LEGALLY BLONDE: Best Movie Musical since Hairspray- Page 5

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:02pm

"And if its so bad watching them on that format(as so many keep saying) why do i keep getting tons of PMs asking me for copys?(which is not going to happen by the way as they are for my personal use)."

Because you OPENLY advertise the fact that you have them!

DUH.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:04pm

Doooh?

very mature

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:05pm

Anyhoo, back to Legally Blonde.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:22pm

That was kinda weird LOL...

I am kind of anxious to see what Barnes will think...he tends to enjoy good-natured shows (gave Sweet Charity 3 stars and a very favorable review...Spamalot got a four-star rave)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:53pm

It's still too early to tell.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:58pm

I am just very excited how well they have been doing ticket wise. They had a great week last week.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:59pm

They did have a good week for the first previews.

[jbdc]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 12:48am

Okay--I've been thinking a lot about this. I honest to God thought LBB was one of the best things about LB. And I think very highly of my own opinions. But everything people say on here makes sense, too.

Here's what I've been thinking...
So in terms of character--Elle is an oddball. Perfect in Malibu. Over the top and ridiculous in Harvard. Yes? Dramatically, the audience relates to her as the outsider who triumphs by beating the system on her own terms. So her terms need to stand out from the rest of the production. And Paulette's, too. Their relationship is based on their mutual status as outsiders. Problem is--everyone looks and behaves wackier than Elle and Paulette. So LBB and ORFEH have to work twice as hard to show us those relationships.

Problem: "Feel good" musicals (as we are now calling them, I guess) are way more Malibu than Harvard--over the top with lots of pink and other bright colors. Unless the main character is also fat (tracy turnblad) or green, how does she stand out? How does anyone sell mediocre material for a character that transitions from over the top to Harvard Law Valedictorian? Of course she's more fun in the first scene. Her arc makes her more serious. And the show keep going on in it's manic, crazy-fun way, as Elle becomes the responsible adult. By the end, even her pink "lawyer" outfit is no match for any of the ensemble costumes. I think the tone of the production works against the main character's journey. Throwing some earth toney J. Crew blazers in the harvard scenes doesn't really do it.

I can't believe I thought so hard about Legally Blonde.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 12:52am

"How does anyone sell mediocre material"


I personally believe Legally Blonde is above "mediocre."


And I'm distraught that you implied in that paragraph that you thought Hairspray was mediocre!

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 2:42am

Agreed B3TA07, Hairspray and legally Blonde are quite above mediocre...Although Hairspray has never been my top favorites, it is far above mediocre...And ucjrdude902, Tell LBB I think she's awesome!

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 3:55am

im seeing Legally Blonde on Wednesday!

[lindas13]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 8:54am

Only repeating things I have heard. Isn't there a strong "rumor" floating that Laura Bundy will be nominated for a TONY for her performance.? Being on stage and singing almost the entire musical?? seems a strong advantage for any performer. I have not seen it yet, this is only the word on the street... so to speak.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 10:12am

Rumors don't apply to awards, since awards are, literally, anyone's game.

There is a lot buzz surrounding her performance (created by a combination of the out-of-town reviews and Michael Riedel - who was probably basing his assumption on said reviews).

However, as I'm sure you can infer from reading this thread, lindas13, many people can't figure out how that buzz got started.

If I were a Tony nominator, personally, I'd give her the nod over Kristin Chenoweth, who did her same, usual shtick. Updated On: 4/10/07 at 10:12 AM

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 12:50pm

To answer the question about LBB-yes there has been 'buzz' and rumors surrounding her performance.
She may get nominated. Wouldn't be surprised. I don't expect her to win.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 3:00pm

....only Michael Riedel does.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 3:18pm

I do not expect her to win either but I do think she deserves the nomination.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 5:05pm

Still too close to call.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 4/10/07 at 5:08pm

Riedel stated last fall that he'd be at the Opening Night performance in San Francisco.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/11/07 at 5:00pm

Ah. My mistake.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/11/07 at 7:30pm

For all its glitz, energy, pyrotechnical dance numbers, Legally Blonde disappoints. I caught the Sunday Matinee April 8 at 2 pm.

When I saw Legally Blonde the movie, I didn't expect to like it, but Reese Witherspoon embraced her blondeness, was in on the blonde joke from the get go, was over the top blonde and when she lost her boyfriend, we realized she was a real person with real feelings and we felt for her. Such is the magic of a good director and a camera that zeroes in.

