Riedel weighs in on BLONDE, and Bundy vs. Ebersole?

February 9, 2007 -- SAN FRANCISCO - Just as Elle Woods shakes up the hallowed halls of Harvard Law, so, too, the big new musical about her Ivy League adventures is rat tling Broadway.

Omigod, you guys - "Legally Blonde" is a contender.

The $13 million musical about a seemingly ditzy blonde who becomes a crackerjack law student opened Tuesday to unexpected rave reviews - unexpected because, frankly, the theater industry hasn't thrilled to the prospect of yet another musical fashioned from a movie.

On the heels of "The Wedding Singer" and "High Fidelity," "Legally Blonde," which opens in New York in April, seemed more of the same, especially when stacked against "Spring Awakening," a genuinely original musical that's captured the industry's imagination.

But on the West Coast, critics and audiences have found "Legally Blonde" - bright, peppy and relentlessly pink - irresistible.

"Feminism gets a coat of bright pink paint in 'Legally Blonde,' a smart, sparkling homage to girl power," said the Contra Costa Times.

"A splashy crowd-pleaser that could prove grumble-proof" in New York, said Variety.

The San Francisco Chronicle called the show "a buoyant blend of comic invention, captivating performances, bright design and knock-'em-dead dance numbers."

"Legally Blonde" stars Laura Bell Bundy in the role made famous in the movie by Reese Witherspoon.

It must have been daunting to follow in Witherspoon's footsteps. Her performance in the film was compared to Judy Holliday's in "Born Yesterday."

But Bundy, who's played Glinda in "Wicked," has pulled it off, and could emerge as the closest thing that "Grey Gardens" star Christine Ebersole has in the way of Tony competition.

Read on...

Blonded By Delight

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Updated On: 2/9/07 at 10:03 AM

i dunno. It was a magic moment in tony history when Marisa Jaret won the tony over bernadette peters. Anyone with a brain would think that Tracy Turnblad would beat out mamma rose. (this post is DOUSED with sarcasm)

I don't take that comment as its going to be Bundy vs. Ebersole. It seems to me that Riedel is just saying Bundy will be a distant second.

Bundy now has a great chance at a nom and being distant second (and she works her ass off for it). But Ebersole wins or I revolt.
I'll also revolt if they cut "There! Right There!" It's freaking genius.

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Of course Ebersole wins. In a year with a performance like her's,
just being nominated is the honor.

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something in me said this show was gonna be good. Riedel just made me very excited

I love "There! Right There!" and lordy I hope it doesn't get cut. But I kind of agree about the Riverdance spoof -- although not for the same reasons. I think Paulette deserves the stage time, but not IN THE MIDDLE OF "Legally Blonde Remix," where so much is already happening. To my mind, they're treating her as just what Reidel said: a secondary character, whose big turnaround to happily-ever-after deserves nothing more than a few lines and a dance number in someone else's song. Considering she had her own entire song to set up the Ireland thing, she deserves at LEAST her own scene (even a small one) to discover Kyle's middle name and confess her love for the Irish to him.

That said, I was still really amused by them all striking the "Lord of the Dance" pose....

~JJJ

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Lets not turn this thread into a Bernadette vs. Marissa hijacking please - I'm so over it.

Riedel loves pretty blondes - he also championed Christina Applegate as a true threat to win the Tony. Harmless crushes - but they mean nothing.

If anything, I bet the runner up in the musical race will be Donna Murphy in LoveMusik.

If you put Bundy into the mix, who gets knocked off the bottom? Audra, Chenoweth, Murphy, or Monk?

I say Monk. The others are the clear stars of their respective shows (with the exception of Murphy, of which I'm not sure since I haven't quite seen LoveMusik...), but Monk isn't. "Curtains" is more of an ensemble piece with her playing a role with the same weight as Ziemba or Paice (maybe just slightly larger).

Sorry, no tears for Bernadette's loss, she can't sing.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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Yay for LEGALLY BLONDE.

Yay for LBB.

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Where did you hear that?

I seriously doubt it.

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