Legally Blonde FINAL PERFORMANCE

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 10:29pm

was anyone there..???

how was it???

IM DYING TO KNOW.
ANY SPECIAL JOKES OR ANY CAST MEMBERS CRYING?

[JumpJumpJumpSoHigh]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:27pm

Just got back. It was a great performance, but while everyone definitely upped it a notch, nothing particularly noteworthy happened, except Orfeh riffing the HELL out of nearly every note she sang, and Bailey crying at the end of the ballad in act 2.

I was very sad that they didn't even do a special curtain call. No director/writer/crew on stage, no speeches from anyone, nothing at all.

The audience was fantastic though -- there was entrance applause for just about everyone, a couple of mid-show standing O's, and man, the screams that Heather Hach got when she entered the theatre! Amazing!

I didn't bother even trying to stage door. It was a MADHOUSE!

~JJJ

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:31pm

I was there.

It was an AWESOME show tonight. Where to begin?

The moments before the show started, there was this roar at the back of the orchestra and people started standing up and grabbing cell phone cameras and whatnot. I wondered what celebrity had decided to show up and stood up to look around and see who it was. I couldn't really see, and then heard someone shout, "It's Reese Witherspoon!" I thought that was really odd, since it seemed strange she would pick the final performance to finally come see the show. Upon closer inspection, however, I discovered it was not Reese Witherspoon, but actually Heather Hach, the book-writer. She'd probably be thrilled to know people were mistaking her for Reese Witherspoon. Apparently, John Stamos was also there, but I didn't see him.

The show finally began, and the place was going nuts. Each of the PMS girls got huge applause when they opened their window. You could barely hear Kate Rockwell's lines it was so loud. There was more loud applause when the rest of them opened their window. Autumn got applause after her solo line. People screamed when Bruiser came out, and I think scared him half to death. It was also nice to see the smaller ensemble characters like Cara Massey and Amber Efe get entrance applause. The show stopped when Bailey came up. She was smiling and trying to stay in character, but was really appreciative of the applause. I think that was the first time she cried that night (but it would not be the last).

The show moved along, with lots of applause and whatnot. Kevin got entrance applause when he came out in the golf cart during What You Want. Bailey was having a BALL tonight during What You Want when she was working the staircase and the railing. It was hilarious. Kate Rockwell was also having more fun than normal with the LSAT for Dummies book. Aside from reading it upside down and tracing the lettering, I saw her at one point try to balance the book on her head while she was walking around.

Interestingly enough, the loudest, longest entrance applause for anyone was Orfeh, which made me REALLY happy. She did not disappoint, either. Her Ireland reprise was OUT OF THIS WORLD tonight. Those riffs were freaking amazing. The place erupted when she finished, and several people stood up. I've heard some Orfeh riffs on "that site" before, but never like this. Holy smokes.

There were a couple of cute moments during the first act. First, after Warner makes his schpiel about Mr. Lattimer and the sperm, and Callahan goes, "Now you're thinking like a lawyer," Kate Shindle goes, "Yay! A lawyer!!" Then, after Callahan asks Elle for her resume and she's walking off making that high-pitched noise, as she walked past Vivienne, she bumped her hips with butt. Kate looked ready to lose it.

So Much Better was really good. Although, you couldn't hear most of Bailey's last note because the applause was so loud.

Bailey was crying and holding back tears for most of the second act. Lots of applause for Kyle, and the girls during Bend and Snap. Sampliner was encouraging the audience to clap along during Bend and Snap.

When Bailey was singing the Legally Blonde ballad, you could see the tears just pouring down her face. It was a nice moment. During the Remix, Kate got huge applause during her solo, and there was more clapping in time during the dance section. More crazy applause when Kate hit the "money note."

Right before the finale, Kate was barely able to make it through the "William Shakespeare once wrote..." speech. Then, Orfeh riffed most of the epilogue. It was insane. People were going crazy.

People jumped up the minute the curtain came down. The curtain calls were wild, of course. There were no speeches or anything, however. They just sang the title song one last time, and waved. Many cast members seemed to be crying at that point, and they all started hugging each other after the song ended.

This show was never the greatest musical, nor the best written, but I have never had as good a time, never left the theater happier, then after seeing Legally Blonde. Yes, much of it is incredibly cheesy, but it was just such an unadulterated good time, that it didn't matter. You always left smiling, and for that, I'm sad to see it go.

