When I am wrong....about Legally Blonde in London....I admit it.

[PVDColleen]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 7:15pm

I know that I was harsh about what I saw and heard on the fundraiser television clips.

I have now "heard" several of the musical numbers.....and I think they sound damn good!

But I am still a critic....LOL!!!!

I think that Paulette hasn't found a certain "quirkiness" yet. I hope that will come. Orfeh is a tough act to follow, after all. And Vivienne seems to be struggling with the "American" accent.
Sheridan sounds great, I am happy about that.

The orchestrations sound great.

I wish I could get over there to see this!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 7:54pm

I also agree. It sounds sensational AND the UK audiences are LOVING IT! Sheridan Smith sounds exactly like Laura Bell Bundy: singing AND acting -- its creepy.

As expected, numerous States references have been changed for UK audiences.

My personal favorite: "... I'm not exactly trailer trash here -- Simon Cowell is our neighbor!"

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 8:01pm

so it's a good thing that sheridan smith is not bringing anything new to the role...?

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 8:03pm

I really, really enjoy this score. The show itself is a bit of a mess but the score is so much fun. I'll take a million LBs over MAMMA MIA. The new cast sounds good, but the OBC is near impossible to top. Glad to see it is working so well over there because I feared it would be too American in its sensibilities and humor, but it certainly sounds like it isn't at all. UK audiences may even like it more.

P

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 8:31pm

I love this show, I am conflicted if it just a guilty pleasure or a favorite but nonetheless, there are songs still stuck in my head. It is not perfect by any means but it is just fun and enjoyable. The show has so much energy and you just leave the show happy.
Updated On: 12/14/09 at 08:31 PM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 8:36pm

^ I completely agree. And I have almost blocked out the whole "LB is actually a better score than RAGTIME" debate I started and the resulting posts questioning my taste and sanity (or lack thereof).

P

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 8:49pm

Keep blocking it out P.

As I've said before... They are too different to be compared - in terms of both their purpose, style, structure, and relevance.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 8:52pm

"Relevance"? Puh-LEASE. The most pretentious argument you could possibly make. Yes, even YOU.

P

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 9:09pm

I see parallels to how Elle Woods is treated by Callaghan the way Peggy and Joan are treated on Mad Men so I question the relevance argument as nothing has quite changed. Or are you talking about Ragtime?

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 9:14pm

No, he's talking about one show (RAGTIME) having a cultural relevance and being "important" whereas the assumption is that LB is frivolous fun with no cultural weight. In other words, RAGTIME is highbrow and LB is lowbrow so RAGTIME is better just because of the chosen subject matter and its relevance to American culture. A pathetic argument, but there it is.

P

[binau]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 9:19pm

Uptown
Is looking more like
Downtown
Which is looking more like Uptown
Every day!

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 9:22pm

^ lyrics from the greatest Broadway musical since FOLLIES, LaChiusa's WILD PARTY...

... I guess this is turning into the thread for me to voice my most controversial and unpopular opinions...

P

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 10:29pm

I love LB's score, but the book is terrible. It pretty much makes me embarassed to sit through the show.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/14/09 at 10:38pm

The book's no different than the movie (except for the fact there is just Callahan shown as Harvard Law professor, Paulette's fetish for Irish men, and Warner, not Vivienne, thinks Elle slept her way to the internship), in fact I like that Elle didn't completely lose her roots with the presence of the Delta Nus as the Greek Chorus. In the movie she seemed so embarrassed that her former friends were there. My only issue was that Chutney Windham's role could have had been more humorous (or was it just that I saw a bad actress play Chutney?).

[Mark_E]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 4:35am

Whoever said Sheridan is exactly the same in vocals/acting as LBB you are completely WRONG!! Sheridans take on the role is very different. Her vocals may not be as strong but her acting is just excellent.

I saw the show once on Broadway and have already seen it 3 times in London. Chris Ellis-Stanton is GREAT in his roles! Especially as Kyle. He really gets the comedy out of it.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 5:47am

As you would expect, I'm going across the pond to see the show (yes, make all the Chris loves Legally Blonde jokes again) and I hope it's a smashing success. Those of you who reflexively bare your fangs when LB is mentioned should remember that a hit show floats many, many boats. Money flows in the business, union dues get paid and other investors can be lured in to what is, let's face it, a pretty effective machine for taking your investment and offering little-or-no return. This industry needs hits to survive and there's room for a damn fun night in the theater alongside Spring Awakening.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 9:32am

No, the movie is completely different from the musical's book. In the movie, Elle does everything on her own and doesn't come across as someone who relied on a man to get her through (Emmett). She comes across as someone who actually could succeed in law school. In the movie, Elle comes up with the common law marriage thing on her own. The jokes are better, too.

Plus the whole "Emmett being poor" thing isn't in the movie. Some people cite that as an improvement, but I think it just makes Emmett's interest in Elle more of a "oh, we were both outcasts in law school" versus seeing genuine potential in her like in the movie.

Updated On: 12/15/09 at 09:32 AM

[James885]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 9:44am

The score to Legally Blonde is serviceable but as SporkGoddess mentioned, the book is a hot mess. Heather Hach did not improve on the movie at all. It's truly ironic how Elle has a line at the end where she says "look how far I've come without anyone holding my hand" when she had Emmett leading her by the hand the entire time.

I think Elle comes across as dumber in the musical. I love how at the beginning of What You Want she says something along the lines of "Wait a minute! I know what Warner wants. Someone serious!" I wanted to shout out "No DUH!! He just spent an ENTIRE SONG telling you that and you're just now getting it?!"

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 10:14am

Right. And if Emmett was such a hot shot law student, why is he working as Callahan's lap dog instead of at some top firm??

I love how Heather Hach basically stole the jokes from the movie, only rephrased them so as to make them not funny.

Posted: 12/15/09 at 12:23pm

So let me be....legally blonde!

What the hell does that mean?

[Mark_E]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 2:23pm

"look how far I've come without anyone holding my hand"

This has been changed to

"without having to cling to your hand"....so there we go :P

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 2:28pm

So let me be....legally blonde!

What the hell does that mean?

It's artsy. Like knowing the wonder of a purple summer. Don't ask what it means, just pretend it's profound.

[frapperia]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 5:53pm

Early review: http://westendwhingers.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/review-legally-blonde-the-musical-savoy-theatre/

[PVDColleen]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 6:46pm

People!

If you are within train distance to London, and like to see a show that makes you happy....see Legally Blonde the Musical.

When I was first going to see the show on Broadway...I was planning to be un-impressed. My sister had planned a weekend for "the girls" (us....and our daughters).

I fell in love with this show....simply because it made me feel GOOD!

Just go to see it!

And....I wish I could too!

(The daughter I mentioned earlier is getting married in September, there go MY holidays for the forseeable future...)

GO to see it!

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 12/15/09 at 6:48pm

I refuse!