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.
