Unless you've been living under a giant -- and completely soundproof -- rock, you know that Bailey Hanks (the winner of the Legally Blonde: The Musical casting special) has spent the past month wooing Broadway audiences as pink-clad Harvard dynamo Elle Woods. So how's she doing? Just fine, apparently. Well, except for a little case of Summer withdrawal...
"I told my friend the other day how much I miss Myrtle Beach," Hanks recently told her hometown paper. "I'm used to being at the beach during the summer."
But don't worry, LB fans -- she won't be trading in her law books and killer pumps for a bikini anytime soon. "This is where I knew I was meant to be," she declares.
And no offense to Laura Bell Bundy (or, for that matter, Autumn!) but we couldn't agree more.
Anyone else having trouble accepting that Legally Blonde is gone forever? Well, even though the competition is over and done with (and Bailey has officially bent-and-snapped her way to the Broadway stage) it just so happens that there's still some interesting LB gossip floating around.
Turns out, not only did Emma have prior Broadway experience (take that, mentor Haylie Duff!) but she recently appeared in a revival of La Cage Aux Folles. Better yet? The play was actually directed by her pops, Broadway big-shot Jerry Zaks, and it co-starred a certain LB actor/judge by the name of Paul Canaan.
Anyone else thinking this might have influenced the judges' decision to let Emma go?
OMG, you guys! As most of you already know, Bailey took the Legally Blonde: The Musical stage yesterday for the very first time and delivered a pitch-perfect performance. Seriously, she nailed every note (including the super-long high one in "So Much Better") drilled the choreography and got through the entire show without a single wardrobe malfunction!
No wonder she garnered a standing ovation from a no-nonsense audience that included Heather Hach, Bernard Telsey, Jerry Mitchell and a bunch of familiar Legally Blonde faces (including Lauren, Emma, Lindsey and Celina!)
So check out more photos from Bailey's Broadway debut at The Palace Theater and check back tomorrow to catch Bailey's post-show interview. (And don't forget - it was Autumn's debut, too! And she absolutely ROCKED in the ensemble!)
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You already know what the rest of the Legally Blonde girls have been doing since the show -- so I figured I'd hit you with an update on what FMP's (that's "Formerly Missing Persons") Cassie S. and Rhiannon have been up to. (Oh, and for the record, Lauren swears she's alive and well, and told me she's gearing up to go on the LB tour as Elle's understudy!)
And speaking of Elle Woods, Bailey's performance last night was UNBELIEVABLE! Check back later today for a Q&A where Bailey answers your top questions PLUS live video coverage of her opening night.
CASSIE S.
What have you been up to since we last saw you?
I have been training! YAY!! Plus I have been spending lots of time with my nephew (because they do grow up FAST!) I've also been teaching, which is such a pleasure, and -- of course! -- working. I have a few things in the works right now and next up is a guest star on the Showtime hit, DEXTER. So mostly, I have been auditioning and growing up!!!
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What a long, strange season it's been! After months of watching the girls put their blondest foot forward, it's finally time to congratulate Bailey on her much-deserved win! And since everybody loves closure, I figured I'd find out what all of the pink ladies have been doing post-Legally Blonde.
Check out what Bailey, Emma, Cassie O., Lindsey, Celina, Natalie and Autumn had to say for themselves -- and what they said about everybody else.
First up: EMMA
Anything you want to set the record straight about?
I'd like to set the record straight about people thinking I'm stuck-up or arrogant. This is such a tough business and if you aren't confident, you'll never last. Also, what I said in my last interview about Rhiannon, Bailey and Lauren being 'little girls' was said during a really stressful time -- I was frustrated and lashed out with something I didn't mean.
Tell us something we don't know about you from watching the show.
I'm not always so serious! We were all a lot more goofy on the show but you don't see those parts! I'm actually quite funny...or so I think!
What have you been up to since we last saw you?
I have moved to a new apartment and worked towards (finally!) getting a new agent! Now, I'm auditioning and trying to get work so that I can stop bartending!
