LEGALLY BLONDE Review: InsideBayArea.com
Numbnuts
Posted by Chad on February 7th, 2007
Merry musical `Legally Blondeą dazzles and delights
3 1/2 stars Bright, shiny `Blondeą
(opened Feb. 6, 2007)
The opening number from Legally Blonde, The Musical is, like, really
catchy.
So much so that the refrain, łOh. My.God. Omigod, you guys,ąą bores
into your brain and refuses to exit in a timely manner.
It helps that the song accompanies one of the liveliest opening
sequences seen on a musical theater stage in quite a while. With
expectations riding high, Legally Blonde shoots out of the gate like a
prize, Prada-clad stallion and races toward that elusive goal of
Broadway immortality.
That is the goal of every new musical, right? Some like Wicked or
Hairspray ‹ even achieve it, to varying degrees.
The latest entry is yet another new musical based on a movie. Unlike
last yearąs vampire stinker Lestat, this one has blood pumping in its
veins. And that blood is a bright shade of pink.
Legally Blonde, The Musical had its world premiere Tuesday at San
Franciscoąs Golden Gate Theatre, where it runs through Feb. 24 and then
re-opens at New Yorkąs Palace Theatre in April.
For a just-hatched show, this Blonde is in awfully good shape, though
(not to disparage blondes in any way) it doesnąt have a whole lot going
on in its pretty head.
And thatąs OK. Sometimes you just want a musical to shake its sparkles
at you and make you smile. Rather than feel guilty about that, if the
musical is crafted with a degree of skill and intelligence, you can sit
back and enjoy.
Thatąs the kind of show Legallly Blonde is.
Except for that opening song and the title tune, the score by the
husband-and-wife team of Laurence OąKeefe and Nell Benjamin treads the
line of pleasant if unremarkable pop and disco with hints of R&B. There
are cute numbers, like łBend and Snap'ą and łTake It Like a Man'ą (an
ode to shopping, naturally), but the songs just donąt soar.
Heather Hachąs book attempts to make characters more interesting than
they were in the 2001 movie, which, frankly, isnąt much of a challenge.
Reese Witherspoon was adorable, but the pleasures of the movie donąt go
very deep.
Our heroine, SoCal sorority president Elle Woods (Laura Bell Bundy),
has the kind of confidence you donąt often see in a protagonist. We
catch her at a weak moment: her chiseled boyfriend Warner Huntington
III (Richard H. Blake) has just dumped her because a man with his
political games needs łless of a Marilyn, more of a Jackie.ąą
Warnerąs off to Harvard Law School, and rather than be a victim, Elle
decides to follow him.
This means we get a massive production number called łWhat You Wantąą
in which Elleąs a-poppiną. She eschews the standard admissions essay in
favor of a marching band, a flag team and a stage full of people
singing her praises.
Of course the ploy works, and once sheąs admitted, she has many
important lessons to learn about being taken seriously and allowing her
considerable intellect to compete with her golden locks and designer
wardrobe (vibrant costumes by Gregg Barnes).
The hero in all of this is Jerry Mitchell, the Tony Award-winning
choreographer who makes his Broadway directorial debut with Legally
Blonde.
What you see on stage at the Golden Gate is pure energy and heart.
Mitchell and his cast light musical theater sparks several times, but
the best number ‹ and a welcome slice of sheer musical theater delight
‹ comes in Act 2 with the unimaginatively titled łLegallly Blonde
Remix.ąą David Rockwelląs busy set goes away, Ken Posner and Paul
Millerąs lights flare up, and itąs just the cast dancing and singing up
a storm, with a whiff of łRiverdance'ą and a lot of humor.
There are disappointments ‹ like how little Michael Rupert as a cocky
law professor and Kate Shindle (Miss America 1998) as Elleąs primary
foe have to do. And the score continually promises more memorable
things than it actually delivers. Where, for instance, is Elleąs
defining, sing-it-to-the rafters number? The ballad version of łLegally
Blonde'ą doesnąt cut it. What does legally blonde mean, anyway?
And the romance between Elle and Harvard teaching assistant Emmett (the
charming Christian Borle) is still a few flames short of a blaze. Itąd
be nice if Emmett had a song that didnąt repeat the phrase łchip on
your shoulder'ą until it hurts.
But then again, there are pleasures like Bundyąs cute-as-a-button Elle,
Orfeh as sassy hairdresser Paulette and Andy Karl (Orfehąs real-life
husband) as the UPS guy who steals Pauletteąs heart and nearly steals
the show.
Though theyąre more effective as valley-talking sorority sisters than
as Elleąs only-in-her-brain Greek chorus, Annaleigh Ashford, Leslie
Kritzer and DeQuina Moore ratchet up the vivacious quotient whenever
theyąre onstage. They help rev up the feel-good, girl-power motor that
keeps the musical buzzing right along for more than 2 1/2 hours.
Legally Blonde, The Musical is a show that wants to delight our inner
teenage girl. Not everyone has an inner teenage girl, but for those of
us who do, omigod you guys, get ready to be tickled pink.
For information on Legally Blonde, The Musical, visit www.shnsf.com.