The Search for the Next Elle Woods: The Spoiler thread- Page 33

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 10:19am

Nothing, in theory, adam, and that's a good point for everyone who's complaining about "real" Broadway performers not having a chance at this. Look at Step It Up and Dance.

[twist86]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 1:41pm

defyingravity07, someone had implied that perhaps the final two had both recorded the single before the winner was chosen. I provided a link that proved that ONLY the winner had recorded the single.

As for the single, personally I hear a lot more Autumn than I do Bailey, but on Autumn's IAmOnMTV her hair isn't any longer and it's not really blonde anymore, unless they chose to use a wig. There is one word (I forget which) that is distinctly a Bailey pronunciation, but who knows, maybe Autumn was coached to say it a certain way.

So I really don't know who it is. We'll see on Monday.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 1:46pm

Not like this is a major point...but Autumn is definently in the city and got photographed near the theatre.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 1:58pm

Her hair isn't blonde in the Vote picture either, but Elle does wear a wig.

[BroadwayPenguin2]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 2:20pm

adamgreer: Was there anything preventing those talented women from auditioning? Was there any sort of requirement that you couldn't have more than x amount of professional credits? What, if anything, was done to prevent someone like Megan Sikora from auditioning?

Yeah. MTV owns their *ss for 5 years and they could be called in to do a tiny promo halfway across the country in 4 day's notice.

Plus it's only a 2 week guaranteed contract if you win.

[NYC10040]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 2:40pm

Plus, as Celina said, many in the Broadway community look down on reality shows being used to cast shows. So many would not audition because they don't want to support this kind of casting. If Broadway continues to go in this direction, be prepared to see many more mediocre performances starring on Broadway.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 3:51pm

"On the other hand, no one knows Kate Rockwell and the producers don't seem to have any big name lined up."

No one knows who Laura Bell Bundy is outside of the theater community. They don't need a "big name" to sell the show. The name itself sells the show to people who aren't familiar with theater.

[li]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 4:12pm

The point about some folks in the theater community "looking down on reality shows" is well-taken. In addition, of course, many folks in the theater community understand that the editing of these shows can make a contestant appear incompetent/rude/classless/obnoxious, etc., when the contestant might not actually possess such qualities. Editing can be a vicious tool, and the editing is certainly not done in the interest of the contestants, but rather in the interest of selling a product. Some might feel that the editing could do irreparable damage to a reputation.
Updated On: 7/19/08 at 04:12 PM

[regnad kcin]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 4:32pm

Re Lauren and Rhiannon's looks: Rhiannon's acting is less mature than Lauren's, but on a purely physical level, she just looks older. Lauren is quite short and baby-faced - which I don't mean negatively, she's beautiful. Physically, she could still pass as Kim in "Bye Bye Birdie" which could be kind of awkward for Elle in comparison with the rest of the cast. As for Rhiannon, I'm glad others think she'd make a fabulous Margo, which my friend said since an early. Or she could just do non-musical comedy and also be amazing.

Is it just me, or does anybody else see a certain sincerity with Autumn, as well as Rhiannon? I was trying to think of the word from an acting class, and why I prefer Autumn to win beside what I said earlier, is that she signifies more than acts in a heartfelt manner onstage. She's still very talented though, and looks perfect for the part. It's not who has hte best personality, but that is part of why I'm rooting for Autumn. It's not rational - but so what? :)

[bridge_crocker]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 4:32pm

"I doubt the thing you heard is true. They don't go to the casting office in the last episode if you paid attention to the finale preview. The winner is announced on the stage of the Palace Theater, so your infomation is in fact, wrong."

That rumor wasn't for the actual finale. It's for the beginning of the next episode, since it was left off with the three of them in the casting office.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 6:03pm

Becoz, yes, LBB is not a star outside Broadway. However, the MTV broadcasting of Legally Blonde made LBB a kind of star among that fan base. People came to see the show they saw on MTV, which was partly based on LBB playing Elle.

