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[0:06] Tori Heinlein: Hey again and welcome back to The Broadway Exclusive right here on the Broadway Podcast Network. This episode is coming to you live from the Museum of Broadway's Legally Blonde Day that they held back in April 2025. This panel is a reunion of many of the casts involved in the 2008 reality TV show, The Search for Elle Woods. And now, 17 years later, the museum is celebrating this amazing show in so many ways. Make sure to head over to the Museum of Broadway.com to find more amazing events like this one. Visit Broadway Podcast Network.com to discover more content. And now let's dive right into the panel.

[0:43] Tori Heinlein: It's Legally Blonde Day here at the museum. We are so excited to have you all. This is panel number one of two. So this one is the search for Elle Woods. Alright. I'm just gonna ask you quickly silence your cell phones if they aren't already, and I'm gonna introduce you to our moderator, Tori Heinlein. Who also got to play Elle Woods.

[1:11] Tori Heinlein: Hi everybody! Oh my gosh, okay, this is so exciting. Yay, Legally Blonde! Okay, we have to introduce our stars of the Astronaut. Okay, are we ready, friends? I don't even know. I don't even know if they know that this is happening, but here we go. Okay, here we go. All right, are we ready, friends? We have one in the back room. So you know what? We're gonna stall for just like 30 seconds. Welcome to the Museum of Broadway. Here we go. We're so thrilled. Okay, let's start up with our vocal coach extraordinaire. Give it up for Seth Rudetsky. Come on out! Come on out! Welcome! Woohoo! Woohoo!

[1:56] Tori Heinlein: Okay, up next, we know him. We love him. Our favorite associate director of Legally Blonde. Get up for marc bruni! Hold on, we're gonna lie to you. Okay, we know her. We love, we love them all, frankly. Up next, we have Rhiannon Hansen! The pinks are really on point today. Never fear. Okay, who's up next? Give me a little hint. Oh, okay. Well, I'm just gonna call someone out and we'll see if they show. Up next, here we go, Miss Cassie Silva! Work it, Diva! Work it!

[2:36] Tori Heinlein: Okay. I'm gonna take a guess for who's next. Can we hear some love for Natalie Lander? Natalie, horrible from below. Okay. We know her. We love her. We've seen her recently. Let's give it up for Miss Autumn Hurlbert. And last but most certainly not least, the extraordinary. Come on in! Okay! Okay. Here we go. How thrilling, how exciting. Woohoo! Okay. How do you sit in the pink? It's a sea of pink. It's a sea of pink. We're thrilled on this Tuesday afternoon. How exciting. Okay, wow. This is just what are the odds? We've all gathered today on this lovely Tuesday. Let's start at the very beginning, shall we?

[3:33] Tori Heinlein: Okay. I was born on a Monday. What? Can we talk about what was your audition process like for this show? Like what happened before the cameras were rolling? How did you get involved with the iconic search for Elle Woods? Hold on. Legally Blonde. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Seth. Thank you, Seth. My apologies. I will fix that moving forward. Thank you so much. Okay, yes. Anyone, please. What was your process?

[4:02] Rhiannon Hansen: I think mine might be the most unique. I think it was similar to Emma Zach's and Lena Hall's in that we auditioned for the Broadway show, and then before the reality show happened, our agents called us and said, "Hey, there's this reality show that maybe you want to be part of." And we were like, sure, what harm could come from that? How bad could that be? And we found out. No, I'm kidding. But you all you met at the here, you took three of it.

[4:39] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, okay, so I was in college, and I went and saw the pre-Broadway run of Blonde in San Francisco and I was obsessed. First of all, I love Laura Bell Bundy. I love her so much. And I was obsessed, and I was like, oh my gosh, I have to be Elle Woods, I have to. And then, and I went back to college and everyone was like, yeah, and the revival. And I was like, no, no, like I wanna be Elle Woods. Right? Period. How dare they? No, and I was like, I want to be Elle Woods, and then turns out I graduated AMDA LA. I graduated AMDA LA in December of 2007, January of 2008. Then my friend goes, "Hey, I got this weird thing on Actors' Access. You want to look at it? I think it's way better for you." And I was like, what is it? And she goes, "They're searching for the next Elle Woods." And I was like, this is my chance. I was like, I can be Elle Woods. I was so excited.

[5:41] Natalie Lander: I'm a girls and I'm obsessed that it wasn't Actors' Access listed. Yes. So I went to the audition. I had the flu. Do you remember at that audition? My turn. Give me that mic.

[5:55] Rhiannon Hansen: Well, I found out from a flyer, which also is just like tracks for me, where I'm like, oh, I just found a piece of trash on the floor. And I'm like, I'll just go to this. And I remember showing up in North Hollywood at like six in the morning, and I think number two in line was you, number three in line was me, and number five in line was you. The memory. The memory. She's on it. She remembers. Sweet. And then I remember dancing with Rusty Maori. And we did, I think it was positive or something along those lines. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, whatever that one is.

[6:37] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah. And then they had different rooms in the studio. It was at Millennium Complex before they Yes. And then you went into one of them and they asked you a bunch of fun questions, and it was kind of like a confessional, but in like a dance studio. And then they were doing like scenes and reading and things in the studio across. Yeah. Is that right? And we went back a few days.

[7:01] Natalie Lander: Yeah. And then okay. I feel like my voice is loud enough. But you there's like there were three in the one room dancing, and then we had the confessional, and then we had like the waiting room of all of us, like hopefuls. And then there were two, it was two days. And the second day, then it was like cut in half, and like we had to go do everything again. But I remember in the confessional, they were like, tell us something that like would make you really good for the show, but like that people might not like about you. The door should be like possible. I said, "Sometimes I can be annoyingly cheerful." That got them. Yes, that's true. I agree. So I was like, it's just gonna happen. Everyone's gonna be annoyed by me. I wanted the role, guys. I wanted to book it.

[7:46] Rhiannon Hansen: And so what was the final 10? This I guess is a secret that I'm curious about. Was it did you know? Or were you actually you were you were wondering?

