'Legally Blonde', the iconic 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, has become lore for the 2000s rom-com fans.
It was adapted into a musical in 2007 and went on to be nominated for and win many awards. Although a big fan of the film, (I mean, who doesn’t love Elle?) I had never managed to catch the musical. As such, I was pretty excited when I discovered Andrew G & Theatrical (the brains behind 'Avenue Q' and more) would be presenting their version at The National.
The original Broadway production nabbed seven Tony Award nominations along with Best Original Score and it’s easy to see why. The story follows Elle Woods, a blonde bombshell who, after being dumped by her fiancé, heads off on a journey to tackle stereotypes. Along the way she manages to prove being your most authentic self is always the best way forward. What a wonderful message that still rings true for present-day audiences.
Set at Harvard Law School, the scene was set for a lot of musical fun as our heroine made her way in a new world that’s less cheerleader and cocktails and more books and backhanded compliments. Plus, there was not one but two cute dogs to pull at your heart strings. Needless to say, it was another spectacular gem and right on our doorstep.
My favourite song of the night was 'Whipped Into Shape' with Tabitha Gallucio as exercise queen Brooke Wyndham, showing us all how easy it is to sing and skip at the same time. Except it isn’t, it’s extremely difficult, which is kind of my point. Wow, I was absolutely blown away. You have to be talented and fit to pull that off.
Starring Gemma Hollingsworth as Elle, in pink outfit after pink outfit until she unauthentically swaps it for blue, it’s easy to say Gemma absolutely nailed the role of Elle. Hollingsworth has pipes to envy and hit the high notes easily while singing and dancing her way into our hearts. She’s an absolute star on the rise and definitely one to watch. Our love interest Emmett Forrest was played by Jackson Cross who delivered a sweet performance that had me rooting for him by the end. Liliana Braumberger played Elle’s hair stylist Paulette Bonafonte and really brought the comedy chops, bringing down the house many times with her perfectly-timed comedic antics, add to that a voice to match and it was all round a wonderful performance.
A stand-out was Steve Thomas who played the UPS delivery guy Kyle and love interest of Paulette, leading into the epic 'Bend And Snap' which was a real highlight of the night. Tahlia Pizzicara as Vivienne played the ‘new girlfriend’ perfectly, while Joshua Sumner as Warner was clearly an audience favourite. Special mentions to Julian Dods who had just the right amount of smarminess and sleaze for Professor Callahan and Kadee Axiak as Enid Hoops with some really funny moments.
Directed by Aimee Forrest with musical direction from Kent Ross, I think they both really nailed the storytelling and musical lore. Choreography by Maggie Lynch was outstanding – I mentioned the skipping and dancing routine, right?
I think the choreography really stood out in the opening song 'Omigod You Guys', where the troupe made great use of the stage while also setting the scene for the entire musical. Set design by Sarah Browne worked well for the storytelling with costumes by Sarah and Ella Campbell right on the noughties trend. My favourite costume by far was the cheerleader outfits and sportwear for the skipping scene. Special mention to Sophie Louise for giving that pink tinge with lighting making a clever colour reference. As always, the production and stage management was seamless, and brought together by Siena Bonnici.
Funny, fabulous and rollicking good fun, this is a show with musical chops to knock off your socks. This award-winning show is just the trick for a cold winter’s night to chase the blues away and get your toes tapping!
★★★★★
