Nell Benjamin News

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL paints the city pink as it celebrates its first year anniversary on April 29, 2008 with a week of events.

It was announced today that Broadway's 'mega- hit' (Wall Street Journal) LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL, will kick off its first national tour in Rhode Island at The Providence Performing Arts Center, PPAC on September 23, 2008.

According to 'US Magazine' a source is stating that Kevin Federline may be set to make his Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated musical 'Legally Blonde'

As the 21st Century chugs along toward completing its first decade, perhaps Broadway's new role in American theatre with emerge as the place where talented composers and lyricists with interesting projects will premiere their less-inspired shows while their exciting, adventurous and better-written work continues to hide in the under-publicized shadows of Off- and Off-Off Broadway, festivals and the occasional cabaret appearance.  Just as Legally Blonde, the Broadway debut of composer/lyricists Lawrence O'Keefe (Bat Boy, Sarah, Plain and Tall) and Nell Benjamin (Pirates!, Sarah, Plain and Tall) doesn't match the quality of their Off-Broadway and regional work, last season composer Tom Kitt made his first main stem appearance with the catchy-tuned and enjoyable, but not especially notable, High Fidelity while musical theatre lovers in the know were anxiously awaiting a production of Feeling Electric, his substantially superior collaboration with bookwriter/lyricist Brian Yorkey, first seen at the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

After the success of 'Legally Blonde The Musical' MTV will once again join forces with the Legally Blonde The Musical team this time to search for a talented singer/actress/dancer to take over for Broadway star and current lead Laura Bell Bundy.

Friends and stars of stage and screen gathered together for a surprise party at Sardi's Restaurant on January 18 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Michael Rupert's Broadway debut!

It was announced today that the seven original stars of Legally Blonde The Musical, Laura Bell Bundy as Elle Woods, Christian Borle as Emmett, Orfeh as Paulette, Richard H. Blake as Warner, Kate Shindle as Vivienne, Nikki Snelson as Brooke and Michael Rupert as Professor Callahan, have all extended their contracts through Spring 2008.

Legally Blonde won the first annual Actors' Equity Association Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) Award for Outstanding Chorus. This is the first industry award of its type to honor the distinctive talents and contributions made by a chorus.

After its celebrated premiere last weekend on Saturday October 13 and Sunday October 14, Variety reports 'MTV was pleased with the debut of Legally Blonde: The Musical, as Saturday's afternoon premiere averaged 1.27 million viewers and drew more persons 12-34 than any other program in its timeslot.'

Clips from the MTV exclusive broadcast recording of 'Legally Blonde' are online now!

Clips from the MTV exclusive broadcast recording of 'Legally Blonde' are online now!

Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, NJ) opened Happy Days: A New Musical, on Sunday September 30 at 7:30PM. Based on the hit Paramount Pictures television series, Happy Days is created by Garry Marshall who also wrote the book, with music and lyrics by Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Williams. Directed by Paper Mill favorite Gordon Greenberg, this musical comedy will run at the Millburn Theatre through October 28.

MTV premieres Legally Blonde The Musical, based on MGM's hit film Legally Blonde, on Saturday, October 13 at 1PM ET/PT. Reinventing the Broadway experience for television, MTV offers viewers who normally would not have the opportunity to see one of the hottest shows the best seats in the house.

Actors' Equity Association's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) announced today the winner of the ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus 2006-2007 is Legally Blonde, The Musical. This is the first industry award of its type to honor the distinctive talents and contributions made by the chorus.

MTV will tape the live performance of 'Legally Blonde' on September 18, set for an exclusive broadcast on September 29 at 1PM.

In Legally Blonde, Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take 'no' for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone 'serious,' Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, ElleSample Image proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. Legally Blonde: The Musical has been created by a dean's list of top-of-their-class Broadway talent, including Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray); composer and lyricist Laurence O'Keefe (Batboy) and Nell Benjamin (Sarah, Plain and Tall); book writer Heather Hach (Freaky Friday); and scenic designer David Rockwell (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels). We talk to, and hear from actors, Kate Shindle and Richard H. Blake. From the Original Broadway Cast Recording, we hear the songs 'Legally Blonde Remix,' and 'Serious'.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of Legally Blonde (Ghostlight Records) currently leads the Billboard Cast Album Chart.

All new monthly calendar of local theatre events!

Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde), celebrating the release of her debut country album entitled 'Longing for a Place Already Gone,' discusses her original music, her new record label and recounts her Broadway experience.

Ghostlight Records, a division of Sh-K-Boom Records, will release the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Legally Blonde on Tuesday, July 17, 2007.