[mizzfit24601]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 8:37pm

I'm DEF pulling for Autum to win. Bailey's voice annoys me. It's so nasal and she shapes her vowels really strange. People keep talking about how Autum looks too old but you really won't be able to tell on stage. She'd wear a long wig and she def wouldn't look older than Borle or Blake. Bailey is good dancer but Autum really isn't THAT terrible at dancing. She has some raw talent. LBB isn't that great of a dancer either. Early in her run she was quite flawed. I don't think Bailey's voice could withstand the demands of the book 8 times a week. She doesn't have proper technique. It's quite obvious she's never had voice lessons (or at least not for a long time) and a proper technique takes a long time to develop, however, to learn the dancing skills required for Elle would take alot less time (sorry if that didn't make sense, my english isn't the best...). Lauren would have made an excellent Elle IMO. She seems alot more mature than Bailey and Rhiannon (even though we can't act like we know what these girls are like because that editing). I would have chosen Lauren to win but now that she's gone I'm for Autum all the way.

As for this idea of the whole reality show, I hope this is the last one. I know this girl who graduated from my college last year (she's 25) that would have made an OUTSTANDING Elle. She can dance , sing and act BRILLIANTLY and is more of Elle than LBB (I didn't know her that well personally so I'm not being biased- she's amazing). Everyone asked her why she didn't try out and she said it was because she didn't want to be on a reality show. It's keeping talent away. Just what I think. More and more Broadway shows are becoming more commercial and fake and making the casting into reality shows isn't helping. I still like LB though because it's fun and makes you smile but I hope shows like LB don't take over Broadway.

That was longer than anticipated.
Updated On: 7/19/08 at 08:37 PM

[That Girl]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 9:36am

I have found the discussion of how old the contestants look on this thread to be interesting. It never occured to me that Lauren looked to young to play Elle. I guess her face might look younger than the other girls but she has a very mature figure which I think would be more noticable from a distance. In no way do I think Autumn looks too old to play Elle. I was shocked to learn that LBB was 27-I was certain she would be in her mid 30's. I think LBB looks older than Autumn. I wouldn't find any of the contestants age to be distracting if I were watching the show.
Updated On: 7/20/08 at 09:36 AM

[Grand Motel]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 9:47am

Actually theminutepast, this has been discussed to death on old threads but again, the whole problem with Legally Blonde was that they very unsuccessfully tried to make Bundy the star of show when they should have sold the show like Wicked. Bundy never became the "name" they had hoped and business was really terrible until very recently and the subtle spike in attendance has much more to do with it being summer than anything else. If you'll notice, they don't often mention Bundy by name on the reality show, they mention "Elle Woods".

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:56pm

Wow, this is really the evil mirror image of the "Legally Blonde Understudies" thread, isn't it?

[legallywicked92]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:21pm

Omigod, I can't wait for the finale tomorrow! Personally, I don't like Bailey. She would do okay, but she doesn't bring any originality to the role - she does it exactly like LBB. Autumn is the best performer, but I don't think I see her as Elle...I need to see her with a wig on. Right now, against popular opinion, I am actually rooting for Rihannon even though I doubt it will happen. Her personality is spot on, and she is a great actress. Her singing does worry me, but I think that after 4 months of vocal training she could pull it off. Oh well, we will have to wait and see even though it will drive me nuts...

[rich.hanson59]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:33pm

I agree about Rhiannon legallywicked, if you listen to her "So Much Better" or "Legally Blonde" it isn't really THAT bad. It isn't Broadway ready, but with four months of intensive vocal training I do think she would be able to pull it off.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:39pm

If you'll notice, they don't often mention Bundy by name on the reality show, they mention "Elle Woods".

They mention Bundy pretty often on that show. They actually treat her very reverently. The contestants are in awe in of her, and she's talked about like she gave a legendary performance. The first week they mentioned her in the same breath as Reese Witherspoon. If I were LBB, I'd be quite happy with how I was portrayed.

[twist86]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 12:28am

legallywicked and rich, I'm with you on the Rhiannon thing. I don't know if she really has any chance, but I'm actually rooting for her. I guess my "realistic" hope is Autumn, but Rhiannon has always been my favorite because she is "very Elle" as a person.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 12:52am

What really would have pissed me of is what they did during the MTV broadcast of LB, not mention any of the actors names except Laura even when talking to them.

