LEGALLY BLONDE: Best Movie Musical since Hairspray — Page 4

Like you said, it's her first show being a lead, so I would just give her time to grow.

Well she's going to have to grow by opening night if she wants to get positive reviews -- not that reviews will make or break the success of this show, but for Bundy as a performer in particular.

I agree give her time and hopefully the creative team will trust her a little more.

I don't think the creative team is to blame for Bundy's reluctancy to come alive out there. It's a bit too easy to blame the creative team, in my opinion.

---

Updated On: 4/9/07 at 08:54 AM

I am going to assume that by "real big hit" in your original post you mean FINANCIALLY. When you say things like, "Michael Rupert is good but ultimately underwhelming", that Bundy is "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."
Or that "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." and that the score is, " a mixed bag, at best, as there are as many good songs as there are ****ty ones."

This hardly sounds like a "real big hit" artistically.

---

Updated On: 4/9/07 at 09:10 AM

When I think about the likability of Elle Woods, I think back to every Tracy Turnblad I've seen in HAIRSPRAY and how those girls just look so comfortable in their own bodies. It's as though they're giving a big hug to the entire audience from beginning to end. While I understand that Elle has to be a tad more serious than Tracy, what I think the two characters have in common is that behind the facade (in Tracy's case, a chubby girl; in Elle's case, a skinny blonde), they are really just down to earth, smart young women with fun personalities.

The audience needs to be *with* Elle from the moment she steps onto the stage. They need to be rooting for her and on her side from beginning to end. When Tracy Turnblad is on stage in "Good Morning, Baltimore" and the ensemble starts to come on stage and dance as she's heading to school, while I'm taking everything in I cannot take my eyes off of Tracy.

In LEGALLY BLONDE, the ensemble members take center stage (figuratively) in group numbers of which Elle is supposed to be at the center. In HAIRSPRAY, yes, we have fun with Penny when she's tagging along, and laughing at Amber and her mom, grooving with Seaweed in his moments, but our eyes always head back to Tracy, and that keeps the smile on our faces. Tracy carries the show. When the ensemble finishes their numbers in LEGALLY BLONDE, I was like, now what? Ugh, we have to go back to boring Elle? Give me some more Andy Karl, Orfeh, Leslie Kritzer, DeQuina Moore, Annaleigh Ashford (Kritzer and Ashford would have made very engaging Elles).

We're supposed to *want* to go back to Elle's storyline after the big group numbers, but right now that's where the show gets dull. Bundy just doesn't have enough of "it" to fill the stage and take hold of the audience and not let them go from the beginning to the end.

---

Updated On: 4/9/07 at 09:20 AM

Foster - I TOTALLY agree with that. BUT - I think it is the fault of the Book and the Direction, not so much Laura Bell... it's just... Elle.

HAIRSPRAY is one of the best directed musical comedies in a very long time. The tone and the path is always clear. Tracy is extremely well written. Is there a comparison?

I'm really starting to get sick and tired of all the excuses that are being made around here. Could it possibly be as simple as the FACT that Bundy does not have the charisma to pull off a big demanding role? That maybe Mitchell is not ready to direct a huge musical? That the book is frankly terrible? I'm sure Bundy is a perfectly lovely lady but that doesn't mean she is the ideal person to carry such a seemingly big musical.

Why is the FACT that the show is pretty much miscast so hard to comprehend? It's not the first time and it will not be the last. Why are people blaming Rupert for a lousy song he didn't compose? Why is Orfeh left with one of the worst endings to an already odd song? The fact that she sells it at all is a testament to her as an actress.

I don't even want to sight examples beyond the obvious, as it will no doubt turn into another debate and get ugly. But honestly, Borle as a leading man and Delta Nu's who look like they're at their 10th reunion, are not perfect casting. Did any of you take a moment to think the reason the ensemble shines as brightly as they do is *because* the lead is weak? It's a good thing the supporting characters are strong, (eg: Karl, Kritzer, Moore, Ashford) otherwise they'd be in an unsalvagable mess.

If Ms. Bundy is really sitting up, reading this board and crying herself to sleep, my advice would be to spend less time here and more on her performance. Because the former will not help.

Obviously none of this matters a bit, if the tweens' want to see this show and buy the merchandise. But it's not going to make a star out of Bundy with a Tony win over Ebersole, and go down in musical theatre history as one of the greatest musicals. It is light fluffy fare at best, and that is ok. But to make more of it is a huge mistake.

I'm the first one who said that Bundy doesn't have the charisma and that the book is terrible, fyi.

I thought that Mitchell's direction was the strongest part - he, somehow, took everything and made it work.

You also can't forget that the performance I based my thoughts on, was not only the 5th NY performance (not counting the dress), but but their first matinee, as well.

Before raking the show over the coals, think about that.

Benefit of the doubt.

Updated On: 4/9/07 at 04:27 PM

I thought LBB did an excellent job when I saw her, but I can see how she might easily become lost in the powerful ensemble on an off day. Either way, there's lots of room for her to grow into the role, which I thinks she will do. I also agree that she would benefit from better material. Elle IS the star of the show and I felt the book lost sight of that at times.

Laura Bell-said they are in the in the process of chaning stuff around. They giving her more stuff (appartlently at the gypsy show that was the biggest comment) and they might be adding in her speach at the end

And, HAIRSPRAY isn't going anywhere.

Especially considering it's doing pretty well at the box office and the movie version is coming out in the summer which should boost box office sales even more. Just because another fun bubble-gum show is opening doesn't mean another has to close.

ucrjrdude, I'm not sure what you were trying to say but to hint that LBB might be getting MORE to do is a disaster in the making. I've reserved my "review" for a later time (even though I've already seen the show 2ce) because I'm going again in the next few days, but as it stands where LBB is concerned, less is definitely more. I agree with alot of what Foster posted but like I said, I'm waiting to write my actual "review" later.

Song - did you see the show in person?

I'll take that as a "no."

You leave yourself open for it by admitting you haven't seen the shows live. There's a huge difference between seeing a video of the show and seeing it in person.

They're two completely different media - no matter how good or bad the footage you have is.

Updated On: 4/9/07 at 08:50 PM