The Search for the Next Elle Woods: The Spoiler thread- Page 43

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:04pm

Anyone think maybe LBB took the positive costume for a keepsake? I remember reading she took a can of Hairspray. And from the dressing room pics, is LBB going to take her stuff? I saw a pic of her and Noah and it looked like a few boxes!
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 02:04 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:07pm

Thes are great! I searched before under Bailey's name but nothing came up. I love these pics.

[li]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:09pm

Does anyone think it's plausible that Jerry Mitchell showed for the first episode, watched the auditions, decided who he wanted, and then told folks to add as much drama as they wished as they proceeded to arrive at his choice? Could it be that the dye was cast for Bailey as Elle at the very beginning? This would certainly help to explain some of the odd reasons for cuts, the talented folks left behind, the order of cuts, and the choices of numbers to be performed during specific episodes.
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 02:09 PM

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:16pm

I'm happy that Autumn and Lauren get the chance to understudy Elle. I hope ot catch Lauren in Los Angeles!

[ThePinballWizard]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:46pm

Anybody notice that Vin is shirtless during his Grandmaster part in "What You Want"? I don't remember this being the case with Andy Karl.

[austengirl]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:46pm

"I spy with my little eye Christian finally with a contestant"

Ok, now I'm offically jealous. Awww Bailey looks cute in her bunny suit. It's just too bad she has to wear a wig, because her hair is so much prettier.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:54pm

jenna: It bothers me too. If Emmett's such a great law student, why didn't he get a job at a firm straight out of law school, and must instead resort to being Callahan's lap dog?

I analyze things a lot though.

[austengirl]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 2:57pm

I thought he did have a job with Callahan's firm.

[jennamajig]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 3:35pm

If he does, they are so vague with it. Bad book is where I put the blame.

And glad to have a fellow analyzer, Spork.

[Michelle86]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 3:43pm

guys i have a question, i'm seeing it tomorrow and i've never seen a broadway show and i was wondering...we got really bad seats to save money and i was wondering that if there were any blank seats tomorrow that maybe after the doors closed would i be allowed to move my seat?????? it would mean a lot if i were able to because my mom has really bad arthritis and needs knee replacements.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 3:47pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 03:47 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 4:24pm

jenna: Yes, I could write a book on how the LB musical screws up Elle and Emmett's relationship by trying to improve upon it. Everytime I listen to the OBCR I notice more and more problems.

Emmett is a TA for Callahan's class, which makes no sense because he already graduated. TAing is usually just a way people get financial aid; Emmett is past the point of financial aid because he's no longer in school. And apparently he isn't an associate at Callahan's firm yet, so he doesn't technically have a job aside from being Callahan's lapdog and keeping an eye on the interns. And a supposedly-brilliant Harvard Law grad should really be able to get a better job.

It's straaange. I think they should have either kept him an associate like in the movie, or split his character into two and had the love interest Emmett as a second or third year law student and then a licensed lawyer who was supportive of Elle but not a romantic interest, who could supervise her during the trial.

Oh, and she would have do things on her own, too. None of Emmett holding her hand. You can develop the relationship in other ways than him tying her down and making her study... and other than her trying to make him into Warner (seriously, listen to her response to "I look like Warner" in "Take It Like a Man"... disturbing! Why would Hach even think that including that line was a good idea?? Oh, wait, because she's a terrible writer.)

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 04:24 PM

[jennamajig]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 4:44pm

Spork: Emmett is such a drip in Hach's version. She took every good part of the movie and threw it out the window. I mean, I understand the idea of wanting Elle to have more of love interest, but really does it do anything to the story? Oh, don't worry that Elle doesn't want Warner, she had Emmett who she can turn into Warner? The line in "Take It Like a Man" needs to go. The idea of the a fun song in department store could work, but Elle's response throws away anything it could be.

And she only makes it because of Emmett, not herself. At least in the movie, the wake-up call was her own. Emmett just happened to witness it and offered a guiding hand in the court room when she needed a colleague. Emmett never told her to do her homework. Hach even had her give her the idea of a common law marriage when it came to getting Paulette's dog back; another thought process that wasn't her own.

I like your idea of splitting the role. That could have worked. Or perhaps they could have thrown the idea of a love interest out the window, making Elle a truly independent woman who didn't need to have a man. And Emmett would only have been a TA if he were a third year, for sure. The disbelief some writers expect when it comes to fluff musicals.

I need to stop before I write a book about this.

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 04:44 PM

[theminutepast]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 4:50pm

Wow, I'm glad to see I'm not alone in disliking what Hach did with the Emmett/Elle relationship. I hadn't heard anyone criticize it from these angles before, but I agree with both of you 100 percent. Elle's line in "Find My Way" about no one holding her hand has always made me laugh because it's just not true in the musical!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 4:56pm

Heather "Hack" Hach completely obliterated the Elle/Emmett relationship in her little adaptation. I blame just about all of the show's problems on that book, because I really enjoy the bouncy score.

Hack made Elle far too dependent on Emmett. The way it plays out in the musical, she never accomplishes anything on her own, Emmett holds her hand the entire way, except for the very end. And the problem with that is that Elle has never done a thing on her own before yet, so the whole saving the day at the trial comes out of nowhere and is completely laughable.

