Legally Blonde the Musical: still coming to London?

The huge popularity of Legally Blonde the Musical amongst the younger generation had made it the perfect candidate for a reality TV crossover, and in June and July 2008, MTV screened Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods. Broadway favourite Laura Bell Bundy had proved a huge hit originating the lead role of ditzy Elle in the show, the search for her replacement became a nationwide talent search. The Search for Elle Woods was won by Bailey Hanks, who took on the role in June 2008. However, it would seem its popularity was not enough to see it through America’s current financial troubles, and producers made the shock announcement that Legally Blonde would close on 19 October 2008 after only 625 performances. Far from putting its UK arrival on the backburner, the rumour mongers are stirred with yet more enthusiasm; now we’re getting the New York set!

Rumours have been rife for months now with regards to the coming of Legally Blonde, with theatre orientated internet forums and chatrooms buzzing with speculation about casting and venue choices, a buzz only exacerbated by the show’s New York closure. A brief comment made by Spice Girl Melanie Brown has put her high on the conjecture list with many believing she will be playing Paulette in the West End production. However, all she had said was that she had been approached for a role in the Broadway show, a plan which has come to nothing. Laura Bell Bundy is rumoured to be reprising her turn as Elle for the show’s first six months in London, just as original Elphaba Idina Menzel did when Wicked transferred from New York in 2006. Other names that have been thrown into the mix have included British reality TV stalwarts Suzanne Shaw and Jennifer Ellison.

Early on, it was largely held that Legally Blonde would take the Dominion theatre, the landmark home of smash hit Queen musical We Will Rock You, mainly based on the size of its stage, as the show’s set at Broadway’s Palace Theatre is apparently pretty big. Also, in summer 2007, many believed that We Will Rock was planning to leave London to embark on a UK tour, although plans were confirmed in July this year that a separate production will tour concurrently to the West End show, beginning in early 2009 so that was that theory out. Advertising mock-ups pointed to the Piccadilly Theatre at one stage, but the extension of Grease has taken the Piccadilly out of the running.

So, will Legally Blonde come to London and if so, where will it be and who will be in it? At the moment it seems everybody is saying they know, and yet nobody does. Broadway transfers and hotly anticipated shows tend to thrive on rumours, with more excitement developing with every new piece of gossip, however outrageous. However, a dramatic twist has been chucked into the mix with this one, sending the gossips into overdrive. As to what will actually happen, we can only wait and see.