WESTBROOK – Ryan Seacrest isn’t coming to town, but the Paper City is still looking to crown its first “Westbrook Idol.”

Fashioned after the hit television show “American Idol,” the Westbrook version is a fundraiser for the parent/teacher organization for Saccarappa and Canal schools, said Canal School Principal Jeremy Ray.

“We’re modeling it right after the real ‘American Idol,’” he said.

That means the competition begins with open auditions, set for Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Westbrook Middle School. Ray said local channel 2 is filming the auditions, which are open to anyone age 12 and up. Everyone from kids to adults who live or work in Westbrook is welcome to give it a shot, he said.

The humorous tryouts of less-talented singers are always a highlight of each “American Idol” season. Ray said organizers are trying to get some community members to supply that comedy relief, though he would not say which tone-deaf residents he is targeting.

“I have to get them to go through with it,” he said.

The auditions will serve as a way for three judges – director of community services Maria Dorn is among them – to whittle the field down to between 10 and 15 contestants, Ray said, adding that Westbrook has some talented singers, as evidenced by the school district’s music and drama programs.

“I think we have some real talent out there,” he said.

Those who make the cut will return to the Performing Arts Center on March 3 for a semifinal round. Each singer will have to perform one song, he said.

About four to six semifinalists will move on to the March 10 finals, Ray said, which will consist of multiple songs for each contestant.

The title of “Westbrook Idol” is mostly about prestige, though Ray said organizers are trying to find ways to get the winner on the radio or at a Portland Sea Dogs or Maine Red Claws game to sing the national anthem.

Starting at the semifinal round, audience members will be able to replicate the TV show experience by voting via text message from their phones. Ray said the PTA is buying a $500 text-messaging program to facilitate that.

“We also figure that once we buy it, that ‘Dancing with the Staff’ will be able to use it,” Ray said, referencing another popular local contest spin-off of a TV show that took place in the fall.

Tickets go on sale after the auditions and will be sold at the schools and at the door the day of the events. Ray said PTA fundraisers help support trips for students, such as the Canal School’s annual fourth grade overnight to a science camp.