Last night I attended press night for “Legally Blonde The Musical” at the Opera House in Boston, Mass.
I have to say, this was one of the best musicals I have seen in a while.
First, let me say, I loved the movie. If you didn’t, the musical may not be for you.
However, if you are among the millions who adored Reese Witherspoon’s turn as Elle Woods — a blonde with the ambition of winning back her boyfriend by storming Harvard Law, then this is the show for you.
Becky Gulsvig stars in the show as Woods. Her Elle is a twin of Witherspoon’s — with the important addition of singing and dancing. She was a pleasure to watch.
The story begins in California, where Elle and her boyfriend, Warner, (Jeff McLean), seem close to getting engaged. This perfect couple seems destined for the altar, until Warner dumps Elle because he’s headed off to Harvard Law and needs someone “serious.”
Elle — who has a 4.0 in Fashion Merchandising — decides to win Warner back by following him to Harvard. She studies, takes the LSAT and eventually shows up to Harvard clad head-to-toe in her signature color, pink.
Here she sees Warner, who now has a serious brunette girlfriend. Undaunted, Elle seeks to win him back with her brains instead of her sunny beauty.
Is it predictable? Sure, especially if you’ve seen the movie. However, “Legally Blonde” leaves audience members holding their sides laughing. The songs added to the show fit it perfectly.
My favorite was “There! Right There!” — a hysterical number debