Legally Blonde 2/16

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/17/07 at 9:24am

As usual there were some changes from the last time I saw it (it this case 2/6). I’m going to mention the important ones.

When Warner confronts Elle after Callahan has just hit on her Vivienne’s line used to be “typical”. Now it’s “shut up Warner”. This makes it clear that Vivienne is annoyed with him, instead of “typical” which could have been interpreted as her agreeing with Warner or not.

Much of the title song “Legally Blonde” has been rewritten. In the first verse Elle sings about how she’s going to leave with “what’s left of her dignity” and go home and have a laugh with her friends, and just “drive”. I like the new lyrics.

Now when Emmett comes in during the song, Elle tells him that Callahan hit on her and “made it clear” she didn’t belong. Emmett is also more ardent in his feelings for Elle, telling her that he would “miss her so” etc.

So since Emmett already knows about Callahan, he doesn’t show up at all at the Hair
Affaire. Vivienne now gets Emmett’s lines (in a revised format), and tells Elle not to abandon “her sister” Brooke and tells her they all need her there. Then it goes into the song.

I love Elle’s “No ones screws with someone Legally Blonde” or something like that line during the “Remix”.

And then in the courtroom scene, Emmett adds one word to his final line to Callahan “And I don’t have to hit on interns…Professor”. Very effective.

Also they may be getting ready to phase out of the Irish jig in “Legally Blonde Remix”. In the short scene just before Elle arrives to tell Paulette she’s leaving, Paulette asks Kyle if he believes in soul mates. He does, and says something like finding a soul mate is “magical” like “unicorns or leprechauns”. So now they’re hitting at his Irish heritage before the next song.

My thoughts are that these changes are for the better. Vivienne’s character is stronger now, and her transformation to respecting Elle more believable. The producers and creative team are taking the constructive criticism in the professional reviews to heart. Elle and Emmett also flirt with each other a tiny bit in “Take It Like A Man”, whether they realize it or not. This along with the new lyrics in Legally Blonde, make it clear that they’ve developed feeling for one another.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 2/17/07 at 9:34am

Wow, most of those choses were made between tuesday and now.
They must be working their ASSES off over there.

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/17/07 at 9:47am

YAY I'm not the only crazy west coast person up at this hour! (Sorry lol.) It must be crazy for them, rehearsing a different show than the they are actually performing and getting changes in blocking and lines constantly. I bet they cherish their Mondays.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 2/17/07 at 9:55am

Yeah, not only is it not even 7am, I'm a college student and it's Saturday. It's really quite sad.

What do you think of the changes to Take it Like a Man? I personally thnk they're the only bad changes so far. In fact, I barely notice the minor ones (your attention to detail is astounding!).

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/17/07 at 10:29am

I think they still have some work to do on this song and Elle and Emmett in general. I don’t mind Elle and Emmett’s subtle flirting, but you were right when you said in another thread that they’ve gotten rid of the “subtext”. It shouldn’t be THAT obvious at that point, that they might like each other, even if they don’t know it. That should be saved for the highly emotional scene “Legally Blonde”, but even in that scene it should be downplayed a bit so what happens at the end of the show is more a “surprise” to the audience.

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 3:11am

I hear they are in rehearsals every day basically all the time. They must be exhausted

[Julian2]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 3:23am

Glad to hear they're make good progress on tweaking the show. Here's hoping in its in great shape for NY!

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 7:40am

DO they get Mondays off? I always thought they had to get one day off a week. I'm sure they're exhausted from all the rehearsals, but I beit they're also making a lot of extra money

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 11:14am

On Rupert's blog he mentions that they rehearse everday except matinee days and Mondays, so I bet they do get Monday's off. I don't think the union would let them get away with rehearsing them everyday.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 11:40am

What was the crowd like on Friday? The theater felt almost empty on Tuesday, and I'm wondering why there's no rush or discounts. Do they feel like offering that would give the wrong impression?

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 11:45am

I find that when I go to the theater during the week, when it is not in NYC the theaters seem less crowded than usual. I heard they had very big audiences all weekend.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 11:46am

They have to give them a day off, per equity. And they can only rehearse for a certain number of hours. There are few newbies in this show, they all knew what they were getting into. Get over it.

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 12:42pm

Get over what? No one finds anything wrong with all they're doing, but we can appreciate the fact that it must be tiring.

A lot of seats on the extreme sides of the mezz and balc were empty but it was pretty full otherwise.

I was sitting next to a woman who lives New Jersey (she sold me her extra mezz ticket for the balcony price), in San Fran for a business trip. She enjoyed it and said she will see it again in New York in April.

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 12:42pm

Updated On: 2/18/07 at 12:42 PM

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 12:42pm

Updated On: 2/18/07 at 12:42 PM

[JumpJumpJumpSoHigh]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 3:18pm

HumATune -- You say they've gotten rid of the subtext... but does that mean they've gotten rid of the line "Subtext, by Calvin Klein"? That's one of my favourite lines....

~JJJ

[an87]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 3:27pm

i was there last night, and the line "Subtext by Calvin Klein" is still in. And it got a big laugh.

[an87]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 3:29pm

so pretty!

[IMG]

[HumATune]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 4:37pm

Sorry for the confusion. I meant the ACTUAL subtext. It's a little too obvious that Elle and Emmett have developed feelings for each other, IMO.