|
Legally Blonde: The MusicalOpening Date: April 29, 2007
Closing Date: October 19, 2008 Air date: Oct 13, 2007 Medium: TV Where to watch: not officially available |
Stage Production Notes
Legally Blonde began life as a novel by Stanford University student Amanda Brown. Brown reportedly wrote the manuscript on pink paper with a pink pen, and sent it to publishers and movie studios.
The plot followed the life of sorority sister Elle Woods, who follows her ex-boyfriend to Stanford University, and ultimately becomes a lawyer.
Rejected by publishers, the manuscript was picked up by movie studio MGM. The film version of Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, was released in 2001 and became a cult classic.
Legally Blonde the Musical first premiered at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco in January 2006.
Broadway previews commenced at the Palace Theatre on April 3, 2007 and the show officially opened on April 29, 2007.
New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley derided the show as “high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness.”
Legally Blonde was nominated for multiple major awards, including Drama Desk and Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score, though did not secure any wins. The London production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2011.
Like the movie, the musical version of Legally Blonde was marketed toward women. Following on the heels of Wicked, its popularity among teenage girls made the show one of the few Broadway musicals to successfully tap into the female “tween” market.
Legally Blonde was filmed and aired on MTV in October 2007. With the broadcast, the show became one of the first Broadway shows to air in full on television whilst still playing on Broadway. The broadcast temporarily helped to boost ticket sales, and the show remained open for another year.
Inspired by the success of the broadcast, and following on the heels of NBC’s reality casting program You’re the One That I Want, the musical’s producers once again teamed up with MTV. Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for the New Elle Woods was a reality television show set-up to cast the lead character and promote the show.
The Search for the New Elle Woods premiered on June 2, 2008. Bailey Hanks beat out 9 contestants to win the role of Elle, and she stepped into the role on Broadway on July 23, 2008 before joining the national tour. Three other contests, Autumn Hurlbert, Rhiannon Hansen, and Lauren Zakrin, were also given roles in the Broadway or touring production.
Following 595 performances, Legally Blonde closed on Broadway on October 19, 2008.
The first national tour commenced in Providence, Rhode Island, in September 2008, finishing up in Virginia in August 2010. The Search for the New Elle Woods was directly attributed to strong ticket sales on the tour. A second national tour played from September 2010 until May 2011.
Legally Blonde: The Musical has since been performed around the world, including the West End. The show is available for licensing through Music Theatre International.
Legally Blonde began life as a novel by Stanford University student Amanda Brown. Brown reportedly wrote the manuscript on pink paper with a pink pen, and sent it to publishers and movie studios.
The plot followed the life of sorority sister Elle Woods, who follows her ex-boyfriend to Stanford University, and ultimately becomes a lawyer.
Rejected by publishers, the manuscript was picked up by movie studio MGM. The film version of Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, was released in 2001 and became a cult classic.
Legally Blonde the Musical first premiered at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco in January 2006.
Broadway previews commenced at the Palace Theatre on April 3, 2007 and the show officially opened on April 29, 2007.
New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley derided the show as “high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness.”
Legally Blonde was nominated for multiple major awards, including Drama Desk and Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score, though did not secure any wins. The London production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2011.
Like the movie, the musical version of Legally Blonde was marketed toward women. Following on the heels of Wicked, its popularity among teenage girls made the show one of the few Broadway musicals to successfully tap into the female “tween” market.
Legally Blonde was filmed and aired on MTV in October 2007. With the broadcast, the show became one of the first Broadway shows to air in full on television whilst still playing on Broadway. The broadcast temporarily helped to boost ticket sales, and the show remained open for another year.
Inspired by the success of the broadcast, and following on the heels of NBC’s reality casting program You’re the One That I Want, the musical’s producers once again teamed up with MTV. Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for the New Elle Woods was a reality television show set-up to cast the lead character and promote the show.
The Search for the New Elle Woods premiered on June 2, 2008. Bailey Hanks beat out 9 contestants to win the role of Elle, and she stepped into the role on Broadway on July 23, 2008 before joining the national tour. Three other contests, Autumn Hurlbert, Rhiannon Hansen, and Lauren Zakrin, were also given roles in the Broadway or touring production.
Following 595 performances, Legally Blonde closed on Broadway on October 19, 2008.
The first national tour commenced in Providence, Rhode Island, in September 2008, finishing up in Virginia in August 2010. The Search for the New Elle Woods was directly attributed to strong ticket sales on the tour. A second national tour played from September 2010 until May 2011.
Legally Blonde: The Musical has since been performed around the world, including the West End. The show is available for licensing through Music Theatre International.
