Legally Blonde The Musical London looks set to be a big camp hit

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 8:50am

The reviews are in for the UK production of Legally Blonde The Musical and so far with the exception of 1 all the reviews seem to be very positive with a couple leaning towards rave. Sheridan Smith has walked away with incredible reviews (far better than Miss Bundy get). Check out the West End board for the review thread.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 9:13am

Jeez. That review from The Mail is downright nasty and uncalled for. The fact that he was indeed so heinous shows that he completely missed the mark on what this show is. I can understand not liking it, but the venom of that review is a whole 'nother story.

Good for this production though for getting such great notices! I enjoyed the show very much over here. Silly, mindless entertainment is all it is. Sometimes you need a little bit of that here and there.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 9:42am

"The fact that he was indeed so heinous shows that he completely missed the mark on what this show is."

A piece of sh*t?

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 1:34pm

Glad to hear the West End loves Legally Blonde! lol. They posted a highlights montage and the set looks great, but the Savoy looks small... wish they had adjusted some of those sets for the tour. Either way, I love this show! haha.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 4:34pm

Sarah Earnshaw (Whoops) Caroline Keiff certainly does NOT have the voice for Vivienne.

I'm glad to see the return of the sorority house though...
Updated On: 1/14/10 at 04:34 PM

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 4:55pm

UK Reviews

Times - Positive
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article6986724.ece

The Gaurdian - 3 stars, positive
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/jan/14/legally-blonde-musical-theatre-review

The Independent 4 stars - positive to rave
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/first-night-legally-blonde-savoy-theatre-london-1867256.html

The Mail - Negative (and very bitchy)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/reviews/article-1243039/A-squirt-interval-vino-frivolity-inLegally-Blonde-easy-take.html

Whats on Stage - mixed
http://www.whatsonstage.com/reviews/theatre/london/E8831263392505/Legally+Blonde.html

Variety (Los Angeles) is a rave

Metro - Positive
http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/808956-legally-blonde-is-one-elle-of-a-sassy-delight

Globe and Mail Positive
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/legally-blonde-in-london-infectious-fun/article1429951/

The Evening Standard - Positive
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/review-23795061-sassy-sheridan-gets-a-big-kick-out-of-legally-blonde.do

The Sun - Rave
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/music/2808044/Caught-Live-Legally-Blonde.html

The Telegraph - Positive
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/6982396/Legally-Blonde-The-Musical-at-the-Savoy-Theatre-review.html

The Stage - Pretty much a Rave
http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/26923/legally-blonde

Wall Street Journal - Positive to rave
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126348850204028847.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

The Financial Times - Mixed to Negative
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/3bbf2f7e-012f-11df-8c54-00144feabdc0.html

London1st - Positive
http://londonist.com/2010/01/theatre_review_legally_blonde_savoy.php

Jewish Chronicle - Positive to Rave
http://www.thejc.com/arts/theatre-reviews/26018/review-legally-blonde

London Theatre Guide - Positive
http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/reviews/legallyblonde2010.htm

Not a bad night really, they must be thrlled

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 6:49pm

"Caroline Keiff certainly does NOT have the voice for Vivienne.
I'm glad to see the return of the sorority house though..."

I would think that too from watching the montage. However she was much stronger all the times I saw the show.

Also the "Back the hell out of her way" I have no idea whos singing it. It definitely doesn't sound like Suzie Mcadam.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:05pm

Also the "Back the hell out of her way" I have no idea whos singing it. It definitely doesn't sound like Suzie Mcadam.

That was off too. Enid is a stereotype lesbian, but she sounded like a tiny mouse.

I would think that too from watching the montage. However she was much stronger all the times I saw the show.

Well from the thing I have she doesn't sound any stronger.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:07pm

"That was off too. Enid is a stereotype lesbian, but she sounded like a tiny mouse."

Ye it sounds really off to me too, although the thing you have will probably show that it is usually alot stronger.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:13pm

It definitely sounds MUCH better on my thing. Caroline stills sounds bad & has a very irritating speaking voice.

Since you seem on the up & up of LB in London, do you know WHY Ireland was completely rewritten? Updated On: 1/14/10 at 07:13 PM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:14pm

A great score and a lot of fun that was absurdly bashed on Broadway by the arrogant, clueless critics who seem to take joy in killing anything truly fun (which LB is) and/or anything truly original (which LB isn't).

