Review: 'Legally Blonde' - National Tour

  

The National Tour of Legally Blonde settled into the Buell Theater on February 2, 2010 for a 2 week run. While entertaining, it feels as if its performers have settled in and they are going through the motions a bit. And, with that said, it is still a good touring show and company.

This is a semi stripped down version of the Broadway production. Gone is the sorority house in the opening as well as other set pieces. This touring production depends more on performances. And it does deliver overall. The touring production seems to be "amped down" a bit. (Which works to its favor for the most part.) The jokes/one liners land perfectly. I have had to go back and look at the MTV broadcast a few times to catch everything and it was all there on opening night in Denver.
This cast makes the show their own. From the opening number "Oh My God You Guys", sitting on the shoulders of the Delta Nu girls, the tone was set for the evening. It was apparent that they didn't need a big set to pull us in. I must say that I felt as if they were wondering how this opening night crowd would respond. I think they got their answer early and it was a "positive" one. It seemed as though the cast settled in after they knew they had us in the palm of their hand, for the most part. But there still seemed to be a slight lack of energy/sass during the dance numbers but not enough to hinder the show. This could possibly be due to the altitude.

Let's get the some negatives out of the way. I have not been a complete fan of the choreography. It seems to be repetitive. Possibly because choreographer and Director, Jerry Mitchell , was pulling double duty. It feels as if he came up with moves that he just added on to or changed a bit. The exceptions are "Whipped Into Shape" and the "Legally Blonde-Remix" where Paulette's Irish fantasy (Played beautifully by Natalie Joy Johnson who created the role of Enid on Broadway) comes to life in a very crowd pleasing number in the second act. The number is out of the blue, fresh and fun. I was looking so forward to the character of Vivienne. As played by Megan Lewis, I did not see the change between Elle's nemesis to the girl who becomes Elle's friend. Her voice was pretty much soft spoken and did not always convey the "better than you" attitude that the character should have had during the show. However her body language was perfect. But when Ms. Lewis sang...she SANG. She banged the Legally Blonde-Remix and curtain call out of the box! And all of her comedic lines landed. I happened to see her during the curtain call at the back of the stage and she just looked unengaged. Again, this may have been just adjusting to the altitude. As mentioned, this production is a bit stripped down. Some scenes were not held in the same places they were in the original. Most notably "Legally Blonde" which now takes place in the empty court room instead of at and in Elle's dorm room. However, this ended up working well. We have Elle and Emmett face to face and we can see how they react to each other. That ended up being very nice.

With that said, this was one of the most fun and uplifting evenings I have spent at the theater. I have thought since I first saw the show that it is very smartly written and counts on its cast to deliver those punch lines. (And they come like rapid fire) With the exception of a few cases, almost every funny line was delivered and clearly heard. And trust me I have my favorite lines in this show. Two of my favorites are Vivienne's "Girls Gone Wild" and "Energizer bunny" lines. Ms. Lewis nailed them. I have heard those lines several times and I was on the floor when she delivered them. One song that I was not a big fan of that really worked for me at the opening in Denver was "Blood in the Water". Thanks to Ken Land's subtle but devious portrayal of Professor Callahan, I thoroughly enjoyed the song. Mr. Land brought a smoothness and cunningness to the part that, even if you know the story, made you gasp at that "moment" in the second act. Back to Ms. Johnson. I saw her as Enid in the original cast and never saw her as Paulette. Well, she was just wonderful! She took a part that was played with very broad strokes on Broadway and honed it down to a very lovable character. In the part of Enid, Lucia Spina seemed to have the audience on the floor every time she opened her mouth. Ven Daniel left every woman in the audience, and I am sure a lot of men, breathless as Kyle (The UPS man). He strutted onstage with his "package" and took control whenever he was onstage. You knew he was having fun, especially during the Irish/Riverdance sequence in the second act. Coleen Sexton did a nice job with Brooke Wyndham. Her voice stayed steady during that very busy second act opener and she was a riot during the courtroom scene. Kudos to her and the cast during the second act opener "Whipped Into Shape". The number requires singing, dancing AND jump roping. I would have been passed out on the floor 2 minutes into the number! And especially at a mile high! And speaking of the courtroom scene, "There! Right There!" is my favorite number in the show and this cast had the theater on the floor. Thanks to the good sound, practically all of the funny lines in the song were heard and responded to with great laughter.

But, of course at the center of the show are Elle and Emmett. D.B Bonds brings a playfulness to the part of Emmett and a very subtle sexiness to it also. By the end of the show, the audience is totally in love with him. You could see him bring the subtle nuances of falling in love with Elle during the show and his ultimate happiness that "he got the girl". His "Chip on My Shoulder" was a standout. I was also impressed with Becky Gulsvig as Elle. She never played the part as a ditzy blonde but you could see the transformation from the California Valley girl to Harvard graduate. Her first act closing song was a wee bit reserved but she pulled it off quite nicely. You can't help but fall in love with this Elle. Also keep your eyes on Elle's Sorority sisters Margo, Serena and Pilar (Played by Rhiannon Hansen, Tiffany Engen and Candice Marie Woods respectively) These three ladies work very well together and deliver some of the funnier lines in the show. Also, keep your eyes on J.B. Wing as Elle's Mom during the number "What You Want". That's all I will say!

So all in all when I walked out of the theater the show did what it was supposed to. In these troubled times, we need a little fun and a lot of laughter and "Legally Blonde" delivers both. If what you want is an evening full of fun music, a smart book and a fun time at the theatre, then "What You Want" is playing at the Buell Theater for the next 2 weeks!

"Legally Blonde" plays the Buell Theatre at the Denver Center from February 2nd through February 14th. Tickets available at the box office or at www.denvercenter.org.

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