[7:56] Natalie Lander: Well, the best part is is that when it came to New York, it's a big open audition. The whole first episode is like 150 girls and gets cut and cut and cut and cut. Well, the night before, all of us are in a hotel with our doors taped shut. There were 15 of us, that's right. And we had goodie bags. We got goodie bags, we got our phones taken away from us. Our that's how old we are, our Walkmans, our little individual, whatever. Take iPods, iPods, iPods. So we were in this hotel, and I'll never I'd new already. Well, we knew we had made it into the 15 to get to 15. Okay, and so we show up to this audition, and all of a sudden there's like a hundred and fifty new girls, and we show up with our little like tote bags and like our merch, and we're like, what's going on? You don't have a goodie bag, like you don't have the swag.

[8:46] Rhiannon Hansen: Truly, like, truly, musical theater sisterhood runs deep. I saw people I knew, and I saddled up to them in that auditorium, and I was like, just so you know, 15 of us already signed a contract, so you're getting cut today on TV. So just so you know, no, because they were like, like, I'll never forget Amanda Flynn, who's an amazing voice teacher, Broadway voice teacher. She was like, "Yeah, I'm not doing this. Bye." And she exited, she's like, "I'm not doing this." I love that. We obsessed with that.

[9:12] Natalie Lander: Okay, so then we get to our final ten. You guys are then all living together in this house. What was the daily life like? Tell us about the house.

[9:25] Rhiannon Hansen: Well, we're just pottery vibes. The pottery binding. The pottery bot teen spot teen. Those beds and those carpets were pink and powerful. Part of theater boxes. Like they just like were putting box, you know.

[9:39] Natalie Lander: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Maybe black box theater. Hello.

[9:46] Tori Heinlein: Let me interrupt for one second because it's a reality show, and they were always trying to add drama. And can we all discuss the episode where you were together? And they were like, "What do you hate about each girl?" And then Autumn was like, "I'm not having it." So Ama was like our little mom, like protector. She made sure that like only good vibes, only good vibes from Autumn.

[10:07] Rhiannon Hansen: So they're not riding like, what do you like about each other? There was a challenge where they, it was like 10 questions and they were heinous. It was like, "Who do you think needs to lose weight?"

[10:15] Natalie Lander: Oh yeah.

[10:17] Rhiannon Hansen: And we were weird. That's actually what we wrote. That was the first answer. We were like, Seth. Um we were already broken. This was like episodes in, we were already like so emotionally.

[10:34] Natalie Lander: Yes. And so we were all stressed, and we all just kind of sat there and cried and looked at each other. And they, you know, nothing was happening. And I was like, you know what? We well, we're gonna have to do something. This is what they want us to do. So I said, let's change the questions. And they were all ended up being supportive questions. Like, "Who has your favorite vocal tone?" I don't know what the questions were, but it was like whose vibrato rings the loudest.

[10:57] Rhiannon Hansen: Yes.

[10:59] Natalie Lander: That's everything.

[10:59] Rhiannon Hansen: The producers were not.

[11:01] Tori Heinlein: Oh, they were pseudo. They were not threatened.

[11:03] Rhiannon Hansen: Well, the thing was they wanted us to do it behind each other's backs.

[11:10] Natalie Lander: Yes.

[11:11] Rhiannon Hansen: But the thing is, it's like you were casting the next Elle Woods. A lot of us have the personality of like, we love each other so much.

[11:21] Tori Heinlein: And so the two things, like, yeah, we couldn't.

[11:23] Rhiannon Hansen: I know. Almost everybody.

[11:26] Natalie Lander: Almost everybody.

[11:27] Rhiannon Hansen: T-boots.

[11:29] Tori Heinlein: Okay. And with that here. Okay. So we're the challenges. Let's talk about the challenges. Seth.

[11:36] Seth Rudetsky: Yes.

[11:36] Tori Heinlein: The bike. We've we've it's your evil. It's it's time.

[11:41] Seth Rudetsky: It's time to talk about the. Did you guys get to keep your stationary bikes? You know, like, are you are you now like SoulCycle ambassadors? Like, Seth, what's going through your mind as these girls are fighting for their lives, spinning away, singing what you want?

[11:56] Seth Rudetsky: I'm gonna give you three points about this. A, I did not invent the idea. I was friends with Marissa Jabinoker, who did Greece, and I remember her telling me that in order for her to prepare, she ran on the treadmill and sang. And I was like, that's brilliant because you're winded when you do a show, so you have to get used to it. So that was my idea. I remember I told Amanda, who's our amazing producer, and she's like, that's a great idea. But instead of treadmills, we'll use bikes. So I stole it from Marissa.

[12:17] Seth Rudetsky: Second of all, two things I'm gonna say about reality shows. You know, at the very end, there's a little thing that says, like, winners chosen by producers. Like, winners were not really chosen by us. So it was someone I can't remember who, but someone else won that challenge. And the winner was supposed to have lunch with Orfe. And I went to them and I said, "Oh, this person won it." They said, "Well, she already knows Orfe, so it's not gonna really be impressive if she has lunch with them. You have to pick somebody else." So I definitely had to pick somebody else.

[12:43] Seth Rudetsky: Third of all, that was I can't remember. Whoever was good. Yeah, it was supposed to be who it was Lauren. Yes, it was Lauren. It wasn't supposed to be Lauren's supposed to be someone else who already knew. No, I don't know if it was I don't know if it was Cass, but that's the third thing.

[12:58] Rhiannon Hansen: That was all manipulated. Our girls with our Emma, our lungs of steel. That's the thing. They manipulated that to make Cassie look like she was a no talent. So I would teach her. I need to set the record straight right now. I'm setting the record straight. Okay. Cassie, we were all we all were taught the harmony. Okay, so we were all like, watching one, like doing all this weird stuff that is in the harmonies that if you do the show, that is how it goes. She had the hardest harmony part. She nailed it. I know because I sang it, and I was sucked at it, and she nailed it, and it was flawless. She did it flawlessly. And then they were like showed it, and it was like, What too much? I'm like, but that's how it goes.

