Omigod! Bailey Hanks is Legally Blonde Lead!
Bailey Hanks is the new blonde bombshell starring as Elle Woods on Broadway. The announcement was made last night on MTV's show Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods. She'll make her Broadway debut at the Palace Theater on July 23 at 8 p.m.
Ms. Hanks, was "So Much Better" than the nine other contestants who wore blown-out blonde wigs and lots of pink in the battle to succeed Tony nominee Laura Bell Bundy as Elle Woods. Three other finalists will be cast in the show, including first runner-up Autumn Hurlbert, who will be Ms. Hanks' understudy.
Bailey Hanks, a Nashville, TN native, is a musical theatre student at Coastal Carolina University. Among her previous stage credits are The Wizard of Oz, Seussical the Musical, A Year With Frog and Toad, Annie and Bye Bye Birdie.
Hosted and co-executive produced by Haylie Duff (Hairspray, "7th Heaven"), the first of eight "The Search for Elle Woods" episodes premiered June 2 on the MTV network. Ten contestants were originally selected from a nationwide casting call that began Jan. 24 in Los Angeles.
Bailey Hanks was selected by a team including Legally Blonde director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, casting director Bernard Telsey, Legally Blonde book writer Heather Hach, associate director Marc Bruni and associate choreographer Denis Jones.
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I believe Bailey Hanks is from Anderson, South Carolina--not Nashville, TN.
I'm from Anderson, SC!
Bailey was born and raised in Anderson, SC, also my hometown. I know her family, she is not from Nashville, TN. I don't know how they could make such a huge mistake, maybe they think that Nashville. TN sounds better than Anderson, SC.
Hmmm. Get your facts straight. The only contestant who wore a wig was Autumn in the final audition.
I am so happy that she got picked I thoink sher is just great! I loved her from the begging :)
Being from Anderson SC i grew up knowing her as a little energetic blonde girl and her family. Watching her she is perfect for the role of Elle Woods. Congratulations!
She was easily my favorite from the beginning! Congrats to all the girls who made the cast, but a special congratulations to Bailey! Break a leg! You'll do GREAT!
Please make sure the facts are right before printing. She is from Anderson SC and our hometown deserves the publicity since we have supported her through this.
was anyone else very surprised and disappointed with the result? Honestly, Bailey can not sing. She was flat the ENTIRE time during the final performance. She seems like a great person...but she will not survive this show.
I think they said she is from Nashville since she auditioned there for the TV search show. Bailey is going to be fantastic!
I am very disappointed that Bailey won....althoguh she has some good charisma, her singing voice is NOT up to par. Autumn's voice was SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!
Well, first of all... i thought both, Autumn and Bailey, would have been great for the part. But, i was very happy that Bailey got it because you can just tell she is the right one for the job. And idk why people keep saying she can't sing because she can. Yes Autumn can sing really well but so can Bailey and Bailey can Dance and act GREAT and Autumn can't dance really well and her acting is okay.
But i was really happy Bailey got it ♥
Well, first of all... i thought both, Autumn and Bailey, would have been great for the part. But, i was very happy that Bailey got it because you can just tell she is the right one for the job. And idk why people keep saying she can't sing because she can. Yes Autumn can sing really well but so can Bailey and Bailey can Dance and act GREAT and Autumn can't dance really well and her acting is okay.
But i was really happy Bailey got it ♥
okay, so i was very pleased with the results of the finale! usually i never agree with a reality show but this year i did! I thought bailey really showed improvement and she did deserve it. autumn kinda annoyed me and i just couldn't see it. with bailey there was no question, she was elle woods! she can sing, dance, and act, the true tripple threat.
okay, so i was very pleased with the results of the finale! usually i never agree with a reality show but this year i did! I thought bailey really showed improvement and she did deserve it. autumn kinda annoyed me and i just couldn't see it. with bailey there was no question, she was elle woods! she can sing, dance, and act, the true tripple threat.
I don't get it. Bailey should never had been picked. What happended to Emma?
Bailey definitely deserved to win the competition. She has so much star quality in her and i knew she was the winner from the start.... and by the way autmn was a old know it all from the start!
Autumn should have won. She has an amazing voice. The people who end up seeing her as understudy will luck out! Break a leg Autumn!
that show made the right move every single week (except for Rhiannon) the final two were both elle, but bailey definately had the personality, and come on, Nashville? i am also happy to hear that Autumn is the new Elle Woods under study. Good Job everybody!
