Bailey Hanks of Anderson was named the winner of MTV's reality series "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods." Hanks competed with 15 other finalists to play the lead role in one of Broadway's biggest hits.

Last Thursday, Brad and Angie Hanks of Anderson put their 20-year-old daughter on a plane for New York City where their daughter Bailey would set up permanent residence. On Friday, they loaded up Bailey’s stuff and started a trek that would take them from Anderson to NYC.

Monday, in the Big Apple and with Bailey by their side, they will watch their little girl on the small screen as one of the contestants on MTV’s newest reality series “Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods.”

Premiering at 10 p.m. Monday, “The Search for Elle Woods” takes Broadway hopefuls from nationwide auditions to New York City as 15 finalists compete to take over the role of Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde The Musical.” It was a process for Bailey that started with a Nashville audition and one she hopes will end with a dream fulfilled.

“When I first heard about ‘Legally Blonde’ on Broadway, I told my mom that was going to play that role no matter how hard I had to work for it,” Bailey said in a phone interview from New York. “I felt like that was so hard to reach, but then I heard about this show.”

Bailey’s mom, Angie Hanks, can’t keep from tearing up when she thinks about the opportunity this will give her daughter. And though she will move far away from home, it’s something she knows has to happen.

“Just being on the show is a dream come true for her and for us,” Angie said, her voice breaking a bit. “It’s not to say she’s made it, but just to see her on TV and to have others know she has the talent to make it.”

Family and friends say Elle Woods is the role Bailey was born to play. The film is one of her favorites, she loves the musical and she embodies Elle Woods in almost every way, even down to the pink Volkswagon Beetle her parents got her two years ago.

“She spotted that one day and had to have it,” said father Brad Hanks. “It was a perfect fit for her.”

Bailey won’t need the car for a while as she works to make her Broadway dreams come true. From community theater in Anderson to a musical theater major in college to New York City, things are looking good.

But the rest of us will have to watch the eight-episode stint to find out if the role of Elle Woods is her first Broadway stop.