Robert Reviews "Legally Blonde" On Tour...And Isn't Happy

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 12:27am

“Legally Blonde” has always been a confectioner’s dream of a production; sugar-sweet and vivacious, smart but never full of itself. It’s quite a balance, and almost all of it is nightly placed on the shoulders of the girl playing Elle Woods. In the recently closed Broadway production, Tony nominee Laura Bell Bundy and Bailey Hanks (my earlier review of the show with Hanks can be found here: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=1&boardname=bway&thread=975339#3650161 ) did a fantastic job of twirling the gigantic show on their respective little fingers, dancing and laughing and learning all while winking and smiling knowingly at the audience.

The touring version of the show seems to be a different case, however. Most of the cast appears to be tranquilized during the entire show—not just in need of the (much too obvious product placement) Red Bull littering the stage, but a combination of the Red Bull and crushed caffeine pills injected directly into their bloodstream. The entire show seems stalled at the gate, and Becky Gulsvig’s Elle fails to center the show: she seems to be going through the motions, and therefore there is no reason for us to follow her journey from “Dreams really do come true and you never have to compromise” to “I thank you one and all, the ones who thought I’d fall, who taught me how to fail and helped me to prevail.” Why should we care if she doesn’t?

I’ll quote my original review here to summarize the story: “If you didn’t know the story of Elle Woods from the movie or the sequel or the books or the MTV broadcast or the reality show, it is as follows: Blonde loves boy. Boy wants to be JFK so he breaks up with her. Girl says ‘Hell to the no!’ and follows boy to Harvard. Girl gets chip on shoulder and realizes (gasp!) that you should not define yourself by who you are with and how you look. Lots of dancing ensues.

”If you are looking for depth in characterization (aside from the lead), shocking twists or sex on a swinging platform look elsewhere. ‘Legally Blonde’ aims to be nothing more than a sweet, funny energetic ‘you go girl!’ production where you sit through number after number, eyes aching from ingesting all the pink around you, with a stupid grin on your face.”

I suppose that “aims to be” is the operative phrase here. Because, in its current condition, it isn’t.

Right now its a just-okay diversion that soars only slightly, is played well by only part of the cast and feels more forced than any comedy ever should. Moments of comedy that flew by before seem endless, and the cast, en masse, seems to have forgotten how to land a punchline.

And, ironically, the show really should be in the best shape of its life right now. While playing in the barn called The Palace Theater, “Legally Blonde” seemed just a tad too big for its own britches. The sets were huge, and comedy tends to play better in a smaller, more intimate atmosphere. Also, one may argue that in a smaller theater the show would still be playing today—but that is another discussion entirely.

For the tour the show has been scaled back a bit. It’s still one of the biggest productions currently on the road, but the sorority house at the beginning is gone, Elle’s dorm room is barely half of its former glory and Harvard is lacking some hanging windows, among other smaller cuts. In theory, these cuts should work in the show’s favor—giving the cast more opportunity to embrace physical comedy and interact with one another. Oops.

The missing sorority house leaves the sorority sisters of Delta Nu running around the stage waving a letter like chickens with their heads cut off. It’s not pretty and the new choreography is atrocious. At one point one of the girls falls over while mentioning Titanic and the audience wonders if it is part of the dancing or if she has just given up. In a show with the fantastic “Whipped Into Shape” and “What You Want” number, the new opening is an embarrassment.

Gulsvig is an exceptionally talented actress who wowed in the role of Amber in “Hairspray,” which makes me wonder exactly why she thought it would be a good idea to perform the first act of the show with no life or spunk. If Elle is anything, she’s pretty darn spunky. But alas, her songs are lifeless and her dancing so by-the-numbers you can almost see her counting off in her head instead of embracing the steps. And as for her spoken dialogue, Gulsvig speeds through it like she is late for a hair appointment, breezing past gags and zingers before you’ve even realized they’ve come and gone. When she screams that Red Bull gives her energy in the middle of “Chip on Your Shoulder” the audience wonders if the shout was a voiceover.

And its not just her!

For the entire first act you just want to stop the show, walk onstage and shake the performers. Megan Lewis, so magnificent in “Grey Gardens”, exhibits no magnetism as Vivienne. As the de facto villain for the first act, she just sleepwalks through her barbs, and if Gulsvig’s Elle were stronger, we’d chuckle because Elle could kick Vivienne’s head in with her stilettos in one fell swoop. Ken Land seems adrift as Professor Callahan, also skipping over jokes that stopped the show on Broadway.