Like me cutting one thing, cutting to her side another thing, and then back to the girls being like, Yeah, that is not how it went. They did these manipulations to make it look like that was she was cut out. No, Cassie was incredible. Yes, she has. Yes, she's incredible.

[14:00] Rhiannon Hansen: Also, all the little confessionals, the confessionals, they would try to get you to say, like, oh, I hate Rihanna. Obviously, I'm never gonna say that. So they would splice together saying, like, I hate that, I hate that this person didn't, you know, whatever. I hate that we were dancing on cobblestones and Rhiannon had an asthma attack. So then it's I hate Rhiannon. I hate Rhiannon. I hate Rihanna. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, it goes, I hate. Don't dun don't Rhianna!

[14:32] Tori Heinlein: Of course. Okay, so then Mark and Nick, you guys are also getting to kind of Paul, thank you. Paul. You guys are getting to watch this. Obviously, not a normal auditioning process. What's going through your minds as you're watching the challenges? You're knowing that all the girls are living together. Like, what's what's your POV?

[14:54] Paul Canaan: Well, a quick fun fact about the final 10, which I thought was more public knowledge until we did the reunion at 54 Below. Obsessed. Rachel Potter was there. She was in the final 10. Yeah. And I she was in the final, but she was selected to be in the final 10. I raised my hand. I was with the MTV producers, Broadway, everyone. I was like, I know Selena Carvajal, Lena Hall Tony Award winner. She's gonna be good TV. I was on tour with her in 2000. I know her well. I'm like, she's gonna be, we're both from San Francisco. Paul with the insider knowledge. And Rachel Potter seems like a Vivian with her brown hair. She went on to be Glinda in Wicked. She went on to be a million things. But at 54 Below, she's like, I didn't know that, Paul. I was like, oh I've got you all do. But I had to look out for my girl, I can't.

[15:45] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, that is true. That was good TV. Yeah. I like watching her on my TV. Wow. I know she has a lot. Wow. Wow.

[15:52] marc bruni: And Mark. Well, you're you're you're coaching the scene. Yes, well, nothing is more interesting to watch on television than acting. Um in scenes. Uh, you know, real stage acting. So uh I was I was on the second episode as the acting coach where we were to do scenes together. Yeah, and uh we had been in the room filming for about 45 minutes, and the producers were real mad because there was nothing interesting happening. We were uh we were just I I think my main focus was just try to maintain maintain some dignity of what we were doing. Oh sure. To try to do and try to make this process feel like the process of actually putting on a Broadway show, which um uh so so we we got to this day, and and about we're about 45 minutes in, and um and one of the producers just comes to the door and like calls me into the hallway and says, Mark, did you see what shoes she's wearing?

I was like who it was like first of all, didn't look at the shoes at all. And I don't remember whose shoes it was. Casual and comfortable. Of course. They were asked to wear casual shoes and and and I think it was I think it was Bailey, who was wearing uh some pumps that were that were not casual. They're like, you have to call her out on that. You gotta go. You gotta you did you you gotta tell her that I was like, I'm so uncomfortable with this. So uh so they sent me back in and uh and then that and that was the one clip that made it onto the uh episode. It's about me just going like what shoes are you wearing? Or something like that. Anyway, he's secretly a fashionista at heart. He's it's like I I'm I'm here for the for the wardrobe.

[17:43] Tori Heinlein: Thank you so much. Do we have any favorite moments that were cut from the show that we that we didn't get to see?

[17:50] Autumn Hurlbert: Yes. Autumn eating poison yogurt. Autumn poison yogurt. Oh that made it on. That was a little though. For the record, they said that I had stage fright and it puked. It was not. Stage fright. And then some poor intern or somebody, they filmed her. The only place we weren't filmed. The only place was in the bathroom. And so I was, it was in the dance thing, and I think you were singing. I was like, oh my god, oh my god. Oh no. This is bad. I cannot do this on national television. So I ran in the bathroom. I had food poisoning because they have left all this food for us out every day. And they had left it out all day, and somebody just put it back in the fridge and took it out the next day. So I was like, no go. No go. I ate poison yogurt. So they edited it, but they were like, oh, you're not at the word running off stage. The sounds were vomiting, but it inch her legs in the stall. With atrocious character heels that I never would have worn. Ever.

[18:50] Rhiannon Hansen: What shoes are you wearing?

[18:52] Autumn Hurlbert: Yeah, I guess. Casual and comfortable, if you will.

[18:59] Tori Heinlein: Okay, any other any other fun secrets?

[19:01] Rhiannon Hansen: I want a challenge. And I'm gonna put it here today. I want a challenge. It was the quick change challenge. It was when we were in top four, and they did not hear it. No. And I worked so hard. We love the quick change. They showed my underwear and they couldn't put it on National TV. I'm sure of it. Because they were like, quick change, go. I started before I was behind the curtain thing. I was like, I'm on it. And I see I know. I have, as I'm running off stage, I have started before. So I won the quick change challenge. And then like that night, like I was so proud. And I remember Rusty giving me a hug and being like, You won a challenge. I was like, thank God. Because I had not won any challenges up to that point.

And so I was so excited. I was like, just had to get mildly naked to win a challenge. And then I got, like, they did a whole event that night being like, and here's your reward for winning the challenge. It was the Tiffany's necklace. But then they were like, and everyone gets one. I was like, I can't win this. This is everyone. So I was I was mummed. I didn't get to go, but you took me with you when you won. And we did yoga.

[19:33] Cassie Silva: Yeah.

[19:33] Rhiannon Hansen: So I won the cobblestone dancing on the banking on. And um, you know, we danced just like a Broadway stage. Well, you know, the tracks and the heels get caught, so we have to practice. I think the direct quote from Dennis Jones in that episode was dance for your lives. It was, and it was about it was about 13 degrees that day in Brooklyn, and it was like the wind chill factor was like negative 20. And they said dress to dance. And so we were like, oh, we'll be in a studio, like, no problem. Like tank tops and like shorts. Yeah. And so we were all like, and you know, to to film these sequences, they take a long time. It's not like you do it once, you do it four 80 gajillion times. And so, um we wore those big boots. The pink boots sizes. So either squeezing your big toe in there. Or you were or you were like, they were like boat shoes. Yeah, just like your ankles.

