Cabaret Scenes Theatre Review

With Hairspray and Wicked already 'tween theatre favorites, Legally Blonde - The Musical, hip-hops cheerfully into the Palace Theatre.

Heather Hach based her book on the frothy Reese Witherspoon film. Elaborate, drive-through song-and-dance numbers by director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell bolsters the story of UCLA coed, Elle Woods. Elle (Laura Bell Bundy), is as perky as pink, her "signature color." As the story begins, she is super-excited, expecting to get an engagement ring from her boyfriend, Warner (Richard H. Blake) before he leaves for Harvard Law School. Instead, he dumps her, apologizing that he needs a more "serious" spouse. He explains, "If I want to be a Senator, I need to marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn."

Elle, bless her, is not one to wallow in self-pity, and decides to follow him to Harvard Law. So what if she has been studying fashion merchandizing. With the help of her Delta Nu sorority sisters, she crams for her entrance exams and Omigod!, she passes.

Elle is off to Harvard. She packs her Chihuahua, Bruiser, and her pink outfits, but unlike at UCLA, popularity is not so easy to attain within the shark waters of Harvard. Her ex-beau has an appropriately serious new love, Vivienne (Kate Shindel). Her law professor, Michael Rupert, whose legal philosophy is to "find the blood in the water," disdains Elle, although later he hits on her. Elle, however, persists, cajoling Emmett, a nerdy teaching assistant, to help her over the humps. She finds she has a propensity for law. When she is selected to participate in a murder trial, she shows an unexpected talent.

Elle graduates valedictorian of her class, stronger, more mature and still with her own style. She vows to have her own law firm by the time she is 30. Oh, and that guy who dumped her? Says Elle, "I need a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead."

Legally Blonde - The Musical cannot be faulted for lack of energy. Jerry Mitchell moves things along at a crisp pace. As someone quipped when Elle Woods shows up at a Harvard party in a bunny costume, "You just keep going, and going, and going." The talented cast gives their all but it is just not enough. Laura Bell Bundy, blonde and ebullient, makes a believable campus cutie, yet we cannot accept her inner depth as easily as we could with Reese Witherspoon's fresh gritty undercurrent. We do not get a chance to know her, except through lackluster songs, so amplified they mask the enunciation of lyrics.

Christian Borle efficiently plays her mentor/boyfriend, morphing neatly from shapeless corduroy jackets to lightweight wool suits. Bland, yes, but likeable enough. Elle's new best friend, Paulette (Orfeh), is a local hairdresser who lives in a trailer bemoaning an ex-boyfriend who stole her bulldog, Rufus, and split. This is a far cry from Delta Nu, although the sorority spirit remains via a bouncy Greek chorus of sisters who comment on Elle's adventures. An amusing sequence has Elle teaching Paulette the UCLA cheerleading mantra — "Bend and Snap."

It is seldom that a musical comedy is burdened with too much music, but that is what's wrong with Legally Blonde - The Musical, Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin's songs are mostly tuneless and do little to move the storyline. Numerous vigorous dance numbers like Whipped Into Shape seem plugged into place like a jigsaw puzzle. The show's standout moment is in court with "There! Right There," ("Is he gay or European"). Mitchell's choreography shows a light-hearted, young wit, notable in the Riverdance theme. Also amusing has Elle teaching her new best friend, Paulette (Orfeh), the "Bend and Snap" helping her friend reel in the hottie Paulette has been lusting after.

It apparently cost over $12 million to get this show together, and the pricy glossiness shows. The look is crayon bright, effectively bordering California pastels from Boston black, with David Rockwell's generous set designs and Gregg Barnes' cheerleader-inspired costumes. A best animal performance award this year could be between Chihuahua, Bruiser (Chico) and Bulldog, Rufus (Chloe).