There are, of course, many bright spots in the cast too. D.B. Bonds shines as Emmett, making him strong and funny. He finds new jokes in the book and lyrics, and is such a presence onstage you almost wonder just what Emmett sees in Elle, because we don’t see it. The lead sorority trio of Courtney Wolfson, Rhiannon Hansen and Crystal Joy all work really hard every time they step on stage, and you can tell, particularly during their showstopper “Bend and Snap.” Many of the ensemble members bring a lot of passion and fun to their bit parts, and others need to realize that eyes are still looking at them even when they are not the center of attention, so they should not look like they have just ingested Tylenol PM. Oh! And Coleen Sexton’s Brooke gives the show the shot in the arm it needs at the top of the second act, effortlessly drawing all eyes to her almost every moment she is onstage.

In fact, after the second act gets underway the show does get better. Not so much better, but better. Is it because Elle has less of a spotlight in the second act? Perhaps. But the cast seemed energized, the dance seemed snappier and the jokes finally (finally!) began to hit their marks. Lewis makes up for her mediocre first act performance by selling the hell out of her shining moment in “Legally Blonde Remix.” And, in the middle of act two, there is one absolutely beautiful moment where Gulsvig delivers a knockout vocal rendition of “Legally Blonde,” which makes you realize why producers hired her in the first place. If only she brought that to the rest of the show…

On a side note, “Legally Blonde” has been moved from Elle’s dormroom door to the courtroom, with Emmett and Elle singing to each other instead of to a door. It works much better (yes, so much better) this way, and really drives home the emotion of the moment in a way the Broadway production missed.

Sadly, moments like that are just too few and far between. The music remains wonderfully infectious, and the book is smart at times, but its shortcomings are highlighted and underlined by the cast’s misfiring delivery. I know that “Legally Blonde” can be a fantastic show because it has been before, and certainly can be again. But right now its sugar-coated candy has gone dreadfully stale, and that is a damn shame.

Rating (out of 5): **1/2
Updated On: 11/20/08 at 12:27 AM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:05am

That's truly unfortunate to read. I've never been a fan of Becky's Elle and could never understand why people loved her so much (you can imagine my shock upon announcement of her casting on tour). Your review basically highlights everything I've ever thought about her.

Also, because the show is so poorly written and so overly bubblegum, the cast needs to be top-notch singing, dancing, and acting-wise so as to distract the audience from the major cracks. If the cast fails to do so (as you've clearly spelled out in your review), it all falls apart. And that's a shame because it's some of the most fun I've ever had in the theatre. I'm talking mindless, guilty pleasure kind of fun.

Very detailed review. Thank you! Here's to hoping regional productions breathe some life into this fun and very cute (if too pink) show.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 6:43am

Having seen Becky as Elle on Broadway (and been mystified by her popularity), I think you nailed it.

How was NJJ as Paulette? Orfeh's performance was so definitive, I'd imagine it would be hard to top her, and the only way to be successful in the role would be to completely reinvent. Neither of her understudies were very successful. Updated On: 11/20/08 at 06:43 AM

[Broadwaynut81]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 8:25am

I saw the show in Boston a couple of weeks ago. I have to say that while the show was good in itself - I have to agree that it didn't have that special flare that the Broadway production had (bear in mind my only exposure to the Broadway roduction was the MTV broadcast). It was in a word a bit lackluster.

Not to do a detailed review of the show, but I have to say that a lot of lines that could have landed laughs (and did on Broadway) didn't - I don't know if that was because of a stuck-up audience, or if the cast was a little off.

Becky Gulvig was really good musically - her voice really carried in certain parts - but I think her acting was a bit scaled down. Natalie Joy Johnson surprised me - from what I saw of her as Enid I wasn't sure she'd have the vocal prowess for Paulette - but she was really good. She, like Becky Gulsvig, played the part a little more subdued that Orfeh. Ken Land was decent, but doesn't hold a candle to Michael Rupert (he was the only one I really didn't like).

I said this in an earlier post - if you are going to go to the show, try to block out the CD, MTV broadcast, Youtube, etc. because the show won't be the same - the lines will read differently, and the songs will be sung differently. I think the reason this felt lackluster to me was because I couldn't get the MTV broadcast out of my head.

In all, the show was fun, and a total guilty pleasure, but I think I may have enjoyed it more if I had no exposure to it prior to seeing it.

