Land o'Lessa

That’s right – the next Broadway Star in the form of Elle Woods of Legally Blonde The Musical, has been found! The final was Monday, and we jump right back into the cut short elimination of last week. The judges decide that the only two that will move forward in the competition are Autumn and Bailey.

There’s quite a bit of tension in the air as they prepare for the final audition, but it’s trumped by excitement when they discover their next audition will be at The Palace Theater, where Legally blonde: The Musical is actually performed! They’re excitement is catching as they giggle and hold stands and take it al in.

For the audition, they’ll be performing “Omigod you guys” “positive” and “so much better” on the actual sets with the cast members and a full orchestra…. the next day. It’s time to prove who the real triple threat is – by singing, dancing and acting around the sets, moving parts and trap doors – in heels!

After a really long, and overwhelming audition, the girls are glad to relax, but take different tactics back at the loft. Bailey is confident and rests, while Autumn practices every moment she can.

The next morning, at the audition, the girls are surprised backstage by their parents, who have been invited to the final audition. Bailey kicks it off with omigod you guys, and the judges are amazed with how much she looks the part. Autumn is impressive as well, with her powerful voice. During the moves needed for Positive, Autumn flubs a line, and isn’t hitting the steps, while Bailey’s dancing is amazing, but her singing is off. In the final number, Autumn rocks the vocals, and bailey steps it up and proves she’s almost as strong vocally.

The judges hold nothing back, and point out they were impressed with boy, but Autumn started off on the wrong foot, while Bailey has a bad habit of “shmacting” and looking at the audience instead of her scene partners. Autumn has the best voice, but doens’t come across as a Sorority girl. Both girls have different strengths, and if they could just meld them together, it’d be perfect.

In the end, though, there can only be one! And that one is Bailey! She falls to the ground and cries, before dancing under the streamers and giving her encore – she’s Broadway bound!

These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they do – so which hopeful Elle Woods ends at the bottom of the shoe? I know, I’m so PUNNY! Autumn returns to the house after escaping the dreaded cut, and the girls are shocked and not exactly thrilled to see she’s the only girl who returns. Autumn, however, is determined to prove herself worthy of the Ultimate Blonde Bombshell Role.

They head to the dance studio where they’re told of their next challenge, which is to be dance the “Shake your Junk” part of the song “Positive.” Autumn is worried because dance is the weak spot of her ‘triple threatedness’. They’re taught the routine, which they’ll have to learn both Elle’s part and multiple versions of the chorus, and then taken outside to work it out on cobblestone streets in 4 inch high pepto-colored go-go boots. Sounds like a broken ankle waiting to happen, huh? They all manage to bust a move, though, even with poor Emma spitting and sniffing and still trying to battle her bronchitis. Lauren is yelled at for her lack of effort, but Natalie shines and is the Stand Out Performer. As reward, she takes Rhiannon and go do yoga and tea with Kate Shindle, who plays Vivienne on Broadway.

That night, after their rehearsal time being cut short, they practice the routines over and over, until they discover a call sheet under the door. It has a difficult and very negative questionaire, and they’re instructed to answer things like ‘who’s the weakest dancer’ and ‘who should already have been sent home.’ and it sets off a round of girly dramatics that made me cringe and avert my eyes and count the minutes until I could watch Hell’s Kitchen. Autumn steps up, and decides they’re going to do it the “Elle way” if they were going to play that game and they all change the questions to have a positive spin and complement each other with tears and sniffles and snaps for everyone and I threw up in my mouth a little.

At the audition, Emma is really winded and it doesn’t look good, while Bailey shines then Autumn runs off to puke during her critique. Heh. Natalie is told she’s for sure going to be on the list and is safe for the week. Unsurprisingly, Autumn and Emma end up on the chopping block and have to head to the casting office. Emma is upset because she thinks she and Autumn are the two most talented girls there and others should go before them. They are applauded by the judges for performing while sick, but in the end, their concerns with Emma’s stamina is what sends her out the door as they give Autumn yet another chance. Emma is upset, but swears it won’t stop her from realizing her Broadway Dreams.

Huh. Looking the cast picture – at the rate we’re going, the winner might be pretty obvious, hm?

Right off the bat, this week, the girls dump on Cassie for what she said to the judges last week about the girls letting her down. Cassie is unable to really defend herself, and is shocked at how they are lecturing her about taking things too personally and isolating herself from the group. They decide it’s best to let go and calm down, while they’ve left Cassie in tears. Girls are mean.

They head to the next workshop, where they get to bond with the dogs that play Elle’s Bruiser in the show, Boo-Boo and Teddy. They get a sleep over so that they have the chance to bond, and the next day they’ll be put through their paces in front of the trainers to see who managed to get the most out of their time together. They teach the girls the commands, and are told they have to make it believable – if Elle drags the dog around stage, the audience won’t believe they like dogs. The dogs take to Autumn and Lauren naturally, and Cassie S. has problems and is frustrated as she blames her trust issues.

In the end, Autumn wins the challenge, and takes Celina with her on her reward: a date with BoBoo and Teddy, and Richard Blake, who plays Waner in LB: The Musical. It’s a good reward, because the audition will have the girls singing “Serious” with Richard – it’s the breakup scene, and has both comedic and tragic moments, so will really test the girls in all areas.

Meanwhile, Emma heads to the doctor and discovers she does have an infection due to quiting smoking, and she worries that her performance is going to suffer. No one really does outstandingly well – except Emma! So her worries were unfounded as she gets glowing remarks from the judges. The judges find the challenge telling, and it’s easier to make their decision as they have Autumn, Cassie S. and Celina go to face them for elimination.

Paul says Cassie would be a better understudy, and she says she won’t do it, she’ll be a star. They also can’t see Celina as Elle, and Autumn blames her performance on a bad day, getting her a lecture about consistency. Bernie cuts Celina, then tells the other two that another is going home as well, and then cuts Cassie, giving Autumn another chance to be consistent.

It’s the pink attack, once again. OMG! The girls aren’t thrilled to see Cassie come back with lindsey, and says it’s AWN! They get their call sheet, and they’re to dress comfy and casual and head to the fitness studio. There’s nine bikes, and a guy at the piano, and Haylie tells them they’re doing a workshop for vocal skill and stamina which they’ll both need. The Standout performer will get a reward to get a leg up on the competition. They sing some vocal warm-ups doing jumping jacks and crunches, then Seth has them up on the bikes while they sing and pedal at the same time. Emma only quit smoking two weeks ago, and is having a hard time but powers through. They sing as a group, then Seth calls them out one at a time

Haylie tells the girls the stand-out performing gets a mani/pedi with Orfeh, who plays Paulette onstage. Seth thought Celina and Emma rocked it, but calls Lauren the victor. She takes Cassie S. to the spa with her, because she knows she pulled out all the stops after being in the bottom three last week. Cassie pouted a little – she wanted to win, not be the ‘charity case’. Heh.

For the next audition, they’ll be singing “Omigod, you guys” from the show. The call sheet in the morning gives them only an hour to hit the studio, and they manage to make it on top, and discover that when they’re not auditioning as Elle Woods, they’ll be playing the parts of the other girls, so will learn two versions of the same song. Some of the girls only focus on the staring role, and slack when it comes to the chorus. Not good. They’re sent off to practice on their own, and fireworks fly.

Cassie S. gets frustrated when Bailey bails instead of singing the course – she says she lost her voice. Hah. Right. Tension grows, when Cassie runs around singing at the top of her lungs, determined to prove she was underestimated, eve if she annoys everyone.

Audition time! Just one note could get you sent home! No pressure… Natlie and Autumn knock it out of the park, but there are harsh words for many of the others, including Emma and Bailey. When it’s time for Cassie to confront the judges, she says there are plenty of girls who should be cut before her – many whining wannabes from the wings about being thrown under the bus.

Four girls are chosen to face elimination and Cassie S is not one of them, much to the shock of the girls. Emma, Lauren, Celina and Lindsey head to the casting office to face the judges. They call Emma too harsh, Lauren too squeaky, Celina has presence – but the wrong kind, and Lindsey looks the part but doesn’t portray the part with believability – and because of that, she’s sent home.

Tonight the top ten Potential Elle’s move into the NYC digs for the duration of the competition, and it is – of course – an all pink loft that made my girl (she of the hot pink room) squeal “I WANT THEIR ROOMS!” in a giddy high-pitch way unable to be heard but by other Pink Lovers. They pop the sparkling cider for a toast (how WHOLESOME!) and everyone is getting along fine. Of course, we know that won’t last. They get the call sheet and are told to dress comfortable and casual… which for Bailey is pink high heels. She was smart enough to pack an extra pair of flats though, and she admits such when her shoes are pointed out.

They warm up with a tongue twister – laughs ensue as they repeat variations of the phrase “Mother pheasant plucker” while blushing and giggling everytime they slip up and get bleeped. They run lines with the actor who plays Emmett, the love interest, and Bailey is picked on again because her Southern Accent is too think. It’s worth it though, as in the end she wins the challenge, and gets to take Lindsey with her to spend some one on one time with Nikki Snelson, the curent Brooke Wyndham on broadway.

Haylie informs all the girls they’ll be performing the Delta Nu Nu Nu scene with Nkki for the judges – a tricky bit that involves finger snaps, hand signals and quick movements. Bailey and Lindsey are smart and have Nikki Snelson teach them the hand gestures, and end up convinced they’ll nail the scene during the audition.

At the loft, the other girls are trying to learn the song on their own and it quickly dissolves into opinions stated loudly enough to drown each other out – too many cooks in the kitchen!

At the audition, Nikki Snelson is instructed to drop one of her lines to test the girls ability to think on their feet. Lindsey fails the test by being silent for a long time until Nikki ‘remembers’ her line. She drops the same line with each girl, and some don’t miss a beat, while others completely blow it.

Judges deliberate, then the 10 Elle Hopefuls walk onstage holding hands and learn their fate from a casting list. Names on the list – they’re staying for sure, if not they face elimination. Bailey, Lauren, Emma, Natalie, Rhiannon, Autumn and Celina are declared safe and go off stage while Cassie O, Cassie S and Lindsey are the bottom three and head to the casting office to see who’s going home.

The judges tell Lindsey she looks like Elle Woods, but didn’t deliver but they give her another chance. Cassie S. has the tools to succeed, but is a bit to robotic, and Cassie O has the best voice, but no acting to back it up, and in the end, that’s why she is cut, which causes her to sniffle her way out of the theater.

Tune in next week for more pink then you can shake a stick at – and I haven’t convinced my daughter to write the recaps for me. She’s too busy singing Delta Nu Nu Nu. (…someone shoot me…)