[21:19] Autumn Hurlbert: Yeah.

[21:17] Rhiannon Hansen: What you want is a pair of boots that fit. You know, yeah, exactly. And we wound up dancing, I think, for like I don't even know how many hours, at least like five hours between like rehearsal and then filming and that whole thing. And then so I won the challenge, and my reward was I got to go do yoga. And I was like, what? That's that's a punishment. That is not a reward.

[21:36] Rhiannon Hansen: And I was like, I'm gonna punish Rhiannon. And she came with me, and we we got to meet uh Kate Schindle. And hang out with Kate Schindle. Silently while you are while you hold a downward dog and find your namase.

[22:00] Cassie Silva: I'm obsessed with that.

[22:01] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, we're so weird.

[22:03] Autumn Hurlbert: It was so weird.

[22:06] Rhiannon Hansen: Dennis, he had one of those earpieces. And he was together, he was told to say that, and he really had a swallow growing at her bathroom. He was like, girl, bring your life. Like she was mortified.

[22:25] Cassie Silva: Yeah, standing there.

[22:27] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, yeah, yeah. The earpiece was such a weird thing too, because only Bernie had one. Me and Heather did not. No. So there were times it would just be quiet, and Bernie would be like, Well, they want they want you to say something a little more negative. I was like, huh? Okay. So I would aim those towards Selena, because I knew her. I was like, we are not looking for the next pussycat dolls, Missy. This is how it was.

[22:50] Paul Canaan: But then what you don't see, once the girls leave after the judging moment that took forever too, and was so like hot and dark and horrible. They would leave, and the producers would be like, okay, let's do pickups. And three young producers would stand in front of us where the three girls were. Say something nice, say something mean, say something nice to him, to him, to him, and then we'll film it, and no one will know any different. I was like, how is this gonna come out? Not real.

[23:13] Rhiannon Hansen: I would have comments on both sides for everybody for every yeah, they would film comments positive and negative for everybody so that they could edit it later on. But the negative was so dumb because it was just made, like what am I gonna? These are adorable, the sweetest people ever. What am I gonna say? I mean, everybody worked so hard, and when you if you watched what these episodes the the every single one of the challenges was uh you know, executed pretty flawlessly by everyone, and so I mean it was like the most the tiniest little nitpicking things that they needed to find to shoes.

[23:45] Natalie Lander: And I say the most the most devastating challenge to me as a brunette was when they're like, girls, we have to know how you're gonna be as blondes, even though Elle Woods is literally lit literally wigged in the show. So they're like, Natalie, you're a dark brunette, you must be bleached, and you're cut. How devastating was that it was devastating. They both did Autumn and I really dirty. They bleached my hair, like just straight bleach, I think, twice. Like, they made you golden wand and they made me strawberry blind. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. They're like, that's that's not Miss Woods script. Both our hair was like falling out.

[24:28] Rhiannon Hansen: You are in the armor was tanked.

[24:32] Autumn Hurlbert: Oh, like that.

[24:37] Natalie Lander: And he, I had a hair flash. Like he was like, and I was like, oh my god.

[24:47] Rhiannon Hansen: If you're the camera and this is my head, he went, yeah.

[24:58] Natalie Lander: Yeah.

[24:58] Rhiannon Hansen: I had like restrictions. I remember because you literally went like this.

[25:01] Natalie Lander: And I was like, oh my god.

[25:03] Rhiannon Hansen: Yes.

[25:04] Natalie Lander: It just broke all.

[25:06] Rhiannon Hansen: Why didn't we do a bend and snap sequence with Kiki the Hairstylist?

[25:09] Natalie Lander: Works every time in the hair salon.

[25:12] Rhiannon Hansen: If we could turn it out time. Yes, my blonde got cut real quick because it did not really look that green green. They were like basically like, you look ugly blonde. Gotta go. And I'm like, no, thank you. But no, I did win the Elle Woods challenge that after they dyed my hair blonde. And I was stood on the hooks because I'm so short. And I really thought like at that time, I was kind of on this like upward trajectory where I had just won the dance challenge. The next episode, they dyed my hair blonde. They and then I won the L Woods challenge, and then I was gone.

[25:47] Cassie Silva: Yeah, literally.

[25:47] Rhiannon Hansen: Like, yeah. But weren't we all together? You see?

[25:51] Natalie Lander: We went to like Amanda's.

[25:54] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, no, I hope I like it.

[25:55] Tori Heinlein: Okay, did you did you stay living in the house if you were if you were um yeah, no present, of course.

[26:01] Rhiannon Hansen: If you weren't the next Elle Woods, did you get out of there?

[26:04] Natalie Lander: We get so once you were cut, yeah.

[26:06] Rhiannon Hansen: If you were cut, like I was cut really close to the finale.

[26:15] Natalie Lander: Exactly.

[26:17] Rhiannon Hansen: And then when you got eliminated, you got put down into like a different hotel.

[26:20] Natalie Lander: Yeah.

[26:21] Rhiannon Hansen: Did you have your phone back? Or were you still like?

[26:22] Natalie Lander: I got my phone back, which made no sense because they gave me my phone back, I was like sequestered, and then they were like, and they wanted me to not dye my hair back to brown, like just in case. I filmed back home and I was like blonde and I'm right, like, oh my god.

[26:41] Rhiannon Hansen: Didn't you guys all have to do the final episode?

[26:41] Natalie Lander: Yeah.

[26:44] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah.

[26:46] Natalie Lander: Yeah.

[26:47] Rhiannon Hansen: I see you downstairs and then I flew back to LA and like not even hours later, then flew back.

[26:54] Natalie Lander: Oh my gosh.

[26:55] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, it made no sense. But like we did it. I will say this. I'm gonna say this because I love you so much. So the finale aired, they said, Bailey, you are the next Elle Woods. Immediately the music starts playing, like not even minutes later. I'm standing at the end. Autumn has to change. Come up, stand there. I just looked at her and I could just see, and then she had to perform and do the ah as you were like standing there, and she was like, and like I remember just being like, I like was like, I love you, I'm so sorry. Like that you have to do this. I just didn't my parents out.

