The Search for the Next Elle Woods: The Spoiler thread- Page 44

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 6:42pm

Vivienne was given nothing to do in the musical. It makes her sudden embracing of Elle very bizarre. She suddenly has a revelation at the Hair Affair? And all of a sudden loves her shoes???

They needed to give Vivienne and Elle a scene after Vivienne sees what Callahan tries to do to Elle. A sort of "woman to woman" talk where reveal their insecurities to each other. It would have made the reconciliation between them a lot more logical.

[jennamajig]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 6:45pm

Spork: I didn't know that about Warner and the original novel as I've never read it (is it worth the read?). Makes Warner so much more interesting instead of being defined simply as the ass that dumps Elle.

And yes, Vivienne is barely there in the musical. Which is even more frustrating because I think the woman playing her has a great voice and barely anytime expect "Legally Blonde Remix" to exercise it. And that song/scene still doesn't seem right being campaigned by her and not the female professor they had in the film.

[Colleenya]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 6:45pm

I just looked at the "Legally Blonde the Musical" website....Autumn is there....but Beth Curry is gone!?!

Does anyone know if she'll be back?

I hope so!

I was fortunate enough to get a backstage tour with Beth last October!

Beth's childhood friend, and my sister's good "grown-up" friend are the same person! LOL!

We toured backstage, went on stage.....Beth is a real sweetie!

Hope she's healed/healing well!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 6:47pm

Yeah, and I don't think she's mean enough at times. Heck, I actually relate more to her in the musical when she says that Elle should have done the work. Sometimes they have her really mean in the show, but then other times she's just blah. Not really a great opponent for the heroine of a show, even if it is just Legally Blonde.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 7:47pm

"The website has updated the entire cast list and bios but Autumn isn't on it."

Autumn is on it now.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:06pm

The book's biggest flaw is that it undermines the main character. Elle's transformation is unbelievable because she's framed as the stupid sorority girl who smartens up with the help of others. In the movie, Warner is much harsher on Elle. That harshness creates a contrast in which you see that Elle is smarter than he thinks. My favorite scene is actually when he tells her that “sweetie, you're not smart enough” line. However, in the musical, he appears to still have feelings for her, as in the costume scene and when he keeps calling her pooh-bear. He also sets her up as legitimately “stupid” in the costume scene because he says she gets kicked out of class every day.

Initially, I liked the idea of giving more Emmett/Elle time in the musical because he was only in a few scenes in the movie. However, by expanding their time together, Elle appears to go from one man to another; there is no independent woman here.

I also agree about Vivienne's unexplained transformation to accepting Elle. If you didn't notice her witness Elle slap Callahan, you wouldn't know that she knew the truth. I hate to go back to the movie again, but here Vivienne also helped us see more about Warner – that he was originally rejected from Harvard.

Another bad book idea was to claim a girl-power theme while making jokes about the other girls being sluts and stupid, and while stereotyping the only openly feminist character, Enid. You can't elevate one woman at the expense of other female characters; it's just contradictory.

[alex2155]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:11pm

how come that website with rehearsal pictures didn't show up for on my computer? anyone else have this problem?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:24pm

Also great points, theminutepast. The book certainly dumbs down Elle. I also agree that Warner is less harsh in the musical. In the movie, you get the sense that he's completely underestimating her and writing off her abilities just because she's hot.

jenna: Doesn't it, though? Also makes him more sympathetic. Anyway, the book is okay, but I think that the movie improved on the material. There's no love interest for Elle, which is interesting. I didn't enjoy that aspect so much because I like a little romance, even if it's just a tiny hint of it.

It's also a lot more realistic because it was actually written by a lawyer, and Elle comes across as smarter.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:31pm

Vivienne was given nothing to do in the musical. It makes her sudden embracing of Elle very bizarre. She suddenly has a revelation at the Hair Affair? And all of a sudden loves her shoes???
------------------------------------------------------

Vivienne saw through the window what Callahan did to Elle and that's why she all of a sudden gets Elle. She saw that he was trying to take advantage of her. Maybe Vivienne always liked Elle's shoes...LOL.

[jess20882]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:41pm

i went to the palace box office after work and got my ticket for tomorrow night's show!
although...according to the man at the box office, bailey is performing BOTH shows tomorrow. not sure if that's old news or not...