[BorensteinBoi]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 1:52am

brochatkid: It's a shame that Bailey will most likely win. She's not even close to being the singer that Autumn is. I don't think a few more months of lessons will get her up to Autumn's level either. Oh well.

I agree! It seems many people on this board think that vocal training will make someone a better singer, and that is not exactly true. Singers in this business use their lessons as stretching tools. They warm up, work out quirks like jaw tension, neck stuff, alignment, and getting rid of bad habits. I know several on the board will disagree with me, and I am in no way knocking voice lessons, but their purpose is not to change the voice. You come in with the goods and they help make it easier for you to sing as much as you need to. SO, I do not think 4 months of "intensive trianing" is going to turn Bailey into a voice that we would all hope for. She isn't going to come out sounding like LBB or Becky Gulsvig. She is just not naturally as vocally blessed and no amount of training is going to help that.

Voice lessons for someone who is about to play Elle should not be helping her sound good. They should be about helping her do the show 8 times a week so that she hopefully stays as vocally in shape as possible. It's all about sustaining and singing healthfully, not changing a preexisting sound. Which is why Autumn would be my choice.

[BroadwayPenguin2]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 2:04am

Nothing to do with who wins:

I saw Autumn run out of the theatre on Saturday night, and someone else saw Bailey and LBB enter the SD together on Sat before the night show.

Updated On: 7/21/08 at 02:04 AM

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 2:10am

Yeah, my friend saw LBB and Bailey go in together this weekend. So who knows. If the rumors are true, they're both joining the cast Wednesday, just as different roles. Their presence at the theatre doesn't help narrow things down.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 2:10am

Sorry, but I disagree. Voice lessons DO drastically change the voice. Making a singer's technique less breathy, for instance, can dramatically change tone. Learning better breath control and support can make the voice "bigger" and change someone's vibrato. Learning proper placement can also change tone and the way a person sounds when hitting certain notes. True, there are some people who are beyond help because they are tone-deaf or what have you, but I don't think that Bailey is one of them. I do agree, though, that someone on Broadway should be past the point where they need lessons to change the voice and that they should only need lessons to boost/maintain their stamina.

I disagree that Bailey has less raw talent than Autumn. She has a pretty tone and a natural belting ability (even with less-than-stellar technique, she is still able to hit those notes). Lessons would definitely help her, though six months may not be enough. It's unfair to say that she is completely beyond reach of reaching Autumn's level vocally. We don't know what she's capable of, especially when we've only heard her sing the very vocally-unfriendly and shrieky LB score.

I also don't know why people keep holding up LBB as the epitome of amazing singing. She has poor technique and a very nasally sound. Her tone isn't that pretty and there are so many other singers I would rather listen to than her. Bailey could at least get to be as good as LBB, if not better, with more training.

Updated On: 7/21/08 at 02:10 AM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 7:51am

OK grrr i had to jump in regarding the Bailey Bashing

You do realize that we are listening to small snippets of singing, during auditions where the pressure is 20 times higher than normal auditions don't you?

Me and my fella have sat watching this show and none of them sound great but they were never going to in this situation (Singing on exercise bikes, or singing with the LEAD role from the actual shows are not how auditions work).

On top of that they are learning the songs in a short space of time and then performing them, and whilst and audition last a few mins normally theres has been going on for weeks.

ALSO, The winner was crowned ages ago giving the LB team plenty of time to polish the performance up.The last 3 girls ALL have the tools they just need to know how to use them better!

All this autumn love leaves me scratching my head, she is a very talented girl and i hope she gets her Broadway role soon but Elle Woods is not it.Her look and her voice don't match.Everytime she has done an acting scene i have never seen Elle Woods.
Her singing voice (whilst great) also seems wrong for the role, there is no valley girl in it, no innocence, no sense of fun, shes always to interested in giving your very typical musical voice, the score for LB is practically pop.
Her dancing isn't as bad as some are saying, and as i said above there is plenty of time to brush them up and we are only watching small clips of them perform.

Bailey to me is more Elle Woods, sure she needs work (as they all wood) but she seems to have a great balance of what LBB brought to the role and a fresh new approach.She seems to understand the role a lot more.

I hope Lauren does get the tour because she was never gonna get the lead on Broadway, her age was a HUGE problem