Even without the breezy good cheer of Hairspray and the dark complexity of Wicked, Legally Blonde - The Musical is a good bet to become the third theatre magnet for young teenage girls. But "Omigod, You Guys", forget about removing those candy wrappers before curtain time; the show so does not skimp on sweetness.Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
May 8, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Legally Blonde - The Musical Palace Theatre New York, NY
With Hairspray and Wicked already 'tween theatre favorites, Legally Blonde - The Musical, hip-hops cheerfully into the Palace Theatre. Heather Hach based her book on the frothy Reese Witherspoon film. Elaborate, drive-through song-and-dance numbers by director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell bolsters the story of UCLA coed, Elle Woods. Elle (Laura Bell Bundy), is as perky as pink, her "signature color." As the story begins, she is super-excited, expecting to get an engagement ring from her boyfriend, Warner (Richard H. Blake) before he leaves for Harvard Law School. Instead, he dumps her, apologizing that he needs a more "serious" spouse. He explains, "If I want to be a Senator, I need to marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn." Elle, bless her, is not one to wallow in self-pity, and decides to follow him to Harvard Law. So what if she has been studying fashion merchandizing. With the help of her Delta Nu sorority sisters, she crams for her entrance exams and Omigod!, she passes. Elle is off to Harvard. She packs her Chihuahua, Bruiser, and her pink outfits, but unlike at UCLA, popularity is not so easy to attain within the shark waters of Harvard. Her ex-beau has an appropriately serious new love, Vivienne (Kate Shindel). Her law professor, Michael Rupert, whose legal philosophy is to "find the blood in the water," disdains Elle, although later he hits on her. Elle, however, persists, cajoling Emmett, a nerdy teaching assistant, to help her over the humps. She finds she has a propensity for law. When she is selected to participate in a murder trial, she shows an unexpected talent. Elle graduates valedictorian of her class, stronger, more mature and still with her own style. She vows to have her own law firm by the time she is 30. Oh, and that guy who dumped her? Says Elle, "I need a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead." Legally Blonde - The Musical cannot be faulted for lack of energy. Jerry Mitchell moves things along at a crisp pace. As someone quipped when Elle Woods shows up at a Harvard party in a bunny costume, "You just keep going, and going, and going." The talented cast gives their all but it is just not enough. Laura Bell Bundy, blonde and ebullient, makes a believable campus cutie, yet we cannot accept her inner depth as easily as we could with Reese Witherspoon's fresh gritty undercurrent. We do not get a chance to know her, except through lackluster songs, so amplified they mask the enunciation of lyrics. Christian Borle efficiently plays her mentor/boyfriend, morphing neatly from shapeless corduroy jackets to lightweight wool suits. Bland, yes, but likeable enough. Elle's new best friend, Paulette (Orfeh), is a local hairdresser who lives in a trailer bemoaning an ex-boyfriend who stole her bulldog, Rufus, and split. This is a far cry from Delta Nu, although the sorority spirit remains via a bouncy Greek chorus of sisters who comment on Elle's adventures. An amusing sequence has Elle teaching Paulette the UCLA cheerleading mantra — "Bend and Snap." It is seldom that a musical comedy is burdened with too much music, but that is what's wrong with Legally Blonde - The Musical, Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin's songs are mostly tuneless and do little to move the storyline. Numerous vigorous dance numbers like Whipped Into Shape seem plugged into place like a jigsaw puzzle. The show's standout moment is in court with "There! Right There," ("Is he gay or European"). Mitchell's choreography shows a light-hearted, young wit, notable in the Riverdance theme. Also amusing has Elle teaching her new best friend, Paulette (Orfeh), the "Bend and Snap" helping her friend reel in the hottie Paulette has been lusting after. It apparently cost over $12 million to get this show together, and the pricy glossiness shows. The look is crayon bright, effectively bordering California pastels from Boston black, with David Rockwell's generous set designs and Gregg Barnes' cheerleader-inspired costumes. A best animal performance award this year could be between Chihuahua, Bruiser (Chico) and Bulldog, Rufus (Chloe). Even without the breezy good cheer of Hairspray and the dark complexity of Wicked, Legally Blonde - The Musical is a good bet to become the third theatre magnet for young teenage girls. But "Omigod, You Guys", forget about removing those candy wrappers before curtain time; the show so does not skimp on sweetness.Elizabeth Ahlfors Cabaret Scenes Elizabeth Ahlfors Cabaret Scenes May 8, 2007 www.cabaretscenes.org

Legally Blonde - The Musical

Palace Theatre New York, NY

Palace Theatre
New York, NY