[27:30] Autumn Hurlbert: Oh that's right.

[27:35] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh my god. It was like heartbreaking just to like look at you in that moment, and I was like, the worst totally.

[27:43] Natalie Lander: That was a big debate too. That was not a straightforward thing. We sat and talked forever with you were like, it's gonna be Autumn, it's gonna be Autumn.

[27:51] Rhiannon Hansen: And then if you go like Bailey, Bailey.

[27:58] Natalie Lander: Well, you're doing just fine. So you're doing better than Bailey.

[28:04] Rhiannon Hansen: I'm yakged, I'm yogged. Okay, so obviously, when you're filming the show, social media wasn't a thing. So it was kind of like your private little phenomenon, and it was such a niche, like if you knew it, you knew it. But now, with the resurgence of everything, it's kind of gained like a new life. What has that been like? And obviously, it's like still carrying on, it's still getting quoted to this day. What has that been like seeing its resurgence of a new audience? Like wasn't even born.

[28:37] Natalie Lander: Yeah, so originally it's incredible. I will say social media didn't exist, but this is this I always try to see it's funny as when it aired, they asked us to make one of our social media profiles public. And I was like, I'll make Facebook public. Nobody's gonna catch on a vac on MySpace.

[29:04] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh no.

[29:04] Natalie Lander: And so I was on a nonprofit for years because after when the show originally aired, the target audience was pre-tweens, tweens, teenagers, and with that in and gays, introduction to a cyber connection was vile. The messages that we received were so bad, they were so awful. I cannot tell you how many messages I received that you've never saved someone's face.

[29:28] Rhiannon Hansen: Right.

[29:29] Natalie Lander: It broke my spirit for a long time, which is why I still am involved in nonprofits to encourage kids to stay offline and how to act online. And so once COVID hit and it came back up on YouTube, I think it's been received with the appreciation that we had hoped that it would be received when it first came out, which is camp, hilarious, sisterhood, a funny competitive ridiculous competition, and the love since this has come back up has far outweighed all of the negativity. So it's been like a phone for my sense.

[30:07] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, and it's like one of those things too where like it didn't have a name yet, right? Like cyberbullying was not named and it didn't have a name, like no one called it that. And so it was just people felt free to say whatever.

[30:22] Natalie Lander: And close to now?

[30:23] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh yeah.

[30:24] Natalie Lander: So like as night, like we were 19.

[30:27] Rhiannon Hansen: Sure.

[30:28] Natalie Lander: And like I remember being like, I just wanted to, I just wanted to sing and dance. Like I just graduated, I just want to sing and dance, like this is my Broadway dream. And you know, somebody found my private email, emailing me, like, you can kill yourself, which is like all these things about it. Because they were like, you're not talented, you can't sing, you can't like I've had a problem with like singing, right? Because that's why they eliminated me. And I've had so much trauma around my voice specifically, and not being able to sing. And I remember sometimes in auditions, like just hearing like, oh, it says you can't sing, and me being like, and like I like I could sing, I clearly know. So, but it's that one thing where like you have these things, and then people just are like, oh, the judge just said she couldn't sing so much crazy.

[31:15] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, and then they just like hone in on it. And so I love that you're doing that. That's really cool. Are you still doing it?

[31:21] Natalie Lander: Yeah, yeah.

[31:22] Rhiannon Hansen: What is it? A bullying?

[31:23] Natalie Lander: Yeah.

[31:24] Rhiannon Hansen: What's the name? Can we do it?

[31:25] Natalie Lander: Yeah, what else? Well, it's called Say It Out Loud. And it's um, it's just an organization, and it's um it's really it's only for public schools, so it's not like we don't, it's just for public schools, it's an after-school thing, but it's like they get different speakers and different entertainment fields, sports, and you know, the introduction is everyone takes a little piece of paper and you write down like your sickest burn. Like write down like the you know, like whatever. And then you have to take your friends. So then you take your little piece of paper and you say who's your best friend in the audience, and you pull your best friend out and you say say it sort of none of them can say it to their best friend's face, and we say, So if you can't say that to your best friend's face, when you say it to a stranger, you don't know where they're coming from.

[32:12] Rhiannon Hansen: And when we were coming from off the show, the Broadway people are bold. They're all we're all we love them, we always told them the TV producers had one job, and that was to stress us out and to demoralize us. And so during the show, you're being told, Oh gosh, if you don't win this, your career is over. Yeah, male on national TV, your family is gonna be disappointed in you. You're like, you know, so we're already coming from a innocent. How are you doing about going home and telling your mom we didn't win?

[32:38] Natalie Lander: Yeah, yeah. They would literally say that.

[32:40] Rhiannon Hansen: I didn't know any of that.

[32:43] Natalie Lander: So psychological portrait.

[32:44] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah. I mean that's one one thing because I don't remember you having a singing issue, but I feel like you were eliminated because of the wrong army, like, which wasn't true, but did that mess up your head to go like we got not good?

[32:55] Natalie Lander: Oh yeah, a hundred percent. I mean, we were so young. I've often said like I just was so impressionable. Hello, hi. Um I feel like I'm also very loud. Um yeah, I mean, it was such an impressionable time, and I think I really four years was so confused as to what my strengths were.

[33:16] Rhiannon Hansen: How did you get confidence?

[33:18] Natalie Lander: I worked well. Thank you.

[33:20] Rhiannon Hansen: I thanks. Thanks, everyone. Um I worked really well. I mean, the thing was that I had a love of the game, and if nothing else, the show really taught me, you know, at the time I had really done TV and film mostly. And so, you know, learning about the Broadway community, being around people, hearing the conversations, the personalities, like I was like, wait, that's where I should be. I should be doing that. And so, you know, I just went to work. I was like, you know, I want to sing, dance, and act, and I can do it all in one place and be funny. And like, oh my God, they saw me fail hardy-wives.

[33:53] Rhiannon Hansen: A hundred percent.