Filmed Production Notes
In an attempt to boost audience numbers, the producers decided to try luring in the MTV generation by going directly to MTV.
MTV filmed the Broadway production three times in early September 2007 — a full performance, a performance without an audience, and a special performance with an audience comprised of teen and young adult fans dressed in pink.
The broadcast, initially scheduled to air on September 29, aired on MTV on October 13 and October 14, 2007. The program aired at 1pm, and featured “an extravaganza” from Pink Carpet, and backstage footage.
The unprecedented broadcast drew in 12.5 million viewers, with teenage girls aged 12-17 representing the bulk of the audience.
The MTV special was directly attributed to boosting tickets sales at the Palace Theatre box office. While audience capacity had been hovering around 60%, in the week leading up to the broadcast, audience capacity increased to almost 80%. After the broadcast, ticket sales sat comfortably around the 80% mark before dipping back down the following month.
According to IMDb, the show was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Special Class Special and Outstanding Special Class Directing.
The union and contract regulations surrounding the MTV airing were very strict. Only six airings were permitted over a six week period, with no with no further plays permitted. As such, Legally Blonde the Musical is not currently available to (legally) view or purchase.
In an attempt to boost audience numbers, the producers decided to try luring in the MTV generation by going directly to MTV.
MTV filmed the Broadway production three times in early September 2007 — a full performance, a performance without an audience, and a special performance with an audience comprised of teen and young adult fans dressed in pink.
The broadcast, initially scheduled to air on September 29, aired on MTV on October 13 and October 14, 2007. The program aired at 1pm, and featured “an extravaganza” from Pink Carpet, and backstage footage.
The unprecedented broadcast drew in 12.5 million viewers, with teenage girls aged 12-17 representing the bulk of the audience.
The MTV special was directly attributed to boosting tickets sales at the Palace Theatre box office. While audience capacity had been hovering around 60%, in the week leading up to the broadcast, audience capacity increased to almost 80%. After the broadcast, ticket sales sat comfortably around the 80% mark before dipping back down the following month.
According to IMDb, the show was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Special Class Special and Outstanding Special Class Directing.
The union and contract regulations surrounding the MTV airing were very strict. Only six airings were permitted over a six week period, with no with no further plays permitted. As such, Legally Blonde the Musical is not currently available to (legally) view or purchase.
Legally Blonde: The Musical PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Palace Theatre, New York
Producer: Fox Theatricals, Frank Garritano, Dave George, Tim Healy, Tony DiBari
Book: Heather Hach
Music and Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin
Director: Jerry Mitchell, Beth McCarthy Miller
Musical Director/Conductor: James Sampliner
Orchestrations: Christopher Jahnke
Arrangements: Laurence O’Keefe and James Sampliner
Choreography: Jerry Mitchell
Scenic Design: David Rockwell
Costume Design: Gregg Barnes
Lighting Design: Ken Posner and Paul Miller
Sound Design: Acme Sound Partners
Hair and Wig Design: David Brian Brown
Make-Up Design: Justen M. Brosnan
Stage Manager: Kimberly Russell
Cast:
Laura Bell Bundy (Elle Woods), Christian Borle (Emmett Forrest), Orfeh (Paulette), Michael Rupert (Professor Callahan), Richard H. Blake (Warner Huntington III), Kate Shindle (Vivienne Kensington), Nikki Snelson (Shandi/Brook Wyndham), Annaleigh Ashford (Margot), April Berry (Kristine/Ensemble), Paul Cannan (Ensemble), Beth Curry (Gabby/Stenographer/Ensemble), Amber Efé (Judge/Ensemble), Gaelen Gililand (Mom/Whitney/Ensemble), Jason Gillman (Ensemble), Becky Gulsvig (Leilani/Ensemble), Rod Harrelson (Ensemble), Manuel Herrera (Padamadan/Nikos/Ensemble), Natalie Joy Johnson (Veronica/Ensemble/Enid), Andy Karl (Kyle/Grandmaster Chad/ Ensemble/ Dewey), Nick Kenkel (Ensemble), Michelle Kittrell (Ensemble/Cece), Tracy Jai Edwards (Serena), Asmeret Ghebremichael (Pilar), Kevin Pariseau (Winthrop/Ensemble/Dad), Matthew Risch (Ensemble/Carlos), Jason Patrick Sands (Ensemble), Noah Weisberg (Guard)
