Katherine McPhee likes her new blonde bob: ‘My hair is so happy!’

Embed from Getty Images

It’s officially summer, and in the season of sun, fun and vacations, many use the warmer months as an excuse to try out a new, shorter haircut. Take, for example, American Idol and Smash alum Katharine McPhee, who recently debuted a short blonde bob, complete with bangs.

Katherine showcased her new ‘do at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Winners’ Cocktail Reception, where she was nominated for Favorite Replacement (Female) for taking over for Sara Bareilles in the musical Waitress. Theater nerd note: Sara wrote the score for the musical, based on the 2007 movie starring Keri Russell. Katherine is up against Bernadette Peters for Hello, Dolly for this prize, so she should just rehearse the following statement now, “It was an honor just to be nominated.” Katharine recently announced that she is extending her run in the show, playing the role of Jenna through August 19.

During a red carpet chat with US Magazine, the 34-year-old singer explained why she shed her long, brunette locks, explaining,

“I just think I’m not on my TV show [Scorpion] anymore. I actually want it to be darker, I just haven’t had time to color it. You know when you’re wearing a wig eight times a week you can kind of do whatever you want. It’s kind of a fun look for summer and I felt like being a little Parisian girl for the next few weeks.”

Katherine had previously lightened her hair and took off a few inches, debuting a shorter look at the Met Ball, where she and her 68-year-old musical producer beau David Foster became “red carpet official.” The pair have been “long time friends” and finally decided to go public on a “fun date night.”

After this latest cut, Katharine is putting down the scissors, telling US, “I don’t think I’ll go shorter than this.” She then gushed, “My hair is so happy! I have a lot of hair so it makes it feel really thick and healthy.” As a slightly addicted bottle blonde, I have never heard anyone say that bleach made their hair feel healthy, but I use drug store stuff – which I’m sure she doesn’t.

As for this new ‘do, Katherine has never struck me as a blonde, even when she played Marilyn Monroe in Smash (RIP), so I’m not nuts about this on her… and don’t get me started on the bangs. But, hey, it’s a little summer fun and, as they always say, it’ll grow back, so you go live out your Parisian girl fantasy, Kat.