In order to win back her boyfriend, Warner, Elle Woods is determined to follow him to Harvard Law to prove that she can be the “serious” girlfriend he thinks he needs. Getting to Harvard is the easy part, though, as once there she has to deal with her peers, her professors – and her ex’s new girlfriend. With the help of the friends she makes along the way, Elle has to show Warner – and herself – that there’s more to her than meets the eye.
AODS will present Legally Blonde – The Musical at Alton Assembly Rooms in May 2024
NODA Review
LEGALLY BLONDE – THE MUSICAL is a feelgood musical based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture. It has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. The show tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrols at the Harvard Law School in an attempt to impress and win back her ex-boyfriend. The show is funny and thought provoking as she has to battle with prejudice, snobbery and teachery as well as the advances of her professor. Although Legally Blonde appears, on the surface, to be frothy, there are life changing messages: Don’t judge a book by its cover; be true to yourself, and true love knows no boundaries.
The set was excellent and of the highest quality and there was a lot of pink. Screens either side changed, along with the scene settings varied from the sorority house, a restaurant, the law school, hair salon and court room. The many scene changes were done swiftly and slickly with minimal touches symbolising the change of scene, such as chairs for the classroom scene, a table for the restaurant and mirror/table for the hair salon. The props were well sourced and used, briefcases, work folders etc
The costumes were excellent and enhanced the production. There were a variety of costumes ranging from the Delta Nus, Lawyer’s suits, smart cocktail dresses and of course Elle’s ever changing pink outfits as well as her sensible blue work suit and Bunny Girl costume. My eyes were particularly drawn to the matching pink nails and shoes of Elle’s mother!
The lighting was effective and well controlled. The sound was good, with the musical accompaniment being first rate and the voices crystal clear.
The choreography throughout was imaginative and dynamic. However, a highlight for me was opening of Act II with the song “Whipped into Shape” which gave us Brooke Wyndham (Rebecca Norton) along with Delta Nus: Victoria Howard-Andrews, Lucy Thicket and Lauren Palmer, skipping while singing. There was then a very quick change into the Boston Women’s Correctional Facility where they did a reprise. For this they were helped with the company singing off stage.
AODS pulled out the stops with this production and the show flowed flawlessly. The slick and cleverly designed set and direction of the experienced and hugely talented, Sue Sampson, meant that the whole show was performed with assurance and confidence. There were notable performances from Samantha Brown as Elle who was in top form and delivered her role with flair. Nic Main as Elle’s mentor and possible love interest, Emmett Forrest, had great stage presence and facial expressions. The other man in Elle’s life, Warner, was played by Dan Wigmore and he was totally believable as the uptight and shallow, spoilt rich boy. Annie Veneti as the quirky hairdresser Paulette was a real powerhouse and almost stole the show. But the scene stealing was left to the two canine members of the cast, Teddi Main as Bruiser and Roman Warden as Rufus who did excellent jobs and well done to the cast members who guided them throughout. There was a lot of humour in this show which was a great choice as there were a number of smaller roles, ideal for the size and membership of the group.
