"It's Not Up to Me, Just Let Me Be Legally Blonde"

...So Bailey Hanks is the next Elle Woods.  As I rewatched episodes from the season, I realized this outcome was inevitable.  Bernie Telsey and Paul Canaan have been huge Bailey fans since the very beginning and while I still believe Autumn is the more talented actress and performer, I recognized rewatching the episodes that Bailey is Elle Woods.  She really doesn't have to act, and just looking at her, you see Elle.  

But Autumn held her own against Bailey.  Here's a play by play of each number: 

"Omigod, You Guys":  
Bailey rose up from the stage floor as director Jerry Mitchell looked on, his mouth agape, his eyes full of wonder like a chid who has just experienced his first snow.  I am not sure what exactly he found so wonderous about Bailey's entrance--she just stood on a platform and turned around.  I honestly wish there had been a camera that filmed Mitchell's reactions.  During the auditions, he gasped, he oohed and ahhed, he sang along.  He was a great show, perhaps even more entertaining than Bailey and Autumn combined.  But I digress...though Bailey's vocals are not as strong as Laura Bell's, Becky Gulsvig's or Autumn's, she has a charisma that is hard to ignore. Her excitement is contagious, her spunk infectious.  She is someone I can see young girls immediately drawn to, someone who can urge young theatre-goers to beg their parents for Blonde tickets, and from a producer's point of view, that's golden.  Cha-ching!

I did not like Autumn's wig; I find it hard to believe that was the best one available.  Becky Gulsvig, the first cover for Laura Bell Bundy, has absolutely gorgeous warm, strawberry blonde wigs.  I think these would have better complemented Autumn's skin tone.  She has a very pale complexion and the wrong blonde can (and does) wash out her skin, making her appear ashen, a far cry from the golden warmth California sorority girl Elle should possess.  Autumn's vocals were stellar (particularly her final note), but she came off less "sorority girl" (or given the direction of the production, Mitchell's idea of a sorority girl) though she did give off the impression that she was a leader and a girl people respected.  

"Positive": Why hasn't Mitchell been around this whole time? He called Bailey on her habit of "schmacting," pointing out that she has a habit of playing more to the audience than interacting with her fellow actors/scene partners.  Bailey hit a few bad notes, but she more than made up for it by excelling in the dance sequence, executing the choreography crisply and infusing Elle with a young, fresh spunk.

The dance break in this number is one of my favorite parts of the show, but I knew this was going to cause problems for Autumn. "Positive" was not Autumn's best; she struggled with lyrics, awkwardly fumbled through choreography, and looked a little out of place.  A large part of her problem is that she fails to attack the music when she dances.

"So Much Better":  Autumn's rendition was fantastic.  She has a great talent for tapping into Elle's psyche and expressing the sensitivity Elle feels at the beginning of the number as well as her escalating feelings of empowerment as the song continues.  When watching Autumn, who, at twenty-eight, has struggled for her Broadway break for many years, you cannot help but want her to succeed.  She has an enormous amount of talent, and it is a shame it has gone unrecognized for so long.

Heather Hach praised Bailey's performance, citing how impressive and "believable" Elle's relationship with Warner and revelation was.  I had a very different impression and didn't find myself particularly enamored with Bailey's rendition.

Bailey was declared the winner and performed an encore of "So Much Better" with Autumn singing in the chorus behind her.  It reminded me of the Grease: You're the One That I Want finale, when Ashley Spencer and Austin Miller were forced to dance around enthusiastically behind Laura Osnes and Max Crumm just moments after learning they'd lost roles they'd been auditioning for since January.  It seems like cruel and unusual punishment to make these kids put on a happy face as they watch someone else live their dream.  

However, though my favorite girl did not win the competition, I am willing to give Bailey a chance.  I can see she has potential.  The other finalists are also benefitting from this experience; Jerry Mitchell likes to "keep it in the family" and repeatedly works with many of the same actors and actresses.  Lauren and Rhiannon are going on tour, with Rhiannon playing Margot (inspired casting) and Lauren "bending and snapping" with the ensemble and understudying Elle (and should she go on, it would be one of the few times where people will be excited to see an understudy slip in their playbills).  Autumn is taking over for Becky Gulsvig, who is leaving the Broadway company to headline the Legally Blonde national tour.  Autumn will play a myriad of characters in the ensemble, including sorority girl Leilani, as well as understudying Elle.

Extra!

Bailey Hanks (Elle Woods) and Ven Daniel's (Kyle, the UPS man) Dress Rehearsal