| Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official logo | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 44 |
| Production companies | MGM Television MTV |
| Original release | |
| Network | MTV |
| Release | June 2 (2008-06-02) – July 21, 2008 (2008-07-21) |
Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods is an MTV program created in order to cast an actress to replaceLaura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway production ofLegally Blonde: The Musical. The show debuted on June 2, 2008.
The winner of the show,Bailey Hanks, in addition to being cast in the role, was given the opportunity to record her own single of the musical's first-act closer, "So Much Better". The show concluded on July 21, 2008.Autumn Hurlbert was the runner up. She served as Hanks' understudy and performed in the ensemble of the show (replacingBecky Gulsvig who left to join the tour). Bundy's last performance in the musical was on July 20, 2008. Hanks began performances on July 23, 2008, and remained with the show until it closed on October 19, 2008.[1]
Two other show finalists, Rhiannon Hansen andLauren Zakrin, performed in the "Legally Blonde" national tour. Hansen played Margot, and Zakrin performed in the ensemble as well serving as understudy to Becky Gulsvig as Elle Woods.[2]
The show began with 15 contestants. All except the winner were eliminated over nine episodes, in which they performed songs and faced other challenges. A three-judge panel made the elimination decisions. Most episodes involved a small prize for the winner of the challenge, which could be shared with another contestant of the winner's choosing.
| Name | Age1 | Hometown | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey Hanks | 20 | Anderson, South Carolina | Winner |
| Autumn Hurlbert | 28 | Mesa, Arizona | 2nd Place |
| Rhiannon Hansen | 19 | Logan, Utah | 3rd Place |
| Lauren Zakrin | 18 | Rochester, Michigan | Eliminated 7th |
| Natalie Lander | 25 | Malibu, California | Eliminated 6th |
| Emma Zaks | 26 | Bronx, New York | Eliminated 5th |
| Cassie Silva | 19 | Los Angeles, California | Eliminated 3rd |
| Celina Carvajal[3] | 28 | San Francisco, California | |
| Lindsey Ridgway | 24 | Chicago, Illinois | Eliminated 2nd |
| Cassie Okenka | 22 | Toledo, Ohio | Eliminated 1st |
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In each episode, the contestants met different cast members from the Broadway cast ofLegally Blonde: The Musical. They also studied a song from the show and faced various tests and challenges that were evaluated by the panel of judges. Most weeks, a challenge winner received a special prize to help them for the upcoming audition.
50 contestants traveled to New York hoping to star as the next Elle Woods inLegally Blonde: The Musical. An initial dance audition ensued, and the field was narrowed down to 15 contestants. The 15 contestants learned the song "So Much Better,” and a dance. Later on, the contestants auditioned for the judges. Five contestants were eliminated as the judges were not satisfied with their singing and dancing, leaving 10 remaining contestants. The 10 contestants were moved to a penthouse to stay for the next 8 weeks for their upcoming auditions.
Episode 2 was focused on acting. Scene partnerNikki Snelson (who played Brooke Wyndham in the musical) purposely drops a line during the contestants' auditions to see how the contestants react if their scene partner forgets a line. The contestants also learned the song, "Delta Nu Nu Nu". The challenge winner, Bailey Hanks, won personal time with Nikki Snelson. She shared the prize with Ridgway.
After a grueling vocal workshop on spin bikes to test the contestants' stamina, Silva isolates herself from the other contestants by complaining to the judges that the other contestants failed to give their all during her rehearsals. The episode also focused on the song "Omigod You Guys". The prize was a manicure and pedicure withOrfeh (who played Paulette in the musical), won by Zakrin and shared with Silva.
The top eight contestants experience illness and nerves, while learning the song "Serious" and performing a challenging comedic scene. The prize was a date withRichard H. Blake (who played Warner Huntington III in the musical), won by Hurlbert and shared with Carvajal.
The six contestants test their dancing skills on the cobblestoned streets of Brooklyn and face a Hip-Hop dancing challenge ("Shake Your Junk" dance sequence). The song for the episode was "Positive". Lander won a yoga lesson withKate Shindle (who played Vivienne Kensington in the musical), which she shared with Hansen.
The final five contestants were given makeovers and performed the ballad "Legally Blonde." The episode's challenge involved modeling, and the featured song was "Legally Blonde". Lander won a lunch date withAndy Karl (who played Kyle The UPS Guy and understudied Emmett in the musical).
Four finalists auditioned with a challenging number that tested their singing, acting and dancing abilities. Their costume change skills were also tested, as was their stamina. The song featured was "What You Want". All the contestants won dinner at the loft andLegally Blonde-styleTiffany necklaces.
Hurlbert and Hanks performed threeLegally Blonde numbers live at thePalace Theatre on Broadway, and Hanks was declared the winner. The three songs were "Omigod You Guys", "Positive" and "So Much Better". In addition to winning a contract to perform the role of Elle Woods on Broadway for at least three months, Hanks was given the opportunity to record her own single of the musical's first-act closer, "So Much Better".[2][4][5] Hurlbert, as the runner up, will act as Hanks' understudy and perform in the ensemble of the show. Zakrin, the third runner up, will understudy the tour's Elle Woods, Becky Gulsvig, and will also be a member of the ensemble. And, Hansen, the second runner up, will play the role of Margot, Elle's best friend, on tour, as well as understudying Elle.[2]
In each episode, the contestants meet a cast member fromLegally Blonde: The Musical. Usually, these opportunities were awarded as prizes.
These were the following auditions or workshops for each episode. These are similar to "challenges" on other reality shows.
These were the musical numbers from the Broadway show that the contestants were taught during each episode.
During the course of the auditions, the three judges determine which contestants to eliminate and which ones to continue in the competition. After the judges figure out who will go and who will stay they write the names down, in order by best audition, on "the list" similar to the one referred to during the songSo Much Better. Haylie Duff is then given the list and announces the list in order. The remaining contestants who are not on the list must immediately head to the building's casting office where the three judges will determine the eliminated contestant.
| Number | List | Episodes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| 01 | Hurlbert | Hanks | Hanks | Hurlbert | Hansen | Lander1 | Hurlbert | Hurlbert | Hurlbert | Hanks | |
| 02 | Hanks | Ridgway | Zakrin | Hanks | Zaks | Hanks | Zakrin | Hanks | Hanks | Hurlbert | |
| 03 | Okenka | Okenka | Zaks | Lander | Zakrin | Zakrin | Hanks | Hansen3 | Hansen4 | ||
| 04 | Silva | Hurlbert | Lander | Hansen | Hanks | Hansen | Hansen | Zakrin2 | |||
| 05 | Carvajal | Lander | Hansen | Silva | Lander | Hurlbert | Lander | ||||
| 06 | Chloe | Carvajal | Hurlbert | Zaks | Hurlbert | Zaks | |||||
| 07 | Zaks | Emma | Carvajal | Carvajal | Silva | ||||||
| 08 | Zakrin | Silva | Ridgway | Zakrin | Carvajal | ||||||
| 09 | Libby | Zakrin | Silva | Ridgway | |||||||
| 10 | Ridgway | Hansen | Okenka | ||||||||
| 11 | Mara | Rachel | |||||||||
| 12 | Mary | Mara | |||||||||
| 13 | Lander | Mary | |||||||||
| 14 | Rachel | Libby | |||||||||
| 15 | Hansen | Chloe | |||||||||
Hanks was chosen as the winner byJerry Mitchell during her final audition at thePalace Theatre.[2]
Autumn Hurlbert was declared the runner-up and served as Hanks' understudy while also performing in the ensemble.[2]
Finalists Rhiannon Hansen (3rd place) and Lauren Zakrin (4th place) participated in the musical's first national tour, respectively, as Margot and as the understudy for Elle.[2] Zakrin later starred in the first National Tour ofWicked in the ensemble and as an understudy forGlinda. Zakrin also closed the Broadway company ofRock of Ages as Sherrie Christian. Zakrin was in the ensemble and an understudy for Natasha inNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway, and was with the show in its two previous iterations Off-Broadway. She originated the role of Kathryn Merteuil inCruel Intentions: The Musical. She most recently was in the ensemble ofJesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
Lander lives in Los Angeles and has prominent recurring guest star roles on ABC'sThe Middle, TV Land'sLopez withGeorge Lopez, and TNT'sMajor Crimes. She was also a series regular on the Disney Junior showGoldie & Bear voicing "Goldie." Lander has over 80 credits on IMDb that include TV, film, animation, and video game roles. Her father wasDavid L. Lander, who played Squiggy onLaverne & Shirley.
Cassie Silva originated the role of Mrs. Wormwood on the first National Tour ofMatilda after originally appearing in the Broadway company. She joined the Broadway company ofSix as an alternate in 2022. In 2024, she performed as Anne Boleyn in theSix national tour.[7]
Celina Carvajal now goes by a shorter version of her name,Lena Hall. She has gone on to originate the role of Nicola inKinky Boots and has also performed as Yitzak in the 2014 revival ofHedwig and the Angry Inch withNeil Patrick Harris.[8] The role of Yitzak earned her a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2014.[9] Hall is also the lead singer of the band The Deafening.[10]
Emma Zaks, daughter to Tony-Winning DirectorJerry Zaks, went on to perform in the Broadway revival ofHair.[11]
Cassie Okenka performed asDorothy Gale in the national tour ofThe Wizard of Oz, was the understudy to Bonnie inBonnie and Clyde on Broadway and recently performed in the 1st National Tour ofWicked in the ensemble and as an understudy forGlinda. Okenka appeared inSchool of Rock on Broadway where she understudied Patty.
Rachel Potter performed in the ensemble of the second National Tour ofWicked and as an understudy forGlinda from August 2010 to February 2011, as Wednesday inThe Addams Family on Broadway from March 2011 to December 2011 and played The Mistress in the first Broadway revival ofEvita in 2012. Potter competed on the 3rd season of The X Factor singing competition show in 2013, and was eliminated during the third live show.
Libby Servais performed as an original cast member of the second National Tour ofWicked from March 2009 to February 2010 in the ensemble and as an understudy forGlinda.[12] She became the standby forGlinda in the San Francisco company of the show from February 2010 to September 2010, when the production closed. She was a standby for several roles in the original Broadway musicalLysistrata Jones.
In Summer 2018, many of the contestants participated in a 10 year reunion concert at 54 Below.[13]
On April 11, 2020 theatre producer Jen Sandler and YouTuber Tim Murray livestreamed areunion of all the cast members. The contestants talked about the unseen parts of being on the show and all the fabricated drama. They also mentioned where they are now and how the show affected them.