Omigod You Guys

[RentHead2]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 6:06pm

Okay, I admit when I am wrong so here it is. I saw Legally Blonde in previews and hated it. I mean, I thought the acting was subpar, the storyline seemed rushed, and many of the characters seemed underdeveloped. However, I bought the Legally Blonde CD and well I really really liked it so I decided to give Legally Blonde another chance.

All I can say is OMIGOD YOU GUYS. This has to be one of the tightest performances I have seen in awhile (well since Grey Gardens). The cast was on, the songs sounded great, and as for my critism of Laura Bell Bundy. Thats gone. She was absolutly fantastic. Her singing and acting were flawless. Thats just a review from someone who hated LB the first time around. So, OMIGOD YOU GUYS....check out this show.

[sarab]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 12:46am

Thanks for posting! I'm glad you liked the show! It's one of my favorites!

Posted: 8/17/07 at 12:46am

Bad time, sweetie!

I'm clearly sock puppeting - don't **** with my fun.

[paikea]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 3:46am

RentHead2, was it that they tweaked the show since you saw it in previews? And I'm assuming, as they became more familiar with their roles, the actors improved as well? I've never been to a preview, so I'm just curious about what kind of changes can happen in the few weeks before opening.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 5:16am

The score is weird like that. The first time you hear it, you think "Gee, that's it?" but by the second time you listen, you fall for it.
That happens a lot with shows I see. I take a while to warm to them...

Updated On: 8/17/07 at 05:16 AM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 9:38am

The same thing happened for me with Spring Awakening. I enjoyed it both times, but loved it even more the second time I saw it. The first time I was really tired and bored by some of the music (which has now grown on me).

[RentHead2]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 10:15am

Well, I typically see shows in previews. And the only thing that brought me back to the show was the catchy cd. I listened to it all the time. So, I figured that it was worth another shot.

The show has really gained some backbone. The characters seem more developed and the actors are very much at ease with the material. I actually really liked Laura Bell Bundy this time around. She was really excellent and established a presence as Elle Woods, not just a blonde on-stage. It was actually really impressive. This show was packed too, and the audience was eating the material up. Now, don't get me wrong....there are some very weak songs: Chip on my shoulder, Blood in the water, Legally Blonde. But mostly I loved it. Especially, So Much Beter and Whipped Into Shape.

What's weird is on Wednesday and Tuesday, I had tickets to Spring Awakening, Rent, and Legally Blonde. I would take Legally Blonde any day of the week over the other two I saw. For some reason Spring Awakening was a very weak performance on Tuesday. The voices and harmonys seemed really off.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 10:23am

It's weird. I hate seeing shows in previews. I have to see the finished product.

glad you like it the second time.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 10:54am

Hi Renthead. No apology necessary! You commented on what you saw then. Granted, in previews, people are settling in, they're not in thr groove yet, but your comments at the time were valid based on your experience at the time. Fair enough, don't beat yourself up :)

It's great to hear that you got to see the process and the show's evolution in action though. Even better that you liked the show. The cast album shocked me. Prior to hearing it, my only interest in the show was how big the dogs' roles were (That's not a cheap shot at the talent! I'm in my fifth rewrite of a musical with dogs in it, so call it amateur curiosity). The score shocked me in a good way, and convinced me to open my wallet and buy tickets.

That's the cool thing about theatre, the potential to improve is always there. (References to Lance Bass aside, and even he may grow into the role. Damn, the pig that just flew past my window was wearing my sunglasses!)

[Pippin]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 11:29am

I also enjoy the cd alot better than seeing it live, I don't know why, it is just a very well produced cd. Maybe if I went back now knowing the songs and the overall vibe of the piece, I may enjoy it.

[don logan]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 12:13pm

Hey renthead: Mad props to you for changing your opinion. I don't see that often(or at all) on these boards. I'm glad you liked LB, I think it's a great show that gets unfairly trashed by critics and theatre snobs.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:37pm

Steven Suskin on Playbill wrote an interesting article about how the critics missed this one. I think they were just tired at the end of the season. And the snobs were so obsessed with Grey Gardens they went into BLONDE hating it before they saw it. In the end all of that doesn't matter, because it seems like the shows that last are those that are word-of-mouth, like BLONDE and SA.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:41pm

So you have to be a Grey Gardens-obsessed snob in order to not like Legally Blonde?

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:49pm

So you have to be a Grey Gardens-obsessed snob in order to not like Legally Blonde?

I like Grey Gardens and Blonde...however, what about this one: I like Blonde, but I did NOT like Wedding Singer (according to some people Blonde fans are all just ex-Wedding Singer fans, and *that* is one I just don't get.)

[RentHead2]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:50pm

Well here's the thing about Legally Blonde: When I saw it, it was towards the end of previews. I thought it was lowsy. I hated the majority of the songs and I was telling my friend they were forgettable and I was mad that Laura Bell Bundy didn't establish the L Woods presence.

The show is really on track now. The songs (majority of them) are flowing better. I mean the audience is really into it and this show and the mass production seemed to echo Wicked. But it's really hard to explain, after the show was done...I kind of wanted to trade my Rent tickets in and see it again. I mean Legally Blonde isn't going to change the world, and it might not make you cry but I'll be damned if I didn't have a smile on my face from start to finish. Very cute! I think it's time for more people to take a double look at this show.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 7:13pm

Glad you liked it it's a hell of a lot of fun.

I think even though it did get a lot of good reviews i think critics largely over looked this show and dismissed it

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 7:20pm

I'm glad you liked it the second time around, RentHead

I'm kind of in the same boat- I thought the show was pretty mediocre when I saw it back in May, I was just kind of bored and it was just kind of annoying.

But that cd does work wonders, and I've been listening to it and its very addicting, and I mean, for me, the material just kind of grows on you. So yeah, I'm going to see it a 2nd time next weekend, if not only just to see Laura Bell, but also to see how I like it the 2nd time around :)

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 10:08pm

Anakela: Me too! And you know what's funny? I was really excited for TWS, and dreading LB.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 10:18pm

Weird that you called "Chip on my Shoulder" and "Legally Blonde" weak. I think they are among the strongest. Now, "Blood in the Water" is dreary and could be cut easily and "The Harvard Variations" is skippable.

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 10:29pm

Spork, too funny- me too! I was so looking forward to Wedding Singer- I liked the movie, I love the 80s, it'll be fun, right? And then once I was there? Contemplated leaving during intermission. Kid you not. And I don't leave during intermission- hell, I stayed for all of Lestat. :)

Saw it once again before it closed, with some friends who loved loved loved it, and I still just wasn't feeling it. Everyone onstage was great, I had no issues with performances or anything, but there was something in it that just didn't pull me in...

Versus Legally Blonde, on the other hand- the first time I heard "Legally Blonde: The Musical," I laughed. And not in a good way. :) But then I heard that Orfeh and Kritzer were doing it (I *loved* me some Trailer Park Musical, loved!), and then I started liking things I was hearing from out of SF, etc. and it slowly started growing on me until you get to now, where I've seen it pretty much once a month since previews.

[little_sally]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 11:02pm

I agree with americanboy99. I think "Chip On Your Shoulder" and "Legally Blonde" are two of the best songs in the show. But then again, I don't like much of the score.