[33:53] Natalie Lander: I was like, I'm still listening like still even today, I've been through so much therapy. Thank God Natalie Lander's here, because Natalie's really just like been holding my hand for the last 17 years.

[34:03] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh my god.

[34:04] Natalie Lander: But I say the two best things that I got from the show were that I realized that I wanted to do musical theater professionally, and I got my best friend Natalie Lander. And like, but that's because it was so traumatizing.

[34:14] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah.

[34:15] Natalie Lander: Oh yeah.

[34:17] Rhiannon Hansen: I know.

[34:18] Natalie Lander: I know.

[34:20] Rhiannon Hansen: Not at all.

[34:22] Natalie Lander: No.

[34:24] Rhiannon Hansen: Honestly, like they we never begrudged the judges or you were like our emotional supporters. Equally manipulated kind of producer.

[34:32] Natalie Lander: Oh yeah.

[34:33] Rhiannon Hansen: You know, it's like it was the same game, and like we all were kind of playing it. And you know, unfortunately, it's sometimes easy to like blur the lines of what was real or not. But we vilanize the producers, it's also unfortunately that job they're supposed to be.

[34:51] Natalie Lander: And also, I think to your point, like when we were with you all and like cameras weren't rolling or things like that, like y'all were so lovely and positive and affirming and yes, and we learned plenty that of course just wasn't aired.

[35:07] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, you know?

[35:08] Natalie Lander: Well, Bernie also like fell in love with all of you. I remember every day he was like, I they're perfect for this show and this show, and she's gonna be in Wicked and she's gonna do this. You at the end, I was like, Can we say she's gonna be Margo on the tour now? And they were like, No, they like winners and losers, America. We can't say that. I was like, Oh, that'd be such a fun thing if I'm watching the show to be like you're gonna go on the tour and be Margo. That happened.

[35:29] Rhiannon Hansen: So, yeah, when did you find out about that?

[35:31] Natalie Lander: So, oh thanks. Um, so they were like, Okay, we're all standing there, all huddled up. It was you, who was holding on to me? You were there, Bailey and Lauren and Lauren, and we were all there. They just let Lauren go, and then they were like, okay, and then Rihanna, like, I think it was you and me. It was down to us, and we were standing there like holding each other, and they were like, Yeah, just like so shaking, like trying to like not pass out. And they were like, Rihanna and we just don't see you as an Elle Woods. I cried, but I was like, hold your dignity, don't snot down your face right now. And so I was like, okay, and then they were like, okay, cut. Oh, we have to change the camera battery, we're doing it again.

[36:13] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh, they didn't.

[36:16] Natalie Lander: I was like, I have to act like I'm fine, and then you're gonna tell me again I'm not the next Elle Woods. I was like, how dare you? So I was like, get yourself together, like 19 years old being like, I'm fine, I'm fine, everything's fine. And then you told me, wasn't it? You who said it, I think so. Or was it Bernie?

[36:37] Rhiannon Hansen: It wasn't my I brought it to the table and she's perfect, she's going to challenge it.

[36:41] Natalie Lander: Yeah, and they were like, just so you know, this isn't the end of the road for you. And I was like, what? And then they were like, We think you're perfect for Marg. And I was like, ah, and I like dropped to the ground. There's a clip of it somewhere.

[36:55] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh, there is?

[36:56] Natalie Lander: Yeah, it was on the website for a little while.

[36:58] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, yeah.

[37:00] Natalie Lander: And I like fell down. Like my legs could not handle it anymore. I was like, you took me to my like lowest low to highest high. Like my adrenaline was like, no, she's got no chance. She's on the floor. So I dropped to the ground, and then like I like walked. I remember walking out because you walk out of this room, and there's like 50,000 people like on their computers, like in the hallway like this.

[37:19] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, like with their cords there being like, oh hi.

[37:21] Natalie Lander: Yes. And I opened the door and everyone was crying. And I was like, why are you all crying? They're like, we all just watched that. And I was like, thank you. And then like you went out and had to do your exit interview where they were like, how do you feel about telling your mom?

[37:35] Rhiannon Hansen: I was a feeling failure.

[37:37] Natalie Lander: Yeah. So, but it was a really like that moment, like, thank you for like really fighting for that because that was really special for me.

[37:44] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah.

[37:45] Natalie Lander: I loved seeing you on the tour.

[37:46] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah.

[37:47] Natalie Lander: I love seeing you all about it.

[37:47] Rhiannon Hansen: Thanks.

[37:48] Natalie Lander: Yeah, it was so funny. Bernie was so funny too, because he'd never people don't recognize Bernie Telsey in the world. Musical theater people do, but he came to the show. Like, I had been in the show, I was in the original cast, I was on the show. The show aired. We filmed it all. I had to, I was the one that had to go do the Broadway show every night and jump rope. I'm like, Ospeda to get up and make up at six in the morning. Whip it, whip it, whip it good.

[38:07] Rhiannon Hansen: Yes.

[38:08] Natalie Lander: Bernie came to the show, and then he walked out the door with me after the show aired, and everyone was like, Bernie Telsey! Pictures of both of us. He's like, Whoa. Then he came back again, like maybe once a week for that experience. He's like, Do you want to come out with me? You want to come out with Laura Bell? You want to go out with me?

[38:24] Rhiannon Hansen: Can we very quickly acknowledge soapfish?

[38:28] Natalie Lander: Exactly.

[38:29] Rhiannon Hansen: Ladies and gentlemen, Bernie Telsey.

[38:31] Natalie Lander: Can we quickly acknowledge the reason for the season? The reason for this entire reality show? Producer Amanda Lippetz.

[38:38] Audience: Yay!

[38:42] Natalie Lander: No! No! No, no, no. She's innocent. Come take this. She's the good one. Come take this chair next to me. I love Eric Fit. This is great. Amanda was Broadway producer, a lead Broadway producer, and then it was her concept to bring the reality show to life, and she made the entire thing happen.

[39:01] Audience: Wow.

[39:02] Audience: Yeah.

