Lena Hall: It was the first time I realized that you were a brand as an actor. You are the thing people want to hire. With your name comes a certain idea of what that name stands for. I remember realizing that I had to focus on what I really wanted. I started to focus on ânâ roll rock. The reality show was the beginning of the idea of myself as a packaged product rather than “I can never do anything.” Because when you`re so diverse, no one knows where to put it. Adam Paul: It wasn`t completely locked. We knew 20ish, and from this pool we had our top 15. For viewers, there is only a limited amount of footage you can show from this national search.
So we wanted to find this A Chorus Line effect. Amanda Lipitz: It`s an MTV reality show – that`s what it is. For the MTV executives who had the final cut, they certainly had a formula to follow, which we all saw at that time and saw on various shows. But she wouldn`t have been in the top 15 if she hadn`t been good. For the range of shows they had, I was really proud of the tone of The Search for Elle Woods. Heather Hach: I remember hearing one of the producers say that some of the candidates were talking about me. It was like two sides of you: your rational and irrational self. I was like a wounded child, like, “Don`t you love me?” The other part was, “I`m not the one you want to upset. It is not wise to attack the judge, the writer and the woman of the women`s empowerment show. But I was also aware at that time and thought, “Are they telling me this to make me feel more comfortable reacting negatively to them? Will I be played?â Hurlbert wasn`t the only one who felt uncomfortable. Zaks was battling bronchitis, and after her performance, she admitted that if she had been on a show, she probably would have demanded a confession that the judges were reluctant to excuse.
Natalie Lander: I think my journey should end sooner. As if it wasn`t set in stone, but I think I should be one of the first to leave. I got a lot of comments from the judges like, “We`re always surprised by you.” Then I have the feeling that when I was eliminated, it was extremely abrupt; I had won two challenges in a row, but I`m here in the casting office with Bailey, who is obviously the winner. But I think the price has been on the show since I`ve been here. Rachel Potter: What is meant for you is not lost on you. And I shouldn`t be Elle Woods. I was supposed to make my Broadway debut as Wednesday Addams. I am much more Wednesday than Her. I had this relationship with Telsey and everything. Telsey was the casting company that hired me on every show I did. I owe them everything.
Amanda Lipitz: I went to see friends who ran Revival: Ben Silverman and Howard Owens. They did The Biggest Loser. I said, “I have this idea,” and they loved it. They said, “Let`s take him with you to MTV.” They had other shows on MTV, and I knew we needed a little bit of reality TV muscle behind them. We went to introduce it to Liz Gately and Tony DiSanto [MTV`s head of development and programming], and they loved it. They brought in a great showrunner to work with me because I had never done anything like this before. The jury then announced that only two would qualify for the final, meaning that another would have to be eliminated. Hansen was the final cut, but the judges realized that his talents were better suited on another occasion and offered him the role of Margot in the musical`s upcoming national tour.
Nikki Snelson: When they told me what I was going to do on the show, I just thought it was too funny and hilarious. And I felt a little guilty. It`s not something that would normally happen during an audition, but it`s something that happens quite often on stage. We had so many synapses. Rhiannon Hansen: Laura Bell had come to cover Elle [on tour], and at one point she grabbed my hand in the show and we looked at each other. I thought, “I can`t believe this is my life. I`m holding Laura Bell Bundy`s hand and we`re on stage together. Lauren Zakrin: Being forced to pretend I knew who I was or trusted on national television was devastating – and also helped me find it. That`s the biggest lesson I`ve learned: believe in myself and not sit around thinking, “I can`t do this. I`m not good enough.
Because you are! You made it all the way and made a career out of it. I came to the show – and maybe because I was cackling like a chicken. I realize that every connection I`ve made happened because I was seen by these people at that moment. Amanda Lipitz: I asked Pottery Barn Teen to sponsor the musical. They made Elle`s dormitory. When we got the reality show, I was like, “I have something better for you. Do you want to make the loft where the girls live? Seth Rudetsky: I don`t play this game. If you`re not trying to sell tickets to a Broadway show, shut up. I have no worries when it comes to Broadway stars, movies, or anyone who keeps selling tickets. It would have been unfortunate if they had to change the keys or the choreography; This kind of thing is depressing, but I didn`t think it would happen.