Laurence O'Keefe News

The NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL begins performances at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary on February 15, 2011 and play through February 20, 2011.

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will make its Sarasota premiere at the VAN WEZEL PERFORMING ARTS HALL on Sunday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m., for one night only!

THE NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will begin performances at Jacksonville's Times Union Center's Moran Theater on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 and will play through Sunday, January 16, 2011.

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will make its Sarasota premiere at the VAN WEZEL PERFORMING ARTS HALL on Sunday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m., for one night only!

THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will begin performances at PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre in Cleveland on Friday, October 22nd and will play through Sunday, October 24th. The show is part of the U.S. Bank Star Performance Series at PlayhouseSquare.

THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will begin performances at PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre in Cleveland on Friday, October 22nd and will play through Sunday, October 24th. The show is part of the U.S. Bank Star Performance Series at PlayhouseSquare.

This past Wednesday and Thursday, host Jim Caruso and musical director Billy Stritch oversaw another Hollywood edition of Cast Party, the wildly successful open mic night, which tours the country celebrating local talent. The event, made up of impromptu musical performances, has been running every Monday at Birdland in New York City for the past eight years.

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, tonight, September 13 at 7:00 & 9:30 PM, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL is making its New York City debut with a concert at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. The concert, which will feature songs from the upcoming musical with a full band, will also play an additional performance tomorrow, September 14 at 11:30pm. Some of Broadway's greats will lend their voices for this special evening. Tickets are $20. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the rehearsal this weekend and brings you photo coverage below.

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, on Monday, September 13 at 7:00 & 9:30 PM, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL is making its New York City debut with a concert at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. The concert will feature songs from the upcoming musical with a full band. Some of Broadway's greats will lend their voices for this special evening. Tickets are $20.

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, on Monday, September 13 at 7:00 & 9:30 PM, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL is making its New York City debut with a concert at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. The concert will feature songs from the upcoming musical with a full band. Some of Broadway's greats will lend their voices for this special evening. Tickets are $20.

THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will begin performances at PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre in Cleveland on Friday, October 22nd and will play through Sunday, October 24th. The show is part of the U.S. Bank Star Performance Series at PlayhouseSquare.

Today we are taking a listen to the Original London Cast Recording of Jerry Mitchell's sexily studious stunner of a show, LEGALLY BLONDE, and the remarkable score by Laurence O'Keefe (of BAT BOY fame) along with his wife, an accomplished and gifted lyricist in her own right, Neil Benjamin. They are the strongest male/female composing team since Betty Comden and Adolph Green and LEGALLY BLONDE possesses one of the most sharply satirical, witty and effortlessly enjoyable and winning scores in decades, surely as good if not better than any score on Broadway right now. While critics and audiences were less than enraptured with it on Broadway, the MTV telecast and subsequent reality show casting the next Elle Woods - alongside the smash-hit national tours - bodes well for its future in the States. The West End production is ten times the success the show was on Broadway so Elle & Crew have finally arrived - and in style. It's the age of Elle! Plus, A BONUS: A review and link to a new song by another blonde bombshell in her own right, but a bit brainier one than Elle Woods: Nellie McKay! And a link to a download of her new single 'Caribbean Time'! Top hats off and a salutatory Dickensian 'ello' to Elle and Nellie!

Denise Van Outen, Siobhan Dillon and Carley Stenson are to join Sheridan Smith, who has recently extended her run as Elle Woods, Alex Gaumond, Aoife Mulholland and Peter Davison in the West End hit Legally Blonde The Musical.

Sheridan Smith is to extend her run in the West End hit Legally Blonde The Musical to 9 January 2011, in her critically acclaimed role of college sweetheart Elle Woods. Smith has been playing to packed houses at the Savoy Theatre where the show opened in December. Legally Blonde The Musical, which has recently released the original London live cast recording, is currently booking until 22 October 2011.

On Monday, September 13 at 7:00 & 9:30 PM, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL is making its New York City debut with a concert at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. The concert will feature songs from the upcoming musical with a full band. Some of Broadway's greats will lend their voices for this special evening. Specific casting details will be announced shortly. Tickets are $20.

BroadwayWorld brings you the highlights from a meeting of two Elle's - Laura Bell Bundy, Tony-nominated star of Broadway's LEGALLY BLONDE from 2007 to 2008, and Sheridan Smith, who has played the bubbly Elle Woods on the West End since December 2009.

Joe's Pub at The Public Theater debuted in October 1998 and has quickly became one of New York City's most celebrated and in-demand showcase venues for live music and performance. With its genre-blind booking and vast diversity of interests, the stage at Joe's Pub gives voice to a world of varied and stellar artists.

The original London live cast recording of Legally Blonde The Musical starring Sheridan Smith, Duncan James, Jill Halfpenny, Peter Davison and Alex Gaumond and coordinated for First Night Records by John Craig, will be released on 16 August 2010. Recorded at the Savoy Theatre and featuring music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, the Legally Blonde cast album features eighteen numbers from the show including Omigod You Guys, Serious, Whipped Into Shape, Bend and Snap and So Much Better. The cast of Legally Blonde The Musical will be signing the new cast recording at Dress Circle (57-59 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9DG) on Saturday 21 August at 12noon.

As previously reported and confirmed today by Whatsonstage.com, West End's 'Elle Woods' and 'Paulette,' Sheridan Smith and Jill Halfpenny, respectively, will be departing LEGALLY BLONDE on October 23, 2010. It has been rumored that Jennifer Ellison was in talks to take over the role of Elle, in addition to Broadway's original Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy.

Fresh off her stint in Hair, Annaleigh Ashford will lead the previously announced Heathers: The Musical concert at Joe's Pub alongside Jeremy Jordan on September 13, 2010. Ashford will protray Veronica Sawyer (played by Winona Ryder on screen), while Jeremy Jordan will play Jason Dean (played by Christian Slater in the film). Additional casting announcements are forthcoming.