Laura Bell Bundy and the Note — Page 6

I did watch Becky Gulsvig on that site. So what? She's an understudy. So? They didn't choose her for the lead role, they made her the understudy. Maybe she's Shirley McLaine. Probably she's just an understudy.

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Re this discussion, someone has done us a great favor tonight by posting perhaps one of the clearest pieces of footage ever shot of Legally Blonde on that site. It's Becky Gulsvg performing "So Much Better" and she is not. After watching it several times, you find yourself saying "Damn, she hits notes LBB never does, but she has zero charisma. The number is so lifeless without the myriad little touches and colorings LBB brings to it."

I wasn't impressed. No Shirley McLaine there.

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Does anyone else think Gulsvig eerily resembles Reese Witherspoon in costume?

She's very good, but Annaleigh Ashford is the best Elle the show's seen, with the charisma to back up the vocals (though she's not nearly as strong as Glinda in WICKED.)

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Updated On: 12/9/07 at 10:38 AM

This is really a big deal isn't it? When I'm asked to belt high A's or A flats I can..but there are some parts in a song where the lead up kills me. She's human...I have yet to see anyone do what Laura Bell does. Annaleigh just screamed through the note.

You guys are doing a huge disservice to LBB.

She created this part on Broadway. She is the originator. We used to give a wide berth to that. Jerry Mitchell chose her, not the girls who are/were her understudies to shoulder the entire burden. Nobody else in that show has anywhere near as big a responsibility. She is the team leader and she delivered.

This thing about one note is a chance for a bunch of us to be harpies but if we were faced with the responsibilities LBB has undertaken, I have a feeling many of us would be found extremely wanting.

I just wish the producers would change the note so we could change our tune.

(That last line underwent three re-writes. Hey, I'm on strike).

Please buy a pencil, it's for a good cause. Help a starving below-the-line person.

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LBB hit that note flawlessly when I saw her, along with every other note in the song. I saw the show on MTV 2 months later and thought "Wow, THIS is how they want people to remember her singing that?". I literally cringed and told my friends to see it live insted of watching it on TV because it was probably just an off day for LBB.

Apparently I was wrong and she's been struggling for a while. You would think that the producers, director, etc. would be concerned for their leading actress and, you know, WANT her to stop singing it that way? Or find someone who actually can sing it that way.

I'll agree that she has a tough job and carries the show, but like mentioned before, there are many other shows where lead characters have to sing and dance like crazy and then finish off the first act. I can understand that LBB is their "star power" for this show and may be attracting audiences who actually know who she is, but why display your star so proudly when every time she ends Act 1 she sounds like a birthing cow?

yeah, becky just doesn't seem to care as much as lbb.

with lbb, the stakes are so high, it's all so important, and you can tell in every thing she does on the stage that it's basically life or death for ell...(i mean, you know, not LITERALLY, but you get what i'm saying.)

that's what i think lbb has going for her. she's one hell of an actress and a strong vocalist and i think she was perfectly cast.

becky can sing it, sure, no question, but there was no sense of urgency, or rejoice or anything. to me, in my opinion, she doesn't hold a candle to lbb.

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"Becky's Elle, I feel like, gets motivation and a little push from these people, but figures things out for herself and would have been able to without the help written into the script."


Uh, Elle Woods only exists because of a script...

Just got back from todays matinee. LBB was out, and Becky Gulsvig was on. Not only did she hit it, but she made it higher!

Does anyone know what school Becky Gulsgiv went to?

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That's what I'm planning on doing! That makes me feel a lot better.

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i was a big fan of the movie first then came the musical. the first time i seen it back in the begining of July i was uneasy about it. i wasn't thrilled and i wasn't totally mad.

It was killing me how Elle seemed so much more dumb in the musical. Of coarse i think its the writing more or so then LBB cause in the movie she does it all herself in terms of studying and the musical, Emmett helps her. Now in comparison LBB's Elle is more close to the stereotype in the begining then makes the change. Where as Becky is more of the movie Elle in terms of being kind of her own blonde (check the comparison of Margot and Elle)

I've never been crazy about LBB being HUGH with gestures and then with Becky it's subtle, seeing that its meh. idk maybe this just isn't a winning situation?

I felt Becky (only judging from seeing her first time back in July) tried to portray Elle the way Reese did in the movie.

...and seriously, I liked it 'so much better.'


I think LBB is just so like, butch, in the role. Her voice is extremely deep, as she has damaged her voice from doing the role (she didn't used to sound like this).