I have watched the show for many weeks. I was a mazed with all of the talented girls. I always wanted to do the very same thing that these girls did when I was in my youger days but then we did not have chances that the young people have now. I enjoyed the show and was very please to see Bailey as Elle Woods. She definately has the talent to go far in the business.
Best wishes Bailey
Linda Daves
I went to see her july 23 at 8 it was her debut and she was amazazing!! i love her <3
I was very dispointed when Bailey won. I am wondering what happened to peoples hearing. Bailey cannot sing and she overacts and it comes off being fake. I thought that Autumn blew Bailey away. Her voice is so much better and has a star quality to it. Also she takes direction really well. Baileys dancing is better than Autumn's, but this isn't a dancing competition. I was going to get tickets becuase I would love to see the show, but I rather not waste my money knowing that the better talent is in the chorus. I'll go on Bailey's night off.
Lauren was clearly the best in singing and dancing. She should have won the part but alas, her youth betrayed her. Break a leg, Bailey!
CONGRATS TO BAILEY. It was clear that one must perform in all three categories, act, dance and sing. Autumn's acting performance did not move me, never mind her dancing. She just was not expressive enough, nor did she really look like an Elle Woods type. Yes, so Autumn could hold her voice a bit more when it came to higher notes, but even then some of her singing wasn't all that impressive, as when she sang the positive song. Actually, I prefer Bailey's voice over Autumn's. Bailey has that vibrant energy, expressive, so youthful and comes across so genuine. Bailey's a natural! Someone mentioned that Bailey overacted. No, Bailey does not over act in the slightest. Bailey has all the right moves to keep the show alive & upbeat. Just at the opening of the last competition between Bailey and Autumn, as she was coming up out of the floor & the way she was holding her hands & turning them ever so delicately as she turned toward the audience, shows she is expressive, intuitive, & her timing is perfect. Autumn lacked vibrancy, energy & emotion in her acting. THE JUDGES MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE, AS I DID. GOOD FOR YOU BAILEY! I admire a young lady, all of 20 that went for her dreams who is so POSITIVE! THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH YOUR DREAMS! BAILEY WORKED HARD AND HER TALENT SHOWS AND SHE DESERVED TO WIN. GOOD FOR YOU BAILEY. YOU ARE SO PERFECT TO PLAY ELLE WOODS. BEST OF LUCK AND HAVE FUN.
I am the biggest fan of bailey!!! I love her! I've rooted for her since the beginning.. And to you guys who think autum should have won well first of all autum needed to act as if she was elle but bailey didnt need to act. iSHOUD know i saw her on broudway..She is AWESOME!!!!. BAILEY YOU ROCK .. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GIRL!!!!! If baiey is reading this i just want to say. you are the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!=]
Dude Bailey is amazing i had her pegged from the begging
she is elle
I wanted either her or emma ( but really mostly bailey And im confused by how Autumn even got that far but not for lack of talent the girl blew me away. But she isnt elle woods i think she would be absolutly amazing in another roll and i would love to see her on broadway in a staring role one day
but...
I CANT FRIGIN WAIT TO SEE BAILEY AS ELLE SHES AWSOME
HER SINGING IS AMAZING HER DANCEING IS GREAT HER ACTING ROCKS MY SOX
Bailey IS elle woods!
Bailey, I think you were the most Gorgeous and Beautiful girl in the whole competition and you are absolutely PERFECT for the part!!!! i mean, i am just a teen living in CT, but it is still obvious that you were the perfect one from the start! I saw the show on Broadway where Laura Belle Bundy was the star, my cousin Grey used to model with her when they were younger and said she is just the nicest girl ever, and i no you are exactly like her with your bubbly personalty. I am definitely going to come see the show again! thank you for being such a great inspiration to me and all!
Autumn went through the whole competition thinking and acting like she was better than everyone else. It's pretty funny that she kept talking about Lauren and Bailey and how they're so young and that they weren't prepared. Autumn proved to be more immature than anyone else on the show!!
Congratualtions Bailey!
This article is all wrong, Bailey is from Anderson, not Nashville and the final 5 (Natalie, Rihannan, Lauren, Autumn, and Bailey) got their dyed blonde, never once in the series did anyone wear a blonde wig! (Except in the last episode Autumn wore a blonde wig because her hair was to short)
This article is all wrong, Bailey is from Anderson, not Nashville and the final 5 (Natalie, Rihannan, Lauren, Autumn, and Bailey) got their dyed blonde, never once in the series did anyone wear a blonde wig! (Except in the last episode Autumn wore a blonde wig because her hair was to short)