I didn't stay for the stage door, which was a mob scene, so others will have to tell you about that. I did find out, however, that Richard Blake is joining the Wicked tour as Fiyero. That's what he was telling people at the stage door.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:32pm

I don't like Legally Blonde, but I HATE when shows don't do closing speeches or anything. Especially longer running shows like that.

[Parks]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:32pm

My roommate and I were there and it was a very energetic audience. I was afraid that the audience was going to be out of control--but, surprisingly, it was a very tame audience for Legally Blonde... especially the closing. I think this may have been due to a good number of audience members being people who had no idea it was the final performance.

The audience gave entrance applause to just about everyone and everything in Omigod You Guys.

Orfeh was out of control with her riffs--Ireland (reprise) and Find My Way were completely different songs. This woman really can do no wrong--she seems to always give 110%.

Bailey gave a great performance--she was ON during What You Want. The dance break looked SO good tonight (also--Whipped Into Shape looked AMAZING from where I was sitting in the middle of the orchestra. I never realized how great of a dance number that is).

Christian was good. Nothing different, really--but a very solid performance.

Kate Shindle didn't get any entrance applause (which is understandable, I suppose because her entrance isn't just her--and she kind of blends in), but she gave a great performance, as always. She was the only cast member I noticed anything really different from--in the classroom scene before the end of Act 1 when Calahan (sp) told Warner, "Now you're thinking like a lawyer!", Kate said over everyone else, "Yay! A lawyer!!" which received lots of laughs. It was sad, I couldn't even hear her last note in Legally Blonde Remix due to the audience going nuts--but rightfully so.

Richard Blake was good as Warner--but again, nothing really new. Still, a solid performance.

There was no speech at the end which was sad, but it was nice to get out of the auditorium quickly. The show went VERY quickly for a final performance (compared to title of show, which lasted... what, 45 minutes longer?)

The women in front of us hadn't seen the show before, and during intermission, turned around and asked, "So, what is the deal with this performance? Why all the cheering?" We informed them that it was the final performance of the show--and after the show, I asked them if they enjoyed it, and they said they loved it--so the avid Blonde fans didn't seem to keep the rest of the audience from enjoying/understanding the show.

Updated On: 10/19/08 at 11:32 PM

[JP2]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:33pm

It was EPIC and I stayed for the stage door and got some fantastic footage!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:47pm

Aw, so glad to hear the show was so good.

I agree with your assessment of the show, adam. It is nowhere near even being in the realm of close to perfect, but it is a hell of a lot of pure unadulterated fun.

I'll miss it.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:48pm

Oh and Richard Blake as Fiyero...it should be interesting to see him play the hero for once. Good for him.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:48pm

Jeez...
Updated On: 10/19/08 at 11:48 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:48pm

Sorry. Updated On: 10/19/08 at 11:48 PM

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:53pm

hee- Kate's totally done the "yay! a lawyer!!!" bit before, I think she might have just been extra loud with it tonight.

Orfeh- oh. my. god. No words- her Ireland (Reprise) was amazing, but then she started riffing the hell out of the graduation scene... I don't know, can you even call that riffing, or rewriting every note? :) It was amazing. *loved it*

Loved pretty much everyone getting their own entrance applause.

I was very sad that they didn't even do a special curtain call. No director/writer/crew on stage, no speeches from anyone, nothing at all.

Word. I mean I guess you don't *have to* have a speech, just because it's a closing show, but considering that I was just at the closing of [tos] this time last week, (where there was a closing speech- director, u/s brought onstage, etc.) it was so strange to have... nothing.

Stage door was a madhouse, but it was so great to hear what everyone's doing next.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:55pm

SO JEALOUS!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 11:56pm

Anakela, what is everyone doing next? The only one I heard about was Richard. We know Bailey is doing HSM, and Autumn is doing that new musical, whose name escapes me (something about a moon). What about the rest of them?

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 12:03am

Kate Shindle's last ridiculously high note in the Remix? She made it even ridiculously higher. I'm pretty sure she just went up another octave.

I had a big goofy grin on my face throughout the entire reprise of Ireland - I figured Orfeh would change that up, but that was amaaazing.

This is a little thing, but one of the highlights for me was during Serious, watching Rod Harrelson as the violin player "playing" Serious and dancing and gettin' down on his violin on the funky parts. Hysterical.

