WAS BLONDE, BUT NOW I SEE!
It’s easy to say that everyone wants to be taken seriously, but for Elle (Johnisa Breault) that notion has never really crossed her mind. She’s happy, perky, pretty, wealthy, loves her UCLA sorority friends and has the perfect boyfriend in Warner (Eli Wood). Life is perfect, so why would she need anything more? She gets her answer when Warner breaks up with her as he goes off to Harvard Law; as much as he likes her and despite her 4.0 GPA, she’s not the kind to be taken seriously as a politician’s wife. The solution? To prove that she can be serious, this Barbie doll crams so she can join him at Harvard Law. But does she even know how?
If you’d told Reese Witherspoon in 2001 that the hit movie she’d just starred in was going to become a fully staged musical six years later, she’d likely have looked at you funny. But these days everything is ripe for musicality. Heather Hach’s tight book was quickly paired with clever lyrics and catchy music by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe and the show was born. The effort moved quickly from San Francisco to Broadway in 2007, where it was met with mixed reviews and less-than-staggering tickets sales, despite seven Tony nominations.
So why restage it? Having just seen it, this reviewer wonders, “Why wouldn’t you?” It may not have been the next OklahomaI, but something kept people coming for nearly 600 shows and with good reason. The show’s message of perseverance, individuality, and self-respect parallels so much of what viewers loved about Barbie last year. The songs are all feel-good and there are a lot of genuine laughs. Right from the broad opening number “Omigod You Guys” we’re sucked into Elle’s Malibu world and are ready for more. Little side plots like the love life of Elle’s hairdresser Paulette (Bethany Slomka) are delightful, as is Ms. Slomka herself in the big, bawdy role that has us rooting for her − especially in her pursuit of handsome, towering Kyle (Jackson Wright), her UPS delivery man, culminating in the crowd-pleasing “Bend and Snap” routine. Drew Bradford is charming and lovely-voiced as Emmett, the hardworking professor’s assistant who sees potential in Elle, despite efforts by tyrannical Professor Callahan (gleefully and villainously played by Robert J. Townsend) to get our pink-bedazzled heroine to give up.
Director and choreographer Xavier J. Bush does a terrific job in both of his roles: The swift pacing of the show makes both acts fly by, despite each act being over an hour; Bush’s dance moves are the source of much entertainment and applause. The only choreography that could be tightened up is a tribute to Riverdance that mostly draws attention to the fact that they are definitely not Riverdance. But skill, energy, and sometimes near acrobatics in other numbers quite compensate. One of the best executed numbers, “Whipped Into Shape,” features fitness-queen/murder-defendant Brooke Wyndham (Joy Newbegin) and back-up dancers all non-stop skipping rope in uniform and stylized ways. It’s astounding that Ms. Newbegin never for a moment misses a note or, amazingly, runs out of breath.
Ms. Breault in the lead easily earns the role with an enthusiastic relish, and keeps up with the dancers splendidly. While she carries the tunes well-enough, her vocal chops aren’t quite as strong as her acting. Happily, now that I think of it, the vocals seemed almost in character and didn’t detract from the enjoyment. With plenty of well-trained vocalists in the cast, who perform with gusto, the uplifting material, and a healthy dose of laughter, this Blonde is da bomb.
photos by Jason Sullivan
Legally Blonde
San Diego Musical Theatre
4650 Mercury Street San Diego
Thurs at 7; Fri & Sat at 2 and 7; Sun at 2
ends on June 2, 2024
for tickets, call 858.560.5740 or visit SDMT
