ANY hardened criminals in the audience may feel uncomfortable.
The rest of us are almost guaranteed to emerge from Little Theatre Company’s production of Legally Blonde feeling more upbeat about life and ourselves than when we went in.
The musical - about an apparent bimbo, Elle Woods, who enlists at Harvard and emerges as a hotshot lawyer - is a great big douche of fun, comedy, cute dogs, and liberally sprinkled feelgood dust, and thank you LTC for that.
Yet it also has convincing emotional depth and a well developed theme (summed up by the quotation from Hamlet in the final scene: “This above all to thine own self be true”). The story also pivots on a moment of real shock and betrayal in the second act. This strong narrative framework goes a long way to explain Legally Blonde’s huge popularity, as such a well-loved film and a stage show. Like its central character, it is not nearly as fluffy as it looks at first sight.
It is essentially a Cinderella story about self-development. Elle begins the story as seemingly brainless cheer-leading, frilly sorority girl, obsessed with clothes, make-up and her boyfriend, and not much else. In fact she is smart and sassy. Rejection by her boy-friend, and the academic rigours of the world’s toughest law school, allow her to discover her real strengths.
Few shows are so dependent on their central roles, and here LTC has lucked out with the arrival of new member Eleanore McCann. Equipped with flawless technical gifts in terms of her singing and dancing, she also has rare stage presence and charm. We are likely to be seeing a lot more of Eleanore.
She holds central stage from start to finish of a fast-moving show that moves from one high octane dance number to another, with almost relentless pace. The production is handled by director Darren Harper and choreographer Laura Witherall with an easy grace that must belie the sweat and care poured out by all concerned.
Strong support comes from Olly Gourley – an actor who really knows how to convey a sense of feelings unspoken - as Emmett, Elle’s mentor and ultimately lover; from Paul Smith, as the domineering Harvard professor, who proves just how sneaky lawyers can be; and from Gemma Carracher, definitively glamorous as the fitness instructress whom Elle defends on a murder charge.
Do not anticipate memorable songs from Legally Blonde – the melodies are workmanlike rather than memorable, Instead, listen to the lyrics, which often rise to brilliance. A line from Elle’s father (Colin Bott), concerning noses, still has me chuckling the morning after. But then the whole show has left me with an almost permanent grin.
Tom King – Echo News