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 12:05am

Glimpses of the Moon

So happy it went out with a bang. I'm gonna miss it. Thanks for your reviews.

[PlayhouseBeauty]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 12:58am

I was also at the final performance....It was an amazing night...I won't write a review seeing as the people before me said everything I would have said and probably ten times better lol...I will say though that the stagedoor was a mob scene...Pretty much everyone came out the only ones who did not were Christian Borle and Michael Rupert...Meeting pretty much everyone was a blassed. Kevin Parrisue (sp?) had tears in his eyes the whole time he was signing. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Matthew Risch and man was he having a blast. He clapped for everyone and it was just so entertaining to watch him watch the show. In front of me was Autumn's parents and boyfriend. They were the sweetest people. Well I guess that's all I have to say...I hope everyone else who went had a great time too!!! :)

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 1:03am

That was honestly one of my favorite lasts that I have ever attended.

I was worried that the cheers would be a bit over the top and would detract from people's enjoyment of the show, but the whole audience was pretty respectful. There was a lot of entrance applause and it was really nice to see many members of the ensemble get the applause they deserve. But there was really no times when the cheering was out of control or inappropriate.

I am not the biggest fan of Bailey. I think she is cute and spunky and an excellent dancer, but I'm not a fan of her overall performance in comparison with the other Elles I've seen . That being said, she was very good tonight. I really enjoyed how much fun she had the whole performance and how genuine she was towards the end when she teared up.

Of course, in my opinion, Orfeh stole the show. She was hilarious and when she sang that Ireland reprise, I got chills. I only hope the people not present at the show get a chance to hear that and her "Find My Way" finale because it was ridiculous and amazing and the audience ate it up.

Kate Shindle going even FARTHER up the octave in her note at teh end of teh "Remix" was also jaw dropping.

The stage door, while crazy, was pretty well maintained. It seems a lesson was learned from LBB's last!

Regardless, I'm so glad I was in attendance to see off this show as it has always made me leave the theatre smiling and tOnight was no exception.

As for Richard as Fiyero...he is going to be on the first national tour (there are two - as the CHicago sit down cast is apparently going out on tour next year or something?). It's not official as his contract hasn't been signed yet, but it's pretty solid.

I'm thrilled that he finally gets to play the good guy and gets to go back to a lead role...and he will be dancing again!!

[winter_sky]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 1:22am

Didn't he play Link in Hairspray and Mark in RENT? Those are both "good guys".

[HumATune]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 1:26am

Fiyero is not a lead.

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 1:51am

Fiyero is the lead male role in "Wicked" correct?

I know the show is centered around Galinda and Elphaba, but I was merely indicating that I was happy to see him get the main male role since his last two shows have had him playing a secondary character.

winter, yes he was both Mark and Roger in "Rent" as well as Radames and Link, but his last two shows have had him playing the jerk boyfriend and I just meant I was thrilled to see him play the good guy again since I didn't get a chance to see him live in most of his bigger roles ;-P

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 2:49am

What about the rest of them?

Lindsay Nicole Chambers is going to Ohio to do All Shook Up. (Someone else is too, but right now I am totally blanking on who.) Nicolette is probably doing the Rent tour with A&A. And I got one "can neither confirm nor deny" from someone about something I'd heard, lol. Otherwise it was mostly talk about auditions and vacation plans and such.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 2:57am

Is Richard Blake ever going to play a role he doesn't look ancient for?

He's a gorgeous man, and very talented. But they keep casting him in roles he is way too old for.

[winter_sky]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 3:25am

Nicolette for Maureen on the tour? Do the producers know how poorly most people responded to her? She was so much better in LB.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 3:25am

I agree with those saying this was a wonderful, FUN show ! Nothing groundbreaking, but happy and joyous and it will be missed ! I wish all the talented cast all the best !
And about Richard Blake... He is a talented, good looking man but in my opinion, he is just...bland ! He just doesn't have the "star" quality, which is essential for a leading man ! He is great for the roles he's been playing, but I don't think he will ever be leading man material. At least that's how I felt, every time I've seen him !

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 3:29am

Beth Curry (Ensemble) will next be reprising her role of "I Do" Ida Dunn, in an industry run though of 2008 NYMF Best of Fest show Idaho! in a few weeks.

I really hope this show gets produced on a larger scale, and Beth gets to shine in a lead role.