Any gripes, amazing anecdotes or funny stories you'd like to share?
also have one anecdote- Bailey and I were riding in a cab together on our way to Brooklyn (where we danced on cobblestones) and as we were passing through Chinatown, she remarked on all the Chinese writing. I said, "Yeah, we are going through Chinatown" and she said, "Oh my Gawd, it's just like we're JAPAN!" Ya gotta love her!!
Next up: AUTUMN
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Sure, tonight's Legally Blonde finale will determine which pink lady gets the role of a lifetime. But there were so many memorable moments this season that I figured it was time for a quick impromptu highlights reel. So here, in no particular order, are the Best Moments From This Season's Legally Blonde.
• The unforgettable afternoon I spent riding around New York City in a giant, hot pink double-decker bus -- with 50 identically-dressed Elle Woods clones who spent the better part of five hours screaming "Omigod, you guys!"
• The (first) time our beloved Seth Rudetsky ripped on Lauren for being poker-faced and Bailey for being inappropriately dressed...all while strutting around in a form-fitting wife beater.
• The week everyone (suddenly) started saying "She threw us under a bus."
• The first ever 'Dumb Blonde' Question! This week, I wondered aloud whether Cassie O's exit would inspire Cassie S to drop her initial and just be known as....Cassie. (It didn't).
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In just a few hours, the special one-hour Legally Blonde finale will determine whether Rhiannon, Autumn or Bailey is the next Elle Woods! Here's a few reasons we think you should watch.
10. It's been, like, five minutes since you heard somebody say "Omigod, you guys!"
9. Hey, it's another chance to see mentor Haylie Duff in tight-fitting evening wear
8. And to see blonde writer-judge Heather Hach crinkle her nose and say "I'm just not sure it's Elle"
7. Bailey's cute-as-a-button Southern accent, y'all!
6. Final two is "Soooo Much Better" than final three
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Omigod you guys! This coming Monday is the season finale of Legally Blonde, which means we're only three days, 85 hours and 4 minutes away from finding out which lovely and talented pink lady is the next Elle Woods. (Not that I'm counting down the seconds or anything). So, what's in store for Autumn, Bailey and Rhiannon? Well, sadly, it all starts with another elimination (remember that sneaky double-cut they teased in last week's episode??) followed by a brutal final audition where the final two girls take the stage one last time to compete for the role of their lives.
So who will go home? Who will be in the final two? And who will be the next Elle Woods? Watch this trailer for next week's episode and I guarantee you'll be even more confused than ever.
Every Wednesday, I struggle with a minor bout of Legally Blonde withdrawal. So to compensate, I’ve decided to start out each Hump Day morning with a dumb blonde question inspired by my favorite Elle Woods wannabes. (Like “Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey,” only blonder!)
This week, we watched as Autumn hit all the right notes, Bailey shined in the face of ill-fitting hat adversity, Rhiannon ran out of steam and poor little triple-threat Lauren was belatedly informed that she's far too young for the part.
So which of the remaining three girls will go on to achieve future greatness as the star of Legally Blonde: The Musical? Unfortunately, you'll have to wait til next Monday to find out! Meanwhile, it's time for this week's Dumb Blonde question. And this time, it's more like a blind item -- or should I say "blonde" item?
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Seth Rudetsky boldly goes where no other Broadway critic can -- and will! Points of interest from this week's Search for Elle Woods:
Autumn's OND (Obsessive Nodding Disorder)
Lauren's dominatrix dance moves
Rhiannon's second wind (more literal than you're thinking)
PLUS: Don't miss the season finale of Legally Blonde The Musical next Monday at 10pm, which will also mark the last Remote Control vlog from Seth. It's going to be a dark day. Relieve the pain at Logo Online, where you can catch the behind-the-scenes antics of our Broadway jokester and friends recording his latest book, Broadway Nights.
Seth Rudetsky has been working on Broadway for fifteen years. He's played piano for many shows including Les Miz, Grease and Phantom of the Opera and made his acting debut this year in The Ritz starring Rosie Perez. He's produced/conducted many benefits including Dreamgirls (with Audra McDonald, Lillias White and Heather Headley) available on Nonesuch Records and Hair (with Jennifer Hudson and Adam Pascal) available on Ghostlight Records (Grammy nominated).
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