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Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde
Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde

Musicals Extend: Legally Blonde, Priscilla, Stomp

Date: 27 January 2010

Legally Blonde, which just received its West End premiere on 13 January 2010 (previews from 5 December 2009), has extended its booking period by nine months at the Savoy Theatre, where it is now taking bookings through to 20 February 2011 (having previously been booking only to 23 May 2010).

The musical comedy, which premiered on Broadway in April 2007, is based on the 2001 Hollywood film in which Reese Witherspoon played California sorority girl Elle Woods who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back.

Sheridan Smith – our Whatsonstage.com Awards sweetheart who, this Valentine’s Day, will be hosting the Awards Concert for a third year in a row (See News, 19 Jan 2010) - stars as Elle, with ex-Blue pop star Duncan James as Elle’s heartbreaker college sweetheart Warner and Alex Gaumond as her new love interest Emmett (See News, 21 Jul 2009). Peter Davison is Harvard professor Callahan and Jill Halfpenny is Paulette, the hairdresser who Elle befriends.

Legally Blonde marks the Broadway and West End directorial debut for Jerry Mitchell, a previous Whatsonstage.com Best Choreographer Award winner for Hairspray and The Full Monty. The musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, set design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller, sound design by ACME Sound Partners and orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke.

It’s produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Robert G Bartner, Ambassador Theatre Group, Bud Martin, Adam Zotovich, Jamie Hendry Productions, Matthew Byam Shaw and Act Productions.


In other extension news:

  • At the Palace Theatre, the European premiere of Australian import Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, starring Jason Donovan, has also added nine month to its booking period. Opened in the West End on 23 March 2009 (previews from 10 March), it has now extended to 26 February 2011. Adapted from the 1994 Oscar-winning cult Australian film starring Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp, Priscilla follows Sydney drag queen Mitzi (aka Tick) and her two fish-out-of-water friends, Felicia (Adam) and transsexual Bernardette, as they head west across the desert to Alice Springs in their battered old bus.

    Like the film, the musical is fashioned around disco hits including "I Love the Nightlife," "I Will Survive", “Shake Your Groove Thing” and "Finally". It’s directed by Simon Phillips, designed by Brian Thomson, choreography by Ross Coleman, and costumes by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical stars Australians Jason Donovan (Mitzi/Tick) and Tony Sheldon (Bernadette) and Brits Clive Carter (Bob) and Oliver Thornton (Felicia/Adam). The London production has been nominated for seven of this year’s Whatsonstage.com Awards, including Best New Musical.
  • At the Ambassadors Theatre, Stomp, which transforms the junk and clutter of urban life into a source of rhythm and dance, has added six months to its schedule and is now taking bookings through to 19 December 2010. After international touring success, Stomp, which originated in Brighton in 1991, had its West End premiere in September 2002 at the Vaudeville Theatre, where it ran for five years before transferring to the Ambassadors (See News, 5 Sep 2007). A revamped version, with new “surround sound” music and routines, was introduced last year (See News, 6 Feb 2009). Stomp was created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas.

  • - by Terri Paddock

    Related Content

    Booking Tickets & Show Listings
    Legally Blonde Listing Page
    Internal Links
    Photo: First peek at Sunshine Boys Danny DeVito & Richard Griffiths - 19th Mar 2012 photos
    Legally Blonde's Carley Stenson goes green as Shrek's Princess Fiona - 8th Mar 2012 news
    Danny DeVito makes West End debut with Richard Griffiths in Sunshine Boys - 30th Jan 2012 news
    Legally Blonde posts West End closing notices, 7 April - 25th Jan 2012 news
    Cast: Ashfield & Thomas Go Blonde, Blackman is Gertie - 31st Aug 2011 news
    WOS TV: Up Close With ... Legally Blonde's Lee Mead - 1st Aug 2011 tv
    Top Ten: Awe-inspiring Stage Special Effects - 18th Jul 2011 features
    Photos: Carley Stenson Takes Over as Legally Elle - 11th Jul 2011 photos
    Photos: Lee Mead Plays Emmett in Legally Blonde - 20th Jun 2011 photos
    Brinkley Models Roxie, Carley Stenson Plays Elle - 9th Jun 2011 news
    WOS Winners Smith & Karimloo Join Gaumond - 6th May 2011 news
    Blonde Natalie Casey, Seymour-Marsh Joins MDQ - 22nd Mar 2011 news
    Natalie Casey Next for Legally Blonde??? - 21st Mar 2011 gossip
    Lee Mead Plays Legally Blonde Emmett from Jun - 17th Mar 2011 news
    Legally Blonde Starts Tour in Liverpool, Grease - 15th Mar 2011 news
    Jo Caird: Hands Up Who Likes Musical Theatre? - 15th Mar 2011 blog
    Blog: Sheridan Smith's Last Day on Legally Blonde - 8th Jan 2011 blog
    Susan McFadden Is Legally Blonde Elle from Jan - 17th Dec 2010 news
    Photos: Van Outen Joins New Legally Blonde Cast - 10th Nov 2010 photos
    Denise Van Outen Goes Legally Blonde, New Cast - 27th Aug 2010 news
    Extensions: Sheridan Smith's Elle, Boheme & Mis - 26th Aug 2010 news
    Van Outen Goes Blonde, Bundy Stays Stateside??? - 11th Aug 2010 gossip
    OMG! Who Will Star in Legally Blonde from 23 Oct??? - 23rd Jul 2010 gossip
    Jennifer Ellison Not Legally Bound for West End??? - 2nd Jul 2010 gossip
    Photos: Richard Fleeshman Bows in Blonde - 29th Jun 2010 photos
    Musicals Extend: Blonde, Dirty, Thriller & WWRY - 9th Jun 2010 news
    Cast: Fleeshman Goes Legally, Hoods, Wolfboy - 11th May 2010 news
    Legally Blonde starstarstar - 14th Jan 2010 reviews
    1st Night Photos: Blonde Has More Opening Fun - 14th Jan 2010 photos
    Review Round-up: What's the Verdict on Legally? - 14th Jan 2010 roundup
    1st Night TV: Legally Blonde’s Pretty in Pink Gala - 14th Jan 2010 tv
    WOS Radio: Legally Blonde Team Face Questions - 7th Jan 2010 radio
    Legally Blonde Reports 'Unprecedented' Sales - 22nd Dec 2009 news
    Photos: Smith & Cast Launch West End Legally - 30th Sep 2009 photos
    Sheridan Smith & Duncan James Lead Legally - 21st Apr 2009 news
    Legally Blonde Sets UK Premiere for Savoy, 5 Dec - 1st Apr 2009 news



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