„. With its bouncy score by Laurence O`Keefe and Nell Benjamin, its book by Heather Hach, its aerobic-laden staging and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, this is a pure, old-fashioned musical spiced with a little „Is he gay or European?” Mitchell`s jump rope act „Whipped Into Shape” (dazzling played by Coleen Sexton) is a knockout, a „Riverdance” show is cleverly done, and a song called „Omigod You Guys” clearly alludes to the territory here. Regentâs Park Open Air Theater, LondonAn overhaul of the original`s gender policy, numerous Gen-Z touchpoints, and a great touch of kitsch make this musical an irresistible cocktail I haven`t seen the show in person, but it looks fantastic. I saw the footage on MTV. I have quite a few songs from the show on my I-POD. My favorite songs are Omigod You Guys, So much better, right there, the legal blonde remix, and the finale, I hope to get tickets when the same cast occurs as the MTV version. I want to see it so much! While I can`t say much about previous productions of the show, this production at Regent`s Park Open Air Theatre is certainly the boldest and most diverse to date. Not only is Elle Woods no longer naturally blonde, but she is neither white nor thin! Courtney Bowman, who describes herself as an African-European and made her breakthrough into musical theater as Anne Boleyn in Six, takes on the coveted role of the sister who has become a „serious” lawyer with a much fresher and even more confident attitude (if you could become more confident than Reese Witherspoon). In addition, several other celebrities and originally white characters have now allowed a more diverse range of actors to put themselves in last season`s Prada`s shoes. And that means not only ethnic diversity, but also the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum with one of Elle`s confidantes, Margot, and her feminist classmate Enid, played by non-binary actors Isaac Hesketh and Alžbeta Matyšáková respectively. Meanwhile, Elle`s love, Emmett (now nicknamed Forrest to fork from her name), Warner`s new friend Vivian, her beautician Paulette, and her two other friends Serena and Pilar (a new addition to the musical to make a „Greek chorus”) are played by a number of non-white actors.
I have to admit that when I heard about Legally Blonde`s treatment on Broadway, I thought, how good could a musical version of a popular Chick movie be? Then I saw the little clip of the Tony Awards. I was addicted at the time and I was addicted to the hilt. I am 53 years old and my daughter is 23. She turned to me after seeing the performance and told me it was her favorite show she had seen so far (sorry The Miz and Phantom). The songs were clever and well written and the music was energetic. The choreography was sharp and kudos to the main actors AND support for making it so funny. If you come to New York to see a Broadway show. ok ok, see Phantom or Lion King or Wicked or whatever, BUT before you leave New York, treat yourself to the best dessert money can buy, Legal Blonde the musical. „. Winner of three Touring Broadway Awards in 2009, this company is as strong as the original New York cast. The lively Becky Gulsvig (Laura Bell Bundy`s understudy on Broadway) is an adorable, bubbly, singing/dancing Elle Woods, the blonde of Malibu`s sister Barbie with a brain that is determined to win her husband back by attending Harvard Law School with him.
Natalie Joy Johnson is both endearing and hilarious as Paulette, Elle`s clumsy new beautician who, like Elle, is simply looking for love and a little respect. She and her sisters teach Paulette to be confident and use what God has given her in the breathtaking „Bend and Snap.” The audience will be inspired by watching the two friends help each other and rely on the feminine power that is at the heart of this show. Hannah Yun Chamberlain as one of Elle`s three Greek choirs, Serena, exudes great star quality, even in a supporting role, and coincidentally, being of East Asian descent is an added bonus for performance in musical theatre. On the other hand, while the cast of Isaac Hesketh as Margot was of course groundbreaking, his performance contrasted with that of Chamberlain and Grace Mouat, as they sounded croaky and bizarre while singing. I can`t remember a two-and-a-half-hour musical with such a lame replacement score with such strange lyrics – most of which were impossible to understand when sung by Becky Gulsvig (Elle Woods) and her eight Greek choristers. Gulsvig and his band sang with voices so squeaky that I couldn`t understand a word they were singing! The tearful voices were drowned out by the over-modulated orchestra, which contained too much percussion. Most pop/rock style singers (including men) had weak voices that were unable to pick up many of the spoken songs. With song titles like „Omigod You Guys,” „Blood in the Water,” „Bend and Snap,” this show serves sexism, is humiliating for women and gays, while portraying men as mere sexual stallions. Legal Blonde – The Musical, which runs until June 7 at the Oriental Theatre, could not help but please those who loved the film. As a Broadway musical, Legally Blonde is so light that it makes plush shows look like Shakespeare.
I`m a big fan of musicals and shows like Hairspray and Mama Mia are entertaining musical treats full of energy, good dances and beautiful voices. It`s valid that Broadway musicals can be pure escape stuffed animals — as long as the production elements of the show include bouncy score, cute characters, clever lyrics, and creative choreography. Unfortunately, none of these elements are present in Legally Blonde. But unlike dead musicals like „Footloose,” „Saturday Night Fever,” and „Lestat,” „Legally Blonde” never threatens to put you to sleep.