[James885]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:49pm

The relationship between Elle and Vivienne is very underdeveloped in the musical, which is why it's sort of always a "What The Heck?" moment when Vivienne suddenly has her revelation. In the movie, you got to see Elle and Vivienne's friendship develop and we witnessed how the two graudally became closer.

Nothing like that happens in the musical. Vivienne hates Elle's guts right up until she does not. I wish we could have had a scene/song where Elle and Vivienne got to bond.

And everything everybody said about the Elle/Emmett relationship is true. She accomplishes almost nothing in the musical by herself, which makes the line in the finale all the more laughable. I HATED the fact that Emmett was placed in the trailer scene with Dewey and Paulette. What was significant about that scene in the movie was that Elle figured out the legal solution by herself. Heather Hach had Emmett standing there, giving her hints. It totally ruined it.

Sorry if I'm ranting, but I just hate how Legally Blonde's book was handled. Hach's book is most certainly the weakest element of the show.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:52pm

Don't worry about ranting. I'm beginning to think we should make a thread just to tear apart LB's horrible book.

[James885]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:55pm

Actually, that might not be such a bad idea SporkGoddess!

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:57pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 08:57 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:02pm

I'm glad you feel that way about the discussion. I can get carried away on this topic, so just let me know when to shut up because people are getting sick of it.

I was talking about this to someone once and he/she said that the sorority girls Greek chorus was a useless addition. When you think about it, they really had no purpose other than to advise Elle, and she didn't even take their advice, anyway. Also, it once more takes away from Elle doing things on her own.

[James885]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:10pm

I'm kind of indifferent when it comes to the Greek chorus. Clearly it's just a device to incoporate more ensemble members into the scene, as is evident in the scene leading up to Bend and Snap . Although, now that I think about it, Elle never does take their advice, which does make you question their purpose. I guess their also supposed to be Elle's personal cheerleaders maybe?

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 09:10 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:35pm

I don't mind the Greek Chorus...it gives the girls something to do, and they're not really "there," anyway.

Vivienne saw through the window what Callahan did to Elle and that's why she all of a sudden gets Elle. She saw that he was trying to take advantage of her. Maybe Vivienne always liked Elle's shoes...LOL.

Right, but my point is, she hates Elle the entire show. In fact, in the musical, she actively plots her downfall. She feels Elle doesn't belong. So...when she sees Callahan trying to kiss her through the window, that should re-enforce how she feels about Elle. It is also the perfect chance to get rid of her and validate her own opinion of her. The whole "girl power" bit that Vivienne suddenly adopts makes no sense, because, at no point during the show has she ever been about that. Why on Earth would she ever go off and join the Peace Corps?

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:42pm

Maybe she secretly liked Enid also...LOL. I dunno.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:44pm

That bothered me too! She seemed to really want to be in politics someday.

Also Emmett being a divorce lawyer when he worked for a defense lawyer. What the hell?

[theminutepast]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:20pm

A scene or song between Elle and Vivienne could have been really interesting, James885.

I know this is far-fetched, and I doubt LB will have a revival after it closes, but I still can't help but wonder, are books ever re-written during revivals?

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 10:20 PM

[theminutepast]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:23pm

Regarding Vivienne and the Peace Corps: Unless I'm wrong, a person usually joins the Peace Corps after graduating from college, not a graduate school.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:30pm

theminutepast: Yes, they have been *see: Flower Drum Song). I reaaally hope LB's book gets to be rewritten. I think the people on this board could even do a better job, personally.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:43pm

The only thing I don't like about the book is the recurring uses of "Woods comma Elle" and some of the jokes from the movie that are in the musical.

During the MTV broadcast, I kinda laughed at the movie jokes but the audience at the taping practically didn't.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:44pm

That's because all of the jokes taken from the movie were rephrased just enough to make them seem like they weren't stolen, yet also enough to make them somehow unfunny. It reminded me of when a student writes a paper and desperately rephrases things just enough so they don't have to put it in quotation marks.

It was almost magical how Hach could take the funniest lines from the movie and remove all of the humor from them just by, say, changing "orange" to "tangerine." Brava, Heather.

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 10:44 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:49pm

I remember that. I like some of the jokes Heather put in like "That man is like walking porn", "Do not tell me panchos are back in!", "Class of ot five... represent", etc.