#1
Posted: 4/7/07 at 7:55pm
Well, it seems like the Palace Theatre finally has a real, big hit. LEGALLY BLONDE is an entertaining and charming story of female empowerment in a male dominated world. Pink-clad Elle Woods goes to Harvard Law School to show up her ex-boyfriend. She succeeds and gets put on a trial, but of course, it's never THAT easy. Another movie musical, but, go figure, it's the best one since HAIRSPRAY. Omigod!
The fact that it's so enjoyable and crowd pleasing is thanks to the very lively production, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, mostly melodic score by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and like, really hot technical elements by David Rockwell, Gregg Barnes, and Kenneth Posner.
And another plus! The cast is, like, really good, too!
Richard H. Blake possibly has one of the most fully realized performances this season as Warner, Elle's ****ex-boyfriend. He's had the chance to hone his nastyness through the years, playing the ****boyfriend in pretty much everything he's done, so it's like, great!
Christian Borle is very cute and charming as Emmett, but I still can't get his rendition of I'm Not Dead Yet out of my head. He's not a traditional leading man and, for the first time, that casting idea succeeds.
Michael Rupert is good but ultimately underwhelming as Professor Callahan (especially when I'm sure Victor Garber is available). Kate Shindle and Nikki Snelson are delights as Vivienne and Brooke Wyndham, respectively. Natalie Joy Johnson, Leslie Kritzer (somebody please give her a lead in a show), and DeQuina Moore are scene-stealing as Enid, and 2/3 Greek choir members. Go figure, that device really does work!
Orfeh as Paulette and Andy Karl in a variety of roles win the "best in show" award. Their chemistry is natural (well, they are married!) and everyone else in the company should be taking lessons. Orfeh is powerful, as usual, and could very well be runner up to Mary Louise Wilson this Tony season.
And then there's Laura Bell Bundy....Laura Bell Bundy.
What can I say? Christine Ebersole has no reason to worry, I'll say that. Bundy's an ideal person for a producer to hire to sell a show - she sing's great, dances well, is a looker (her face is a combination of Elizabeth Hasselbeck from The View and Caroline Rhea), and has a great body, to boot. She's not a terrible actor, either, but sadly, she's the most underwhelming of the bunch. The show rests on her shoulders, but she just can't carry it the same way someone like Kristin Chenoweth (10 years ago), Tina Maddigan, or Kerry Butler could. She severely lacks the charisma needed for the role, something that the aforementioned performers ooze with.
Heather Hach's book is where the biggest problem lies. The show, as it stands now, could benefit from more dialogue - more development, more exposition. We learn nothing about the characters, we barely get to find out who the heck they are before they start singing. But the songs they sing? A lot of fun!
Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin's score is a pleasant mix of Broadway and rock. Some stick out more than others - Omigod You Guys, So Much Better, and There! Right There!, are significantly more memorable than Positive, Blood in the Water, and Harvard Variations. Incidentally, T!RT! gets the award for best new showtune of the season...a laugh riot that, of course, nobody got. I'd call it a mixed bag, at best, as there are as many good songs as there are ****ty ones.
Jerry Mitchell's staging and choreography is fun and high energy. We get exactly what we want and expect from one of the best working choreographers today.
Inevitably, LEGALLY BLONDE will be compared with THE PIRATE QUEEN. Both are about female empowerment in the male dominated world, yet LB actually succeeds. It even does Riverdance better than Pirate Queen, and PQ is actually authentic!
I had the chance to speak with Jerry Mitchell during the intermission - you can tell he's very excited. Of course, the cast was very friendly at the stage door. Leslie Kritzer told me that she's done doing Patti LuPone (Ms. Diva had the show shut down).
Overall, I can safely say that while it's not the best new musical of the season, it's certainly up there. The crowd went while, as expected. It'll definitely win Best Musical if nominated - it's a touring producer's dream come true.
The fact that it's so enjoyable and crowd pleasing is thanks to the very lively production, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, mostly melodic score by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and like, really hot technical elements by David Rockwell, Gregg Barnes, and Kenneth Posner.
And another plus! The cast is, like, really good, too!
Richard H. Blake possibly has one of the most fully realized performances this season as Warner, Elle's ****ex-boyfriend. He's had the chance to hone his nastyness through the years, playing the ****boyfriend in pretty much everything he's done, so it's like, great!
Christian Borle is very cute and charming as Emmett, but I still can't get his rendition of I'm Not Dead Yet out of my head. He's not a traditional leading man and, for the first time, that casting idea succeeds.
Michael Rupert is good but ultimately underwhelming as Professor Callahan (especially when I'm sure Victor Garber is available). Kate Shindle and Nikki Snelson are delights as Vivienne and Brooke Wyndham, respectively. Natalie Joy Johnson, Leslie Kritzer (somebody please give her a lead in a show), and DeQuina Moore are scene-stealing as Enid, and 2/3 Greek choir members. Go figure, that device really does work!
Orfeh as Paulette and Andy Karl in a variety of roles win the "best in show" award. Their chemistry is natural (well, they are married!) and everyone else in the company should be taking lessons. Orfeh is powerful, as usual, and could very well be runner up to Mary Louise Wilson this Tony season.
And then there's Laura Bell Bundy....Laura Bell Bundy.
What can I say? Christine Ebersole has no reason to worry, I'll say that. Bundy's an ideal person for a producer to hire to sell a show - she sing's great, dances well, is a looker (her face is a combination of Elizabeth Hasselbeck from The View and Caroline Rhea), and has a great body, to boot. She's not a terrible actor, either, but sadly, she's the most underwhelming of the bunch. The show rests on her shoulders, but she just can't carry it the same way someone like Kristin Chenoweth (10 years ago), Tina Maddigan, or Kerry Butler could. She severely lacks the charisma needed for the role, something that the aforementioned performers ooze with.
Heather Hach's book is where the biggest problem lies. The show, as it stands now, could benefit from more dialogue - more development, more exposition. We learn nothing about the characters, we barely get to find out who the heck they are before they start singing. But the songs they sing? A lot of fun!
Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin's score is a pleasant mix of Broadway and rock. Some stick out more than others - Omigod You Guys, So Much Better, and There! Right There!, are significantly more memorable than Positive, Blood in the Water, and Harvard Variations. Incidentally, T!RT! gets the award for best new showtune of the season...a laugh riot that, of course, nobody got. I'd call it a mixed bag, at best, as there are as many good songs as there are ****ty ones.
Jerry Mitchell's staging and choreography is fun and high energy. We get exactly what we want and expect from one of the best working choreographers today.
Inevitably, LEGALLY BLONDE will be compared with THE PIRATE QUEEN. Both are about female empowerment in the male dominated world, yet LB actually succeeds. It even does Riverdance better than Pirate Queen, and PQ is actually authentic!
I had the chance to speak with Jerry Mitchell during the intermission - you can tell he's very excited. Of course, the cast was very friendly at the stage door. Leslie Kritzer told me that she's done doing Patti LuPone (Ms. Diva had the show shut down).
Overall, I can safely say that while it's not the best new musical of the season, it's certainly up there. The crowd went while, as expected. It'll definitely win Best Musical if nominated - it's a touring producer's dream come true.
Updated On: 4/7/07 at 07:55 PM
