First of all, I enjoyed this national touring company production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” way more than I expected to. It is yet another musical adapted from a youth-oriented hit movie, and I expected this paper-thin story to shred under the weight of sustaining a whole piece of musical theater. Instead, the sheer energy, style and weightless fun of the story (book by Heather Hach) was perfect for the razzle-dazzle production numbers, smart and unforced music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and bright-eyed, utterly endearing performances by an excellent cast. It was kind of a reminder that a musical doesn't really have to be about anything but whatever it takes to keep the music afloat.
In this case, it's the story of Elle, a gorgeous, totally contemporary Malibu blonde who goes to Harvard Law School to try and win back her awesome (but not really) boyfriend and in the process discovers that she is smart, ingenuous, substantial and worthy of a much better person than that upper-crust slice of Wonderbread, Warner (Jeff McLean). Fortunately, the decent and much more substantial Emmett (in a charming and unpretentious performance by D.B. Bonds) is waiting for her to finally realize that she has been waiting for him. In the meantime she must earn her place among her ambitious and over-achieving fellow students, win the respect of a pompous and lecherous Professor Callahan (Michael Rupert) and save exercise goddess Brooke (Coleen Sexton) from a murder charge. With the help of her loyal California gal-pals and a hairstylist and terrific friend named Paulette (Tiffany Engen) it turns out that it's all good. Omigod, it's so much fun!
Major props to Becky Gulsvig who gives Elle Woods all the vivacity and theatrical sparkle this show could ever ask for. Although I thought the sound system was rather sharp, especially in the early part of the show, Ms. Gulsvig's voice was terrific and, most importantly, she was always the driving force behind everything that happened on stage and the centrifugal center for all the other characters. It's a star role and this young woman certainly fulfills it. Also outstanding was the performance of Natalie Joy Johnson, who gave Paulette a sympathetic decency that was as ordinary and well-constructed as a Sears catalog dress, just right amid all these designer-label trendies.
The physical production was first-rate, with handsome and stylish scenic design (balancing boutique and board room) by David Rockwell, a panoply of pink costumes by Gregg Barnes and warm, enticing lighting by Ken Posner and Paul Miller. Jerry Mitchell never has a false step in the direction and choreography, keeping the story clear and fast-moving, the characters distinct and well differentiated and the dance exciting and imaginative.
So, if you're just looking for, like, a massive good time and awesomeness in all the musical stuff, and pretty people and great clothes and even adorable dogs that do tricks, “Legally Blonde” is like shopping with somebody else's no-limit credit card. And there's more pink than that, even.
PICTURED ABOVE: Elle (Becky Gulsvig, center) is a student who stands out, just a bit, among her more serious Harvard friends in the National Tour of Legally Blonde the Musical playing at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre from Feb 23-March 14, 2010
PHOTO BY: Joan Marcus
