Sheridan Smith Staying On In Legally Blonde, For Now
Published on Friday 27th August, 10.00am, Written by Jonathan Dudley
It would seem that the recent rumours about Broadway’s Laura Bell Bundy being set to take the lead in Legally Blonde The Musical were inaccurate, at least for now; leading lady Sheridan Smith has just extended her run until 9 January 2011.
We've got a pink and sparkly Christmas to look forward to with Sheridan!
Sonia Friedman, the producer of the hit show, certainly seemed pleased to be keeping her star, saying: “I am delighted that Sheridan has extended her contract with us. It has been a real privilege to have had her as our leading lady and I am thrilled that she has agreed to stay with us a little longer.”
Smith herself described her run in Legally Blonde as “one of the highlights of my career so far”. She, like Friedman, rather tellingly suggested that she won’t be staying on at the production for too much longer, saying: “When Sonia asked me to stay for a little bit longer, I couldn’t resist the thought of a pink, chihuahua-filled Christmas!”
Perhaps I’m reading into this a little bit too much, but both women used the term “a little longer” which, to me, suggests this will be Smith’s last extension in the role she’s been playing in the West End since last December. It’s probably fair to say we can expect a cast reshuffle once Ms Smith hangs up her pink stilettos and hands Bruiser over to his new owner, but will it be Laura Bell Bundy?
The Broadway starlet and original stage Elle Woods is currently touring around America but her schedule seems to finish on 18 November, just in time to enjoy Christmas and then hop on a plane for West End rehearsals. However, it has been reported that she’s been cast in How I Met Your Mother so it’s looking doubtful, though not impossible, that she’ll be coming to the West End.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
