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"What You Want": Hanks Is Legally Blonde on Broadway Beginning July 23
By Adam Hetrick
23 Jul 2008
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New Blonde Bailey Hanks
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| photo by Andrew Walker | Bailey Hanks, the winner of MTV's reality casting competition "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods," makes her Broadway debut as Harvard Law student Elle Woods July 23 at the Palace Theatre.
Hanks, who competed against nine other contestants to portray the pink-clad graduate student in the musical adaptation of the MGM film, was revealed as the winner of the MTV series on July 21.
Also joining the Broadway company of Legally Blonde at 8 PM July 23 is fellow MTV reality contestant Autumn Hurlbert, who performs in the ensemble also also serves as Hanks' understudy.
Anderson, SC native Hanks was named the winner of the pre-taped series at a private taping on the stage of the Palace Theatre March 18. Legally Blonde's original Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy, played her final performance in the pop tuner June 20. A musical theatre student at Coastal Carolina University, Hanks' previous stage credits include The Wizard of Oz, Seussical the Musical, A Year With Frog and Toad, Annie and Bye Bye Birdie.
"Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods" finalists Rhiannon Hansen and Lauren Zakrin will join the national tour of the musical when it launches Sept. 23 in Providence, RI.
The Broadway company of Legally Blonde also features Christian Borle as Emmett, Orfeh as Paulette, Richard H. Blake as Warner, Kate Shindle as Vivienne, Nicolette Hart as Brooke, and Michael Rupert as Professor Callahan.
Completing the cast are Tracy Jai Edwards, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Kate Rockwell, Lucia Spina, Barry Anderson, April Berry, Paul Canaan, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Ven Daniel, Amber Efé, Tiffany Engen, Stephanie Fittro, Josh Franklin, Jason Gillman, Rod Harrelson, Manuel Herrera, Nick Kenkel, Cara Massey, Rusty Mowery, Emily Padgett, Kevin Pariseau, Jody Reynard, Matthew Risch, Dani Spieler and Casey Leigh Thompson.
Directed and choreographed by Tony Award Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde officially opened at the Palace Theatre April 29, 2007. The production began previews April 3 following an out-of-town tryout in San Francisco.
Legally Blonde has music and lyrics by both Laurence O'Keefe (Bat Boy: The Musical, Cam Jansen and the Curse of the Emerald Elephant, Sarah, Plain and Tall) and Nell Benjamin (Cam Jansen, Sarah, Plain and Tall, The Mice) and a book by Heather Hach (the film "Freaky Friday"). James Sampliner serves as music director. Orchestrations are by Christopher Jahnke.
The production features scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller and sound design by ACME Sound Partners.
The show is produced on Broadway by Hal Luftig, Fox Theatricals and Dori Berinstein, in association with MGM Onstage, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber.
For more information visit www.legallyblondethemusical.com.
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Bailey Hanks as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
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| photo by Andrew Walker |
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