Search for Elle Woods, Episode 5

Yes, dancing in stiletto pink boots on cobblestones in Brooklyn will TOTES help you be a better Elle! For real.

This week, the girls were challenged to learn the "Positive" dance sequence. The winner of the dance challenge, Natalie, got to take a yoga class with Kate Shindle. The judges then challenged the girls to rate who the worst actor, dancer, singer. Autumn, in true Elle fashion, turned it around, and put a positive spin on the judges' questions. The girls no longer rated who they thought was the worst actor or worst singer. Instead, they voted and discussed who the best actor was, who the most improved singer was, and so forth.

Autumn landed in the bottom two again this week, and again I didn't think she deserved to be there (though I admit that when it comes to her, I may not be the best judge). MTV also edited the show to make it look like she threw up from nervousness, when in reality, she had food poisoning from yogurt.
Bailey, as much as I hate to say it, really "worked it" this week. She commands attention when she dances, she stands out, and she made good use of her hair. I'm betting she'll make it to the Elle finals.
Emma "didn't make the list" this week, and I'm honestly not surprised. She continued to blame her problems on her bronchitis (there should be a drinking game where every time she says bronchitis, you take a shot). I suspect bronchitis may have contributed to her struggling, but the reality is she had trouble with her singing before bronchitis and she admitted she was a weak dancer in the first episode. I honestly didn't think she was very good, but I do feel sympathy for her--it must be incredibly hard to live in the shadow of her famous director father.
Lauren has a lot of raw talent and an interesting presence. She's not the thinnest or most attractive girl there nor is she the most experienced, but there is something about her that is magnetic. She's interesting to watch, and I grow to appreciate her more every week.
I said Natalie lacked charisma last week, and after this most recent performance, I sincerely apologize and retract my statement. She really turned on the charm this week.
Rhiannon, like I suspected, struggled a little this week. I actually think she did better in rehearsal than she did in the audition, which is frustrating and unfortunate.

Next week, the girls take on the "Legally Blonde" ballad and are going to work with Andy Karl as Emmett. I predict that Autumn and Lauren will excel and that Bailey and Rhiannon will be the ones to go to the casting office.

Search for Elle Woods, Episode 3

Before we get started, I must profess my undying love and devotion to Seth Rudetsky. A writer, actor, vocal coach, and radio host, his appearance on this show is like a shining beacon of sanity (and his video blogs after each episode are genius). If you're not familiar with who he is, look up some of his stuff; you won't be sorry.

Moving right along....Tonight the girls tried their hand at Blonde's opening number "Omigod, You Guys." This song is one of the most addictive in the entire score and sets the tone for how the audience feels about Elle. If you can't hook them by the end of this number, you're never going to. The audience has to adore Elle, and recognize both her sweetness and her strength in this number. So, were the contestants up to the task? The verdict is in...

Autumn again proved to be one of the strongest in the bunch. She flubbed one of the opening lyrics, but managed to cover it up without flinching. Her acting is subtle and thought out; she makes good choices, but what about Legally Blonde is subtle? She may need to vamp it up a little. (Side note: Autumn is now sporting blonde curls; judging from that and several of her comments on her fan page, I'm guessing she's the winner).
Bailey is good and her "Omigod" song and book scene were solid. I will give her that much. She's more consistent than most of the girls, but for some reason, the more I see her, the less I like her. For me, there's a lack of sincerity there.
Cassie S continues to make herself even more polarizing (and given MTV's edit of the show, I'd bet money that she's not going to win; MTV will be careful to only show the winner in a positive or sympathetic light--the target audience for LB is young girls and their parents, and with that kind of audience, you can't boost ticket sales when you're leading lady is known to be a raging diva; parents will buy tickets to see a young lady their daughters can look up to and respect, and Cassie S's antics thusfar take her out of the running). Cassie S did improve from last week; but that's not saying a lot. Her voice is still a little on the shrill side and I can't stand the scrunched up faces she makes (check out Bailey's audition for a good example).
The appeal of Spam, what Bob Dylan says, how to balance a chemical equation...Celina joins this list of things I don't understand. I still am wondering why she's there, when audition after audition, she fails to show anything akin to an "Elle Woods presence." She came off a little mocking and extremely out of place.
Emma showed improvement this week vocally, but the judges were right: she comes off mean, and Elle Woods can be interpreted in many ways, but mean is not an adjective that describes her. Here, she comes off as just a bitchy sorority girl--not exactly someone we want to root for.
Lauren has a bit of a battle ahead of her. She clearly does not look like a college graduate, and her face tends to look a little scowly. I don't think she's mean, I just think, unlike Bailey who always looks wide eyed and giddy, Lauren's face tends to be more serious. Her acting and belting were good, but it all didn't come together this week. (Side note: Rumor has it that Lauren does not get the role of Elle, but she does get cast on the tour. Though she may not work as Elle, she may be a very good swing or Delta Nu.)
Lindsey, Lindsey, Lindsey. Lindsey got the boot this week, and to be perfectly honest, I was not the least bit surprised. Her voice was too low for the song and she struggled with the lyrics throughout the entire episode. (Honey, if this is your dream role, you need to know the words; I understand flubs happen, but when you clearly are clueless about the lyrics, something's wrong. I know all the lyrics to the song, and I'm not auditioning on national television.)
Natalie was lovely this week, and while in the long run, she may not end up being the best girl for Elle, she would make a great Delta Nu, or a hilarious Margot or Serena.
Though ridiculously likable, Rhiannon doesn't work for Elle in my opinion. Her vocals aren't as strong as they need to be, but her acting is very interesting and even more impressive to me, she put an incredible amount of energy into all of the girls' auditions when they had to sing back up. Cast her as a Delta Nu.  As Margot, she'd be genius.