[39:03] Rhiannon Hansen: She still looks twenty and it's annoying. And when Jerry Mitchell couldn't be a judge, she was like, What about Paul Canaan, that guy in the back and that gay guy?

[39:13] Natalie Lander: Yeah, Chris didn't ask me, suggested you.

[39:16] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh, she did. Would you ask me? I remember that.

[39:22] Natalie Lander: Like we construction.

[39:25] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh. And I was like, come on, have to do that. And I remember it's where someone she said she'd reduce her because I was doing I use Broadway cruises, and my cruise coincided with the final episode. And I was like, man, I was like, I can't be the final episode. She's like, well then we have a problem.

[39:41] Natalie Lander: I like such a reducery back there. So say something though. I like I know we we we were talking about the producers and stuff, but I remember Amanda even being there, and I remember it was like when Amanda came out from behind, I was like, We're safe.

[39:59] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah. She's gonna come and step in and like make sure because you really wanted the integrity of the Broadway show too. You weren't just there for the network.

[40:11] Natalie Lander: So I also just really do remember that and feeling like any time Amanda stepped in, it was because we were gonna say we were gonna be saved in that moment.

[40:20] Rhiannon Hansen: That is so that's so funny. The spirit of the Broadway show survived the negativity.

[40:28] Natalie Lander: In large part too, and in large part too, the fact that theater is community. We're all stuck together.

[40:37] Rhiannon Hansen: Yes, we did. Like you stuck together, amazing things happened.

[40:43] Natalie Lander: Yeah, yeah. You all had that Al Woods spirit.

[40:47] Rhiannon Hansen: Well, we were a cast. Like, you know, we weren't in the musical at that point, but we became the our own Your own show, yeah. And that was really and we really, really bonded, and we really genuinely loved each other and looked out for each other.

[41:00] Tori Heinlein: Right. And then once the show's ending, you guys are all staying together. Natalie, you then went on to create your own show about your experience. Do you want to talk a little bit about that?

[41:12] Natalie Lander: Oh no, great. So a few people have seen it in the through. Oh yeah, oh my mic, sorry. Um so I wrote a so basically around the 10-year reunion mark. I we I was getting ready to come to 54 Below. We did a little 10-year reunion concert that was really fun. And I tried to get Kathy to come. You were busy, you're booked a blast. Um and I wound up finding the journal I kept from when I was on the show.

[41:40] Rhiannon Hansen: Amazing, amazing.

[41:41] Natalie Lander: I read it and I was like, oh my god, this is the dumbest thing I've ever read in my life. You know, because like I was so young, and I was so, you know, I could really actually feel myself truly trying to convince myself that I was worthy and deserving and able to do this role. And um, and I wrote so many funny things, and really, it was more about the behind the scenes things that I didn't really remember. Like I was in love with one of the cameramen.

[42:13] Rhiannon Hansen: We all were in love with Raul and so it was just the best. And but so basically I took my journal and I turned it into a woman's show. So I play myself in 2008, like I'm getting ready to come from LA to be on this new opportunity. And I use songs from the musical that I've written parody lyrics to sort of there may be a bike that comes on stage. And there's so many some clips from the show as a little fun like tidbit, but yeah, it's been fun.

[42:52] Rhiannon Hansen: That's what I'm saying. Yeah, what the hell up? I don't know. Bring it back, bring it back. Bring it back.

[43:04] Tori Heinlein: And now I have to. Oh god, it's all on video. Um I'm I imagine though, you all feel like probably that Legally Blonde has really stuck with you through the years. And do any of you have like fun moments of recollection or special memories and how this show has stuck with you and things that it's given you throughout the years?

[43:23] Autumn Hurlbert: I think my journey with Blonde has been the longest. Because I so after that, I went on tour as Margot and understudied Elle. Um I went on for Elle over 20 times.

[43:35] Rhiannon Hansen: Amazing.

[43:36] Autumn Hurlbert: So that was that was a really like the moment I remember, uh, I remember after my first show. I was gonna say first time, how are you feeling? Well, first time I was sick, I was called out. My understudy was on, okay, and then I got a call halfway through the show, and they were like, Can you put your pink curls in? And I was like, What's wrong with Sarah? Like, I thought Sarah was like my understudy, I thought she was not okay. And they're like, No, no, it's not Sarah, it's Becky, who was our L. And I was like, What? And they were like, her voice is just going. I was like, Becky doesn't lose her voice. And they were like, no, no, it's gone. And I was like, she doesn't. Like, we were more than a year in, and she had never lost her voice.

And so I her voice was gone. She did. Um, and I was like, oh my gosh, okay. So then I got my herrington pink curls, and they were like, okay, she can finish this show, but can you go on for the next show? And I was like, Yeah, he said, Do you have a voice? I was like, Yeah, my voice is there. He goes, What's wrong with you? And I said, I have a fever of 104.

[43:47] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh!

[43:47] Autumn Hurlbert: And they were like, Um, okay, cool, but you'll be fine. I was like, Yeah, let's go. So I had a quick dress I had a quick like put in for what you want. And then I look, um D B Bonds was our um Emmett, and I just looked at him before the show and I said, Hey, if I'm in the wrong spot, will you just move me? And he was like, Yeah, girl, I got you. So there were a few times, mid-show, I'd just get the strong hand on my back, and I was like, I'm moving now. And then I would go wherever he pushed me. And but I got through the whole show. I remember I got done. I am before we're holding, holding, holding, holding, holding, holding, holding, holding. I jumped, yeah, lights out. The loudest cheers. I turn around, and literally every Delta Nu is standing on top of the thing, being like, Yeah!

Because like I had waited over a year, over a year to go on. I had waited, and I like I started crying. People from the wings were cheering. Our company managers had like gotten dressed in suits and dresses and went and sat out in the audience to watch. It was incredible. It was just the most supportive moment, and like just this thing of like, I did it.

[45:37] Rhiannon Hansen: You did it.

[45:37] Autumn Hurlbert: I did it. And then we got to the end, and I remember like mid-change, like bunny costume, thermometer in my mouth, and her being like, Okay, next change, you need Tylenol. I was like, Yay, sounds great. Like grabbing some Tylenol. And then I got to the end. Quick ice bath at intermission.

