Duncan James Gets Legal with Sheridan Smith???

The Daily Mail reports that ex-Blue pop star Duncan James (whose previous West End credits include Billy Flynn in Chicago) and Alex Gaumond (Desperately Seeking Susan, Guys and Dolls) will join our lovely Whatsonstage.com Awards Concert host Sheridan Smith in the West End premiere of screen-to-stage musical Legally Blonde (See The Goss, 16 Feb 2009).

We hear that, while the UK production has previously been tipped for the Piccadilly Theatre, it may actually make its home at the Savoy Theatre in the autumn, after the current run there of Carousel, starring Lesley Garrett.

The musical, which premiered on Broadway in April 2007, is based on the 2001 Hollywood comedy in which Reese Witherspoon played California sorority girl Elle who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back. It has a book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics by husband-and-wife team Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe.

Songs include “Ohmigod You Guys”, “Serious”, “The Harvard Variations”, “Whipped into Shape”, “Find My Way” and the title number. It’s directed and choreographed by previous Whatsonstage.com Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, The Full Monty).