Legally Blonde coming to Sydney

Sydney has secured the Australian premiere of the award winning Broadway musical Legally Blonde.

Producers Howard Panter and John Frost announced today the musical would open at the Capitol Theatre in mid-2012.

The production will be assisted by a grant from the NSW Government through Events NSW and the City of Sydney.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP described the production as “a major coup for Sydney”.

“We know major musical theatre and cultural events contribute significantly to local businesses as theatre goers dine before the show or have a drink afterwards, and tourists who come from interstate and overseas for the Sydney experience,” she said.

Melbourne usually stages musical openings in this country, most recently having catered to audiences for the Australian premieres of Wicked , Hairspray and Mary Poppins, and Xanadu scheduled to open there next year.

Based on the camp movie classic of the same name, Legally Blonde was created by Jerry Mitchell – the mastermind behind Hairspray.

Since its debut in 2007, Legally Blonde has garnered seven Tony Award nominations, 10 Drama Desk Award nominations and an Outer Critics’ Circle Award.

It has also been a box office smash on London’s West End.