[45:52] Rhiannon Hansen: Yes.

[45:52] Autumn Hurlbert: I remember coming at the end, like you put out, I came into the quick change because Elle wears her sparkle dress to come out at the end. And I remember going in, putting on the sparkle dress, looking in the mirror, and just like being like, don't cry yet, girl. But like, I did it. Like, I'm Al Woods. And like, who I'm sorry. Um I was like, I'm Al Woods. And like I remember looking at the like everyone after the show, I turned around, I was like, I did it. And like just this like spectacular moment of like, I did it, I've done it.

[46:21] Rhiannon Hansen: No, it's no easy feat.

[46:23] Autumn Hurlbert: Yeah. And it's it's really hard. Really hard. Really hard. I remember like halfway getting done with what you want, being like, oh my gosh, I thought I was gonna have to stop the show because it's so heavy. That costume is heavy. And so you're sitting there like in your arms, and you got this hat on, and I was like, choreography. But it was like I did it and got to wear the sparkle dress. And yeah, so it's like it's funny how much pink is actually still in my closet and that I wear every day. Um, but it just it was really a special thing for me.

[46:58] Rhiannon Hansen: And I'm well, one thing I love because me and Laura Bell started a nonprofit for teaching young artists and stuff, and what I love about Legally Blonde specifically is the empowerment it gives young people, obviously. But like so many years later, I go to like international thespian festivals and all this stuff, and I'll do like a kinky boots thing or another show or whatever. But can you do a Legally Blonde? I'm like, sure, if people want that, I'll do that. The last one I did in this gymnasium, 250 young people came to take a bend and snap class.

[47:25] Audience: Oh, it's amazing.

[47:26] Rhiannon Hansen: I was like, Can you all sit quickly? None of you were born when we did this show. I love you know it, and y'all need to get off TikTok, but I the the message that it gives. The people, like it's so much more powerful than Greece. Like the message of the young people. And all the girls that played Elle, all the boys that are in the show, they're like, it was the best thing of my life, and I was we're all keeping it positive. And it's just great. I love that it still exists.

[47:52] Cassie Silva: I have to say, piggybacking on that, is that my husband oh sorry, the mic, the mic, my coin this phrase because many times, like if we travel or even in my neighborhood, like musical theater people are not shy, musical theater fans, and I love it. And I have been with my kids, and someone will come up and be like, Are you on it from Legally Blonde? Oh my god! And I'm like, yes, nice to meet you. And so it just like my watching my kids be like, the what? Like, how do you? That's my mom. And so I'll never forget my son was like, it was a couple years ago, he was eight, and he was asking my husband, he was like, I don't get it. Like, she's just a mom. Like, why do people know her name? Like, does she sit her for everybody? What's happening? And so my husband goes, Well, you know, mommy is in something called musical theater. And so your mommy is niche famous.

[48:50] Audience: So now my 10-year-old runs such like we had a fundraiser for his school, and I sang for his fundraiser, and his little friends are like, Oh my gosh, your mom can sing. And he's like, Yeah, she's niche famous famous.

[49:04] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah.

[49:04] Cassie Silva: Well, with with our niche fame, our niche fame. Yeah, it's did anyone else have any fun?

[49:10] Tori Heinlein: Yeah, Cassie.

[49:11] Cassie Silva: Yeah. What am what is the question? What am I so yeah? How was how was Legally Blonde impacted your life? And obviously, you've gone on to have such a fabulous career. Do you carry the spirit of Elle Woods with you?

[49:22] Cassie Silva: Oh, absolutely. I think that it really taught me so much about uh like sisterhood in general and just like embracing. I mean, again, theater is a team sport. And you know, now I've done Six Musical, which is also, you know, all female empowerment, and Juliet also about female empowerment. Also, all very pink. Um but I do think that there is something there really is something so special. And I think Legally Blonde is one of those shows that uh it's not it's it's unfortunately not super common to see that many women standing in their power on stage. And so I do think that there is something so great that I did take away from the show. Um, just about community and positivity and uh being like a girl's girl and um and all of those good things. But yeah, it's a beautiful show. And what's funny is I've never done the show.

[50:14] Rhiannon Hansen: Yeah, which is so funny.

[50:16] Cassie Silva: Yeah, nobody had it either.

[50:19] Audience: Revive like elderly, revive.

[50:25] Rhiannon Hansen: Oh my god.

[50:28] Cassie Silva: Oh my god, I'm upset.

[50:29] Tori Heinlein: Okay, great. And on that, and on that we'll cast the whole revival this afternoon.

[50:33] Audience: Oh you guys.

[50:36] Cassie Silva: I'm obsessed.

[50:37] Rhiannon Hansen: I'm obsessed.

[50:38] Tori Heinlein: Well, thank you all so much for doing this and just for sharing your stories, and you all just are such musical theater Legally Blonde legacy icons and your resiliency throughout this all and your vulnerability. And this is really just such a it's so amazing to get this resurgence of life of the show, and you guys are all just so fabulous. And thank you all for coming to our lovely panel.

[51:06] Audience: Snaps, snaps, so we die.

[51:09] Audience: Yay, yay, for for women supporting women and go Delta Nu!

[51:13] Audience: Go Delta Nu.

[51:14] Audience: Yay!

[51:16] Audience: Thank you guys.

[51:14] Audience: Delta Nu Shut up!

[51:14] Audience: Yes!

[51:14] Audience: I love it!

[51:14] Audience: Delta Nu Nu.

[51:14] Audience: Delta Nu Nu.

[51:14] Audience: R uh Delta Nu.

[51:14] Audience: Yay!

[51:14] Audience: Yay, thank you guys!

[51:30] Audience: Okay, let's do it!

[51:32] Audience: Yay!

[51:34] Audience: Hey!

[51:35] Tori Heinlein: Thanks for listening. Make sure to like and follow this podcast wherever you are checking it out now. Go to the Museum of Broadway.com to discover more events like this one and to get tickets to the museum itself. And head over to Broadway Podcast Network.com to discover more content you didn't know you needed.