Review: LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL - To Miss This Would Be Criminal

LEGALLY BLONDE, the musical, book by Heather Hatch, music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin premiered in 2007 in San Francisco, ran on Broadway and has toured the globe for the past nine years. The high energy musical made its debut at Georgetown's Palace Theatre on Friday, June 3rd to an highly appreciative opening night crowd. Titular blonde Elle Woods (Regan Goins) and her friends strut their signature pink stuff to the delight of all.

The 2001 surprise hit movie based on the novel by Amanda Brown, LEGALLY BLONDE starred Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge, Victor Garber and Holland Taylor. The story follows Elle and her dog Bruiser from a UCLA sorority house where she is the head 'Delta Nu', to Harvard Law School in pursuit of Warner Huntington III, the college boyfriend that dumped her. To prove to Warner she is serious wife material, Elle and her sorority sisters pull out all the stops to get her accepted to the most prestigious school in the land. When Elle arrives in Cambridge, she finds that Warner already has a new girlfriend, the coldly snobbish, Vivienne Kensington (Emily Perzan). Emmett Forrest (Rodrigo M. Zaragoza) befriends the downcast Elle and helps her transform from Malibu Barbie to serious law student. Elle also meets Paulette (Wendy Zavaleta) a downtrodden hair dresser who is in need of the positive life boost that our California blonde can provide. After being chosen to intern on a real murder trial by Professor Callahan, our heroine bonds with client Brooke Windham (Ashley Zoch) over their shared sorority sisterhood. I won't spoil the ending if you haven't seen the movie, suffice it to say that a perfect musical conclusion is in store and you won't walk away unsatisfied.

I must confess myself surprised by the material of the show itself. A musical based on a movie? That can't be very good. But this production shattered my expectations and excelled on every level. Starting with the opening number "Omigod You Guys", the show kicks off a high energy tempo that is exhilarating. Showstoppers "What You Want" complete with cheerleaders and rocking drum line "Whipped Into Shape", "Bend and Snap", and "There! Right There!" are the cherry on top of a feast of musical comedy brilliance. The entire cast makes the most of every second on stage and the action moves seamlessly from scene to scene in well oiled synchronization. Standouts include Rachel DeRouen, Katya Welch, Stephanie Salyers and Adele Simms as Elle's Greek sisters who appear throughout the show 'in her mind' to encourage Elle and perform outstanding musical numbers. Their dance skills are top notch and these girls wring every ounce of fun from their roles. Rodrigo Zaragoza as Emmet is charm itself, a perfect match for the title character. Veteran performer Wendy Zavaleta as Paulette brings her immense comedic talent into the mix and she is magnificent. Ashlee Zoch's Brooke Windham is absolutely fabulous. Her jump rope number "Whipped Into Shape" is absolutely stunning. As Vivienne, Emily Perzan is wonderful as the frosty foil to Elle's hot pursuit of Warner. Her legally blondness, Regan Goins as Elle gathers the audience in her corner from her first entrance and makes us cheer for her happily ever after. Quinton Weathers choreography is energetic, refreshing and thoroughly professional. Music direction by Clifford Butler is a treat for the senses, the onstage band is absolute perfection. Kudos to the stage crew who kept the scenes moving effortlessly and efficiently. The thoroughly adorable Bruiser, Elle's dog, stole the show every time she trotted on stage. Her trainer, Shari Heino, did an amazing job preparing the furry star for her spotlight. Bruiser is a rescue dog and available for adoption in July at bcrrt.com, if you fall in love with her, as I did, and have room for a diminutive four legged thespian, you could become Bruiser's new family. The Ensemble is dazzling, every performer impressive and spot on. The sets were well designed and painted beautifully, every piece was built for function and portability making set changes streamlined yet giving a feel for each scene. My highest praise is reserved for director David Sray who is incredibly successful in making a technical nightmare of a show flow like a sweet dream. His masterful direction is evident in so many ways and no detail has escaped his notice. The result is a laugh out loud hilarious concoction of pure delight from opening number to curtain call.

I highly recommend LEGALLY BLONDE at the Georgetown Palace Theatre as an evening filled with great performances in a well executed and extremely entertaining show.

LEGALLY BLONDE book by Heather Hatch, music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Directed by David Sray
Georgetown Palace Theatre, Georgetown, Texas
Weekends June 3 - July 3. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m

Running time: Approx 2 hours 25 minutes, with one 15 minute intermission.

Tickets: $28 - $15 georgetownpalace.com

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