The Search for the Next Elle Woods: The Spoiler thread — Page 35

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 03:41 PM

Could someone answer this question? The news of Lauren getting the Margot/Elle understudy role on the tour made me wonder. Does the understudy have a daily or even weekly practice as the lead? Because I know Annaleigh Ashford once had to do the Elle role, and as great as she is I doubt she could have remembered the entirety of Elle's choreography without practice. I was just curious.

Thanks, TooDarnHot!

Grand Motel, wiser minds than ours have discussed this endlessly on this site and come to the conclusion that Elle Woods is perhaps the most arduous role, if not just on Broadway now, than perhaps permanently. It's not just "So Much Better". That song is, in many ways, the climax of the marathon first act, wherein, with one exception, LBB was onstage all the time, usually singing and often dancing strenuously. And then act two...

This role is also a deceptively hard role to sing. Friends of mine who are musical directors have suggested "So Much Better" has a killer ending, mainly because it is SO easy to go offkey on the last three notes (especially the "Then".)

It will be interesting to see if they have actually found a workhorse who can actually pull this wagon seven nights a week....

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This is my first post. I've been a lurker around here for some time and have been keeping up with this post. Never really felt the desire to chime in until now:

"I guess the bottom line is that if you are excited to see whoever wins the role then by all means plan your trip and go and see them. If not .. then ....oh well.. just save your hundred bucks for another show and go and support those actors. There are more than enough shows to see in New York."

AMEN to that, Eponine3!!!! I think that's the best thing I've read in this thread, lol.

Here's my take:
I'm not thrilled with the idea of this show since I'm also an aspiring Broadway actress but I still watched it and enjoyed most of it. I think LB is a great story and a wonderful production. And while I haven't been too fond of the finalists, I wish them nothing but the best. I have faith that Jerry Mitchell has made sure that their **** is together and they are prepared enough for opening night. I can't say, I'll travel to see them but if for some reason I'm in NYC, I wouldn't pass up seeing the show again. Regardless of who's Elle.

Oh yeah, hello everyone! I'm the newbie =D

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That isn't true, Celina was in Tarzan and 42nd Street.

I think because Legally Blonde: The Musical is tongue-in-cheek musical comedy, people assume it isn't difficult. If anything, this reality show has shown that Elle Woods requires a true triple thread. What makes this reality show different than Grease and Sound of Music/Joseph/Oliver!, is that this is the first time an actor has been cast for a show where the direction/choreography are set in stone. Grease was able to get around the mass limitations of its 2 amateur stars. This, not so much. She rarely leaves the stage, three of her numbers clock in around the 8 minute mark (What you Want, Chip on YOur SHoulder, Take it Like a Man), she's got 2 huge solos, "So Much Better" and "Legally Blonde", and huge dancing in "Positive", "Bend and Snap", and the very difficult end of "What you Want". I think future stagings, especially when High School's get their hands on it, will feature less active Elle's, but because it's Jerry Mitchell, he chose an Elle in Bundy that could do all three without problem. And even she's had difficulties, with mass reports of line flubs, wig problems, shoe's flying into the audience, and that infamous changing of the last note in "So Much Better" which rivals "No Good Deed" and "Defying Gravity" as the hardest on Broadway today.

Also, ta-da Celina performing Macavity as Demeter.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zriweq1uB9c&feature=user

" wiser minds than ours have discussed this endlessly on this site and come to the conclusion that Elle Woods is perhaps the most arduous role, if not just on Broadway now, than perhaps permanently."

Ok allmylife, now you've lost me permanently on this topic. I'm quite sure the kiddies that make up 95% of the student body of this board are not wiser, if I do say so myself. Elle Woods is never going to be remembered as the most "difficult role for a female on Broadway" I'm not so sure once the show shutters that it'll be remembered at all. Let's agree to disagree for the time being and we'll reconvene on the topic in a few months.

"All I was trying to say was that something about this show doesn't add up right. Think about it- why are there not any big names auditioning? Or at least people that at least 3 people have heard of? Just wondering."

Because they don't need to parade themselves around in front of a t.v. audience and go through a hellish audition process to get cast in shows? "Big names" get jobs without reality tv.

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Grand Motel, sorry to lose you. This was the subject of a huge thread. I'll go through my past posts and find the link.

Please also note that by huge, we mean physically demanding, not consequential.

Mama Rose, huge role. Mrs. Lovett, huge role. Mame and Dolly, huge roles.

Elle Woods - Marine Corps survival course.

Seriously, try walking a mile in her pumps.

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"Also, they keep saying, 'None of you girls have ever been on Broadway, and at the end of this one of you will be STARRING on Broadway.' Maybe you could have never before auditioned for anything on Broadway."

Well, of course they're going to say something like that to make the show more dramatic sounding.

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