No so in the musical. The musical opens with a cutsiepie number called Omigosh with a plethora of obnoxious sef involved valley sororiety girls. After the number, Elle Woods joins the groups with dog in hand and becomes one of the insipid masses of blonde vapidness. When she loses her boyfriend, I felt nothing except good that a little pain came into the insipid woman's life. (I believe Avenue Q instructs that this is Shaudenfraude) The musicals fails here where the movie suceeds in letting us want to side with Elle Woods. That is the biggest problem with the show. You don't care about Elle Woods.

Hairspray, the musical, achieves this so much better when we zero in on Tracy Turnblatt in the opening number of the musical and we fall in love with her from moment one. Sweet Charity, the musical achieves empathy when we focus in on Charity from moment one. Not so with Legally Blonde.

Although "Ohmigosh" is a visually stunning number with unfortunately eye rolling and embarrasing lyrics, it works against the main character in the opening position of the show. I recommend they move this number until after we meet Elle Woods.
Give Elle the first moments of the show and make us fall for her.

I don't think it's Laura Bell Bundy's fault but the director and the book writer and how they set her up. Laura Bell Bundy does a decent enough job but she is missing a directorial hand. This brings us to Jerry Mitchell.

I have been a big fan of Jerry Mitchel for many years admiring his choroegraphic work on La Cage, Hairspray, Full Monty and others, but he is missing the directorial eye focussing instead (as many choreographers turned directors do) on the energetic dance number. Let's disquise mediocrity with great numbers.

Another problem with the focus of the show can be fixed very easily. There are a trio of "sorority sisters" aka "the greek chorus" which is behind Elle. Well one of them is blonde and she steals too much focus. She has a better wig than Laura Bell and she is prettier than Laura Bell. They should make this girl a red head or a brunette. They should also give that girls wig to Elle Woods as Elle's wig looks fakey and the sororiety sister simply has a better wig. It seems as if they are dead set on having a carbon copy of Reese Witherspoon's hair which looks just like that; a fake carbon copy of Reese Witherspoon's hair. (Thankfully, Laura Bell's hair or wig is much improved in Act Two)

I found the music a great disappointment as well adding very little to enhance the movie enjoyment. Thank g-d for Jerry Mitchell's choreography to camoflauge this second rate score and lyrics. Jerry Mitchell is a choreographic genius. Now, if he could just focus a little as director, he may be able to fix the proceedings.

As for the supporting cast, I think Michael Rupert as the curmudgeonly lawyer does a great job. Chistian Borle (who was so wonderful in Spamalot) is not used to best advantage as a character actor. Orfeh and Nikki Snelson are energetic and fine. All of the cast are fine performers but the major character trait is "energetic" and they lack a real director's hand.

I think Legally Blonde will please 12 -14 years olds but will dissappoint thinking adults. When a musical doesn't add or improve on the movie, and I don't care about the main character...what is the point? For all its glitz and glamour, I was legally bored.

[FosterChild]

Posted: 4/11/07 at 8:24pm

Goldenboy, while there are some things I agree with esp with regards to Bundy (however, making someone in the Greek Chorus 'uglier' is not going to help) I can't help but be a bit turned off due to the fact that you felt the need to post this exact review on three different threads.

[hiltyfied]

Posted: 4/11/07 at 8:43pm

Is the attractiveness of Laura Bell Bundy in comparison to Annaleigh Ashford an important enough subject to a) be in the review at all and b) get its own paragraph?
Updated On: 4/11/07 at 08:43 PM

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/13/07 at 4:31pm

It's not about attractiveness. It's about a supporting player pulling focus from the main character. This is a problem.

[FosterChild]

Posted: 4/13/07 at 5:55pm

You just lost all credibility Goldenboy with that last statement, never mind that there's something so stange about the fact that you keep posting this SAME review on any and every Blonde thread apropo or not. to imply that someones beauty should be covered up because the supposed star just doesn't have 'it' is ludicrous. Do you really think that by 'ugly-fying' Ashford or by taking others' performance skills down a few notches, it's going to make Bundy somehow shine more brightly? You're sadly mistaken.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/13/07 at 6:20pm

Boy, I never figured I'd see this thread resurrected.

5300 hits and counting.