I agree that Bailey is definitely talented. I actually didn't watch the MTV show so when I saw LB the other week I had no expectations for Bailey and I have to say I was very impressed. I definitely think she has the talent to make a career on Broadway and I hope she does.
Plus, she's from a town in SC that is only about 45 minutes from where I am from (I don't live there now, I just moved to NYC) so it's kind of fun to see a local girl go big but that's not why I am routing for her, it's just a bonus.
"Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets."
-Oscar Wilde
Aw, thanks TooDarnHot for you very predictable negative answer! Have a great day!
Shows seen in 2011: Rock of Ages (WE, Shaftesbury Theatre - 7 Oct), Jersey Boys (WE, Prince Edward Theatre - 1 Sep), Cirque du Soleil: Zarkana (Broadway, Radio City Music Hall - 26 Aug), RENT (Broadway, New World Stages - 25 Aug), Hair (Broadway, St. James Theatre - 24 Aug), The Book of Mormon (Broadway *WON LOTTO*, Eugene O'Neill Theatre - 24 Aug), Dress Circle Benefit Gala (WE, Her Majesty's Theatre - 7 Aug), Derren Brown: Svengali (WE, Shaftesbury Theatre - 6 July), Lend me a Tenor the Musical (WE, Gielgud Theatre - 3 June), Lord of the Flies (WE, Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park - 2 June), In a Forest Dark and Deep (WE, Vaudeville Theatre - 31 May), Jersey Boys (WE, Prince Edward Theatre - 28 May), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (WE, Gielgud Theatre - 2 May), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (WE, Palace Theatre - 29 Apr), Les Miserables (WE, Queens Theatre - 20 Apr), Thrill me (WE, Tristan Bates Theatre - 14 Apr), Ghost the Musical (Manchester, Opera House - 13 Apr), Million Dollar Quartere (WE, Noel Coward Theatre - 5 Apr), The Lion King (WE, Lyceum Theatre - 16 Mar), The Exonerated (WE, Charing Cross Theatre - 15 Mar), The Children's Hour (WE, Comedy Theatre - 14 Mar), Clybourne Park (WE, Wyndhams Theatre - 12 Mar), Company (WE, Southwark Playhouse - 12 Mar), The 25th annual putnam county spelling bee (WE, Donmar - 2 March), Jersey Boys (WE, Prince Edward Theatre - 11 Feb), Million Dollar Quartet (WE, Noel Coward - 9 Feb), Love Story (WE, Duchess Theatre - 7 Feb), Lance Horne:First things last (WE, Garrick Theatre - 30 Jan), La Boheme (WE, Soho Theatre - 29 Jan), Legally Blonde (WE, Savoy Theatre - 10.Jan)
I can see her getting a lot of offers partially because of her name. I'm not saying that she isn't talented, because she is. But she's recruited a lot of fans through the tv show and they'll come see whatever she's casted in. So part of her casting will probably be based on publicity.
Hilty's association with Wicked began when she replaced Laura Bell Bundy as the standby for Glinda in the Broadway company. She ended up replacing Jennifer Laura Thompson around June 2005, did a stint with Shoshana Bean on the tour, and then opened the L.A. company, which she only just left this past winter. So, she has been involved with Wicked for quite some time.
Yes, like Marian Seldes and Brenda Braxton, Megan Hilty obviously has no problem doing long runs in shows...and keeps it fresh too! Saw her in LA in November 2007 and she was even better than when I had seen her on Broadway.
...and now back to Bailey (who won't be replacing Megan in 9 TO 5)
I LOVE this whole "name recognition" thing . . . no one except a few people who watched this casting show will know who she is. A couple of weeks in a reality show (1 out of about 500 of them, at that) doesn't equal "name recognition." It's like saying that Adrianne Curry is the same as Nicole Kidman . . . sorry, not the same.
EDIT: Just for the record . . . not trying to say that Bailey isn't talented . . . just on record regarding name recognition.
I hardly think she's going to be getting offered roles based on name recognition. In fact, I wouldn't hold my breath expecting her to be headlining a show after Legally Blonde closes. She'll probably be either be in the ensemble of a show or a replacement in a featured role, and there's nothing wrong with that. I think she'd make a wonderful Dainty June in Gypsy and she'd also be good as Inga in Young Frankenstein.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
I could see her doing something like going into "Hairspray" as Amber - even becoming a Disney girl... after all they had Ashley Spencer take on Amber
Madame Morrible: "So you take the chicken, now it must be a white chicken. The corpse can be any color. And that is the spell for lost luggage!" - The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken
I saw her last night. She was okay, perfectly capable in the role, but she didn't really bring anything new or special to it, her comic timing wasn't as good as LBB and her singing was okay. She did well for someone who hasn't done a lot of theater in the past, but she needs some more training if she's going to get cast in anything else and be a star in any other capacity.
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I agree with her about having another job after Legally Blonde is over.
I remember reading the list of shows that she was in some inteview somewhere. Some of her roles were sopranos so she could have the voice for Glinda.
I am sure that there are other things that she can do. I agree that if she creates some space between her and the reality show that she can go a little farther then if she held onto being the winner of the reality show.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
She will ONLY get invited to take over another role if the producers think she's going to be able to POSITIVELY impact the box office. You can't say that the box office for Legally Blonde has THAT much to do with Bailey . . . that show as a weekly, 1-hour nationally televised commercial for that show. I'm sure some people are coming to see Bailey, I think it's more likely they are coming to see something they caught on television.
I don't believe in a million years Bailey is going to be viewed as that 'IT' girl for producers of other shows. Unless she makes MAJOR connections during her time in the show, she's going to have to audition and do what every other starving actor does . . . I'm not saying it won't happen that she'll be in another show. I'm just saying it's expecting a lot to think people will be fighting over her.