Greetings from Oxford

I may not be in the country right now, but important things are still happening in the theatre world.

Here are some highlights from the weekend:

Bailey Hanks made her Broadway debut, headlining Jerry Mitchell's Legally Blonde.  Her vocals have improved and the key change in "So Much Better" no doubt helped the song sit better on her voice.  Be sure to listen for Autumn Hurlbert in "Omigod, You Guys!"  Her character, Leilani, sings "Elle and Warner were meant to be."

Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; Lea Michele, who turned down the role of Eponine in the 2006 revival (the role went to Celia Keenan-Bolger) to star in Spring Awakening, finally gets to fulfill her dream of taking on the role.  John Lloyd Young stars as Marius, and while his casting initially seemed like an odd choice, he proves to be an inspired addition to the cast.  Here, Young and Michele sing "A Little Fall of Rain."

Michele brings down the house with her rendition of Act Two showstopper, "On My Own" during dress rehearsal.

A long way from Dunder Mifflin, Melora Hardin, best known for her role as Jan, Michael Scott's unstable former boss and girlfriend on NBC's The Office, Hardin embodies another tortured female role, Fantine, and sings "I Dreamed a Dream."