I'd take 100 LBs over another WICKED, thank you very much. Why O'Keefe isn't doing TAF I'll never understand...

P

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:52pm

I said when this 1st opened in NY that it would do far better in London. We love this camp fluff kinda stuff and i happen to think that LB is one hell of a show for its kind. Im glad our UK critics have given it the seal of approval. This could run a long time in the UK. To be fair though 80 percent of its NY Reviews were actually pretty good.
And i would also take this over Wicked anyday

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 8:53pm

Just saying, I said this would be a hit in London months ago... and everybody laughed.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 1/14/10 at 9:28pm

"Seal of approval"?

"Preposterous" - Benedict Nightingale, The Times
"Ridiculous and infantile" - Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph
"The plot is pap, the musical unmemorable, the dancing often hefty except for one routine with skipping ropes...Shortly before the grand finale we are given a Shakespeare quotation about 'to thine own self be true'. Wow. That's original. I wonder what Hamlet would have made of Legally Blonde. Probably would have stabbed himself shortly before half time." - Quentin Letts, The Daily Mail
"Little more than a nonsensical fairytale" - Michael Billington, The Guardian

Again I ask..."seal of approval"? To who? The idiot factory?

[bubbleblonde]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:12am

I didn't like Caroline's singing voice when I saw the show. Very nasal, whiney and weak. I couldn't hear her final note in the LB Remix. The actress playing Enid was great though, her voice was very strong. I don't think that's her in the video.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 3:24am

He smiles smugly.....

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 7:53am

gvendo2005

You could also pick the 20 fantastic comments they got from each critic
The story is silly, the story of the novel and the movie was aswell. The music i like, as do many others so i can't agree with that. The show is little more than a nonsense fairytale, it basks in that. Its a camp fun night which all the critics agree on except the Daily Mail. And if you were from the UK you would know why the one Negative review they got from the Daily Mail is not a suprise.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 9:21am

"Since you seem on the up & up of LB in London, do you know WHY Ireland was completely rewritten?"

Jerry Mitchell mentioned in a talkback from the WOS outing that they didn't want to talk of "shooting people in the knees". It's avaliable to listen to on the website.

The new lyrics go down great though!

[CrazierThanYou]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 10:35am

Pro shot vid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0bXW_NlWck


interesting how they sorta combined the broadway sets with the tours simplicity.

Updated On: 1/15/10 at 10:35 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 11:28am

Again I ask..."seal of approval"? To who? The idiot factory?

It helps to read the entire review.

With the exception of the Mail review, which was clearly a pan, here are some of gvendo's cherry-picked quotes put into context:

The Times (four stars): "What redeems this flamboyantly preposterous show — though why must a Broadway musical be anything else? — is that its tongue stays permanently in its cheek."

The Telegraph (four stars): "But the theatre has worked a strange alchemy. The stage show has its tongue in its cheek throughout, it knows it is ridiculous and infantile, and celebrates the fact with knowing wit."

The Guardian (three stars): "I can only report that the ­predominantly female audience with whom I saw the show seemed to be ­having a whale of a time and did not give a damn about the fact that the musical is little more than a nonsensical fairytale." And he's right, but most musicals are precisely that, especially the romantic comedies. In the second paragraph, the reviewer qualified your quote, found at the end of the review, with: "But, for all its absurdity, I found this Broadway musical infinitely more enjoyable than the 2001 Hollywood movie on which it is based." He then goes to point out the silliness and weaknesses he observed in the book and score and follows up with: "That's unintentionally absurd. But where the musical succeeds is in heightening the story's comedy."

Whether you personally like the show or not, positive reviews are by definition stamps of approval from the critics who write them. Posting choice negative words out of context doesn't change the rest of the review no matter how much you try to manipulate it.

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 11:34am

haha i love you mister matt

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 11:37am

Opening night video with stars reactions etc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW2xRV52cMs

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:01pm

The rapturous response given the show by the audience (there's a fab video on youtube) is heartwarming. I'm so happy for all involved.

[Zinone]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:15pm

"Jerry Mitchell mentioned in a talkback from the WOS outing that they didn't want to talk of "shooting people in the knees". It's avaliable to listen to on the website."

Can't quite work our if you mean the LB website, this website or the WOS site! Would love to hear that talkback.

[peachesr]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:28pm

It's on WOS, very funny!