Using Hack's book, it's very difficult to make Elle believable, and not play her as a complete ditz. LBB was able to do it at times, but failed in some scenes. Becky Gulsvig, much as I enjoyed her, was kind of ditzy. Annaleigh Ashford was way over the top. The closest to getting it right, believe it or not, was Haven Burton.
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 04:56 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:01pm

Oh God, I could talk about this for ages. It's great that there are other people out there who also feel that way! That line always made me laugh, too. I also remember a comment I once read here that Emmett probably only tells Elle that she'll be in the bottom percent of her class just so she'll stick around for Thanksgiving and he won't be lonely. Soooo funny.

I am not only a huge fan of the movie, I am also a huge fan of Emmett, in both the first and second movies. Hach's statement that he wasn't in the movie enough and didn't do anything to win Elle other than "drive a car" is ridiculous and demonstrates even further her lack of understanding of their relationship, the characters, and the movie itself. It was supposed to be subtle and happen later, after Elle's found her way, or else she would have just relied on a man once more, which is exactly what happens in the musical.

I really want to know why she changed his last name, too. is it because "Richmond" has "rich" in it? Honestly, I wouldn't throw out that explanation; Hach is just that insipid.

Don't get me started either on the decision to make Emmett poor. It didn't contribute that much to the character and all it did was make it seem like a smart, accomplished guy couldn't see any potential in Elle unless he was a misfit just like her. Also, it just made it seem like he wanted to be a lawyer so he could get out of the slums and become rich. Couldn't there have been one person at that school who tried to do well in law school for the sake of law itself, and not just money/ambition/etc? Don't get me wrong, having Elle fall in love with a slightly nerdy, not-so-rich guy might have been a good decision if handled better, but it wasn't.

There's also the question of timeline. We don't know when Emmett and Elle get together in the musical. Is it after the trial? Is it later? Are they even together when she proposes to him?

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 05:01 PM

[SpellRENT777]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:13pm

I am really glad Bailey won. I think she really IS Elle. I watched the finale with 5 other people who have never seen the show and they all wanted Bailey to win. I got chills during Bailey's performances and felt nothing during Autumn's. I dislike Autumn for two man reasons (both came after the finale, i never disliked her until then). 1. She plays Elle like a soccer mom. Maybe it was that bad blonde wig, but i kept seeing her like the sorority mom. During "positive", she played it like, "Ok, my daughter's friends, teach me the new hip dance grooves!" That's definitely not Elle. Also, I think she hasn't managed her career that well. She came out to NYC how many years ago and yet she is still a bad dancer? If she knew that was her weak point, she should have taken classes to become a true broadway triple threat. That's probably why her career never took off; she was too stubborn to try to improve her weakness. Hopefully, she will own up to her short-comings after the show and take a class or two. Then she might progress on Broadway. But congrats to Bailey and I will definitely try to see her during her run.

[austengirl]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:45pm

I agree with some of the points you are making about Emmett and Elle, but she did win the trial on her own. The only thing Emmett did was supervise, which didn't really involve anything. I thought the big moment was Elle winning the trial?

Didn't LBB and Borle make some changes with their characters to further develop the relationship? I have read that in several interviews with her.
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 05:45 PM

[jess20882]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:52pm

am i the only one who doesn't see any pics when i click on the link posted on the previous page??

[jess20882]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:55pm

nevermind...i got it to work.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:58pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 05:58 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:59pm

austengirl: But that's the only thing she does on her own in the show, and it only comes from her knowledge of haircare. In the movie it's the same case, but by then she's already shown her intelligence and dedication, so it's just cute.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 5:59pm

am i the only one who doesn't see any pics when i click on the link posted on the previous page??


Mine's not working...

EDIT: Nevermind. When I search "Elle Woods" Bailey comes up! ha!
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 05:59 PM

[jennamajig]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 6:10pm

I agree that Elle does win the trial on her own, but it due to the knowledge of fashion and hair, not true legal knowledge. In the film, she had a few moments to truly build to this. One them was what I mentioned previously - her using law to talk about common law marriage with Paulette's ex to give Paulette the confidence to get her dog back. On stage, Emmett tags along and provides this information to Elle instead of her coming up with it on her own. Little things like this are baby steps towards Elle's self confidence in her own intelligence.

Hach also defined Warner differently. Not that I am complaining too much about the portrayal, but I thought he was more of an ass in the film. And don't get me started on how Vivienne's love of Elle comes so completely out of left-field that, had I not seen the film, would have made me think I missed a scene or something..

Adamgreer: you make some great points about Elle being believable and not a complete ditz. Hach does make it hard and that is why I was rooting for Lauren and then Autumn; I thought both were offer a different take that may make Elle's character truly genuine.
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 06:10 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 6:38pm

Warner in the musical lacked a personality and was completely boring and unlikeable. At least the guy in the movie had some charm.

I wish they would have developed him more, stuck to the original novel where you find out his true love was film but he's bound by family obligation. If the musical was so intent on more characterization, why neglect Warner?

Vivienne was definitely barely there in the musical.