented performers, who compete against one another to win a guest starring role on "Glee." The series uncovers a unique group of artists from both professional and amateur backgrounds, proving every underdog has a fighting chance at stardom.

Fans of "The Glee Project" can follow the show on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/thegleeproject, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thegleeproject and Tumblr at http://thegleeproject.tumblr.com for access to all of the latest news and information. Additionally, fans can vote for their favorite contender in the Bing Fan Favorite contest beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 12, and continuing throughout the run of the show. Log on to www.OxygenLive.com for special live chats with cast as well as a special chat with the eliminated contender directly following the episode. Viewers can log on to http://thegleeproject.oxygen.com for a more in-depth look at each contender (complete with photo galleries and video) and to meet the judges.