What? Like it’s hard getting into Harvard? It wasn’t that hard last night for the opening night of “”Legally Blonde The Musical.””
As the crowd gathered at the Tucson Convention Center it was a little less pink than one might have expected, yet occasionally peppered throughout the audience you could easily spot the die-hard fans — clothed from head to toe in pure pink. Ironically enough, the crowd’s signature color was black.
The audience, from men to women and elderly to young, was totally ready to see the show.
The story takes the audience along for the much loved journey of Elle Woods’ life right after her long-time boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Jeff McLean) decided to break it off with her. Determined to get him back, she trades in her sunny West Coast life for the “”drab”” East.
Along the way, she runs into loads of troubles from discrimination to sexual harassment, but that’s not to say the musical isn’t quirky and lighthearted with some excessive snapping.
If you’ve seen the movie you know the story; the musical doesn’t stray from the original. But it is interesting to see it done live with some singing and dancing added to the mixture.
The cast was hilarious and made the show fun to watch. Each performer really embodied his or her character and had the audience LOL-ing the entire way.
Becky Gulsvig positively played the pink part. She resembled the original Elle Woods, being quite the Reese Witherspoon lookalike. Although she didn’t command as much power as Elle Woods’ character should, Gulsvig gave quite a performance as the leading lady.
Rhiannon Hansen, one of the girls featured on MTV’s “”Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods,”” plays Margot, Elle’s best friend. She took the stereotypical sorority girl character to a new comical level. Although she didn’t win the reality show, Hansen really fit into her character.
Also among the favorite characters were Paulette (Natalie Joy Johnson), Kyle aka the UPS guy (Ven Daniel) and, of course, the dogs, who were all rescued from humane societies and animal control.
You also might find some familiar faces among the stage, maybe from MTV or a few movies you’ve seen.
Throughout the show you will find yourself rooting for Elle — she’s totally been dealt a bad hand. She takes her “”Legally Blonde”” nickname and transforms it into something positive that embodies who she is as a person.
The cast worked great together, the voices shone with talent, and the dancing was enjoyable to watch. There’s no doubt this cast is an extremely talented bunch.
But from the beginning the show reinforces stereotypes. They play up the stereotypes: “”gay,”” “”lesbian, “”strong black woman,”” and — dare I say — “”clueless sorority girl.”” Not all the stereotypes were negative, but received much laughter from the audience. For a show that is trying to break stereotypes by showing that “”being true to yourself never goes out of style,”” it sure does play them up.
That aside, the journey is more fun than most. This story wouldn’t be complete without its amusing quirks like the studly Kyle to the sorority girls “”shaking their junk.””
Warning: Once you see the show the songs engrave themselves into your brain with their simplicity and repetition. Don’t be shocked if they randomly pop out from time to time, like the white clad “”Greek chorus.””
Will everything Elle touches turn to pink? You’ll have to see for yourself.
If You Go: For tickets or for more information, visit http://broadwayintucson.com/ or http://tour.legallyblondethemusical.com/. The show’s final performance is Sunday.