[toddlisatyriem]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 10:29am

I couldn't agree more or have said it better!
I am a HUGE fan of this show mainly because of its fun factor and ability to escape you from reality and stress with bubble gum peppiness and pink positivity.

I've always thought that Becky's Elle was flat and lacked the sparkle that LBB and Bailey brought to the part.

I however don't think that the inability to land the lines or the lack of energy is coming from the audience. I've wondered if this young cast isn't partying too much on the road and not staying focused on the amount of energy that a show like this needs. Stories and pictures that have come from some of these late night parties may be taking their toll on the show itself!

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 11:19am

OK, but how were the dogs? Did any of the original canine cast stay with the show?

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 11:41am

Natalie Joy Johnson was fine as Paulette. Not as good as Orfeh, but she did try to make the role her own--and was successful to a certain extent. She certainly has them pipes, though.

Back to Gulsvig for a moment. With Hanks and early Bundy stuff, you could never even tell they were trying. They were THAT seamless and charismatic. At the end of Bundy's run you could tell that she was trying, but you forgave her because she was trying so damn hard to put on that amazing show. With Gulsvig you can tell she's not trying to do anything other than hit her marks, which is such a shame.

My problem is that Legally Blonde doesn't have to be a guilty pleasure...I felt no guilt about loving it. If I saw the show now I just wouldn't love it.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:34pm

I saw the tour in Boston and I completely disagree with the review. I agree with what the cleveland critic wrote.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:45pm

Was Megan Lewis the one who talked in the audience throughout GREY GARDENS?

He-he.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 4:30pm

Oh, and the dogs were cute as hell. I saw them being walked back to their hotel after the show.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 6:08pm

I saw the tour in Cleveland this past weekend. I was in the upper balcony.

Becky Gulsvig: I don't understand why people think Becky is lifeless. To me, she brings a genuine warmth and sass to Elle that LBB tried to hard to capture. LBB was a ditzy blonde caricature at times. Becky, on the other hand, brought intelligence and sass to the role. I hear it in her accent/drawl during "Positive," her goofy scream in "What You Want," and her choice to riff up the scale in "Legally Blonde Remix." However, when you're sitting in the upper balcony at the Palace, Becky's subtle acting choice that really make her pop as Elle just don't come across. Legally Blonde needs to play in smaller venues. My only other comment on Becky is that she seemed to be holding back on her belting like at the end of "So Much Better." I suspect it's to save her voice.

NJJ: She nailed the role of Paulette. I'm one of the people who disliked Orfeh's interpretation. Orfeh's Paulette was erratic. Of all the characters in Legally Blonde, Paulette is the most realistic; Paulette is the kind of person we would meet walking into a salon just about anywhere. I didn't even recognize Orfeh's Paulette as a real human being. What I loved about NJJ's Paulette was her crassness, her vulnerability, and her frankness. NJJ also had a better chemistry with her Kyle (Ven D...?). They came across as a couple that had just met and was still in the early stages of falling in love, whereas Orfeh and Andy Karl seemed to fall back on their real-life relationship for inspiration.

I completely agree about Megan Lewis - what a disappointment!

On a quick note, I was disappointed that they changed the choreography at the end of the "Legally Blonde Remix." After Elle enters the courtroom, she immediately walks over to Margot to drop off Bruiser. There is no dancing.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 6:12pm

My question... how is Rhiannon Henson as Margot??
I think she would be perfect for the role.. but i won't find out til next month

[theminutepast]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 6:57pm

Rhiannon was good. She brought some new things to the role, but overall she was forgettable. That may not be her fault. The role itself is forgettable.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 7:03pm

Well, not to nitpick, but I was in the third row center and the subtlety (if it was there at all) seemed more like sleepiness to me. Besides, should anyone REALLY be subtle in Legally Blonde?

Pianolin, Rhiannon is great in the throwaway role, as I said in the original review, and she overshadows Gulsvig from the beginning onward, which is not supposed to happen since she is a supporting actor. She, and the other two girls, definitely give it some pep.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 6:33pm

For the record, the house was filled to the brim with screaming, excited teenagers and confounded old people. It was an...interesting mix to be sure.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 7:12pm

Too bad you went on a night when the screamers came out. I was surprised at the audience demographics (half were over 50, half were under 25); however, I was most surprised that the under 25 crowd never once screamed. Actually, this was even the first show I have seen that did not receive a standing ovation. It was a very tame audience.