Bailey Hanks Runs for Office in Vote! The Musical at FringeNYC

Bailey Hanks, who made her Broadway debut last summer as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, will headline the cast of Vote! The Musical. The new show, about a high school election, will play as part of The New York International Fringe Festival at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Deidre Goodwin (Sheila in Broadway’s recent A Chorus Line) will co-star as Ms. Fowler.

Hanks plays Muffin Pasquinelli, a popular figure in the school who runs for student council president and is torn between pleasing her parents by going to Stanford to become a lawyer and following her dreams of becoming a flight attendant.

“This role really takes me back to high school,” Hanks told Broadway.com. “Muffin and I have a good bit in common. She’s a good person and takes up for people, but she also stands her ground and does not let people walk over her, which I love! She has a little sass to her and I can respect that. And I love that she has an edge—she’s known for taking guys to the airport landing strip to make out!”

Hanks, who won the role of Elle Woods on the MTV reality show Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods, recently appeared as Sharpay Evans in the Paper Mill Playhouse staging of High School Musical. The South Carolina native’s other stage credits include Seussical, Gypsy, Hello Dolly!, The Music Man, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and Annie.

Hanks is thrilled to be a part of Vote! “The music is so catchy... I promise you will leave the theater with at least one song if not more stuck in your head! And I couldn’t ask for a better cast—everyone brings such energy and creativity to their roles.”

Playing Muffin’s competition for the student council seat are Morgan Karr as Mark and Krystal Joy Brown as Nikki. Rounding out the cast are Landon Beard (Altar Boyz) as Mike, Nina Sturtz as Trish, Tracy Weiler as Angelica, Kevin Michael Murphy as Nathan and Daniel Robinson as Brody.

Vote! The Musical features music by Steven Jamail, lyrics by Jamail and Ryann Ferguson and a book by Ferguson. The FringeNYC production is directed by Ryan J. Davis, with choreography by Broadway performer Rachelle Rak.

The musical will play at the Minetta Lane for five performances: August 14 at 7:15PM, August 15 at 2:30PM, August 16 at 8:15PM, August 23 at 3PM and August 26 at 5:30PM.