Theatre: Palace Theatre, New York
Producer: Fox Theatricals, Frank Garritano, Dave George, Tim Healy, Tony DiBari
Book: Heather Hach
Music and Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin
Director: Jerry Mitchell, Beth McCarthy Miller
Musical Director/Conductor: James Sampliner
Orchestrations: Christopher Jahnke
Arrangements: Laurence O’Keefe and James Sampliner
Choreography: Jerry Mitchell
Scenic Design: David Rockwell
Costume Design: Gregg Barnes
Lighting Design: Ken Posner and Paul Miller
Sound Design: Acme Sound Partners
Hair and Wig Design: David Brian Brown
Make-Up Design: Justen M. Brosnan
Stage Manager: Kimberly Russell
Cast:
Laura Bell Bundy (Elle Woods), Christian Borle (Emmett Forrest), Orfeh (Paulette), Michael Rupert (Professor Callahan), Richard H. Blake (Warner Huntington III), Kate Shindle (Vivienne Kensington), Nikki Snelson (Shandi/Brook Wyndham), Annaleigh Ashford (Margot), April Berry (Kristine/Ensemble), Paul Cannan (Ensemble), Beth Curry (Gabby/Stenographer/Ensemble), Amber Efé (Judge/Ensemble), Gaelen Gililand (Mom/Whitney/Ensemble), Jason Gillman (Ensemble), Becky Gulsvig (Leilani/Ensemble), Rod Harrelson (Ensemble), Manuel Herrera (Padamadan/Nikos/Ensemble), Natalie Joy Johnson (Veronica/Ensemble/Enid), Andy Karl (Kyle/Grandmaster Chad/ Ensemble/ Dewey), Nick Kenkel (Ensemble), Michelle Kittrell (Ensemble/Cece), Tracy Jai Edwards (Serena), Asmeret Ghebremichael (Pilar), Kevin Pariseau (Winthrop/Ensemble/Dad), Matthew Risch (Ensemble/Carlos), Jason Patrick Sands (Ensemble), Noah Weisberg (Guard)
Sources
Articles
Websites
- Ben Brantley, “Candy Worship in the Temple of the Prom Queen,” New York Times (April 30, 2007)
- Joe Fornabaio, “The Great Tween Way,” New York Times (Oct 1, 2007)
- Jesse Green, “Grown-Up Chorus Boy’s Big Leap Forward,” New York Times (April 15, 2007)
- Mike Hale, “Suspense Is, Like, Totally Total,” New York Times (June 9, 2008)
- Dennis Harvey, “Review: ‘Legally Blonde’,” Variety (Feb 7, 2007)
- Ernio Hernandez, Adam Hetrick, “MTV Premiere of Legally Blonde — The Musical Moved to October,” Playbill (Sept 26, 2007)
- Adam Hetrick, “Legally Blonde MTV Broadcast Reaches Millions,” Playbill (Oct 17, 2007)
- Adam Hetrick, “Omigod! Bailey Is New Star of Broadway’s Legally Blonde; Three Finalists Also Land Roles” Playbill (July 21, 2008)
- Adam Hetrick, “Legally Blonde to Close on Broadway Oct. 19” Playbill (Sept 24, 2008)
- Chris Jones, “‘Blonde’ has more fun on the road,” Variety (March 2-8, 2009)
- Chris Jones, “‘Legally Blonde’ makes its case,” Variety (Feb 27, 2009)
- Amy Kane, “Omigod, You Gues! MTV Is Totally Going Blonde!” MTV.com (Sept 25, 2007)
- Amy Kane, “MTV is Planning a New Legally Blonde Reality Show,” MTV.com (Jan 31, 2008)
- N. Kristal, “MTV Goes for Broadway's 'Blonde'.”, Back Stage East, Vol. 48 Issue 41, (October 11, 2007)
- Debbie Newman, “Everybody’s Talking About Legally Blonde!” MTV.com, (June 3, 2008)
- Campbell Robertson, “'Legally Blonde' Coming to Broadway,” (April 26, 2006)
- A.O. Scott, “A Rich Ditz Has Both Brains and the Last Laugh,” New York Times (July 13, 2001)
- Kelly West, “Legally Blonde Musical Airing On MTV This Weekend,” Cinema Blend (October 2007)
- Sam Whiting, “Blonde Ambition / Author Amanda Brown marvels at the industry surrounding 'Legally Blonde’,” San Francisco Gate (July 13, 2003)
- Emily Witty, “Amanda Brown: Legally Blonde - review,” A Cup of Wit Tea (June 2016)
- Peter James Zielinki, “Photo Coverage: Bailey Hanks Makes Debut As Elle Woods- Curtain Call and After Party,” Broadway World (July 25, 2008)
- Lauren Zupkus, “10 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Legally Blonde’,” Huffington Post (Feb 26, 2014)
Websites
- Playbill, “Legally Blonde,” Accessed via: http://www.playbill.com/production/legally-blonde-palace-theatre-vault-0000009139
Written by Luisa Lyons (April, 2017)