Land o'Lessa

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…)

Remember that search for cheesy goodness on the reality circuit that my daughters and I can giggle helplessly too? Well, MTV steps up to the plate with Legally Blonde the Musicial – Search for Elle Woods! Hosted by Haylie Duff, who’s promised to mentor (at least one of) the girls to their first starring role on Broadway, there is more pink then I thought humanly possible on the audition stage.

Last night was the premiere and we went from 50 hopefuls all the way down to ten while they danced and sang their little pink hearts out and discovered you need more of that extra “pink girl spirit” than ever before if you want to make the cut! They dance, and dance, and dance while director Jerry Mitchell is ruthless in his cutting them down to fifteen. Those 15 then hit more dance class, then are taught one of the hardest songs in the show by Seth Rudetsky who claims the last note lasts twice as long as forever – and listening to some of the performances later, he’s right! Oy.

The girls are broken up into smaller groups for the dancing before the judges, Bernie Telsey, a casting director, Heather Hach, one of the writers and Paul Canaan, who’s currently in Legally Blonde. Color them not really impressed, except by one girls guts to wear legwarmers with heels. Sexay. They sing next, some hoping that the singing will make up for their crappy dancing, and get individual reviews – some good, one too sexy, and other’s cracking as badly as their voices on the last note.

They cut them down to the final 10 who will continue working with Haylie and the crew, all in hopes of donning that infamous Pink on stage before they’re whisked away in a limo to see meet Laura Bell Bundy – the Elle Woods at the Palace Theatre. They wish them the best of luck and tell them “Stay Pink! Stay Positive! Big Snaps!”

It doesn’t get campier then that – though I may have to have my daughter write the reviews for this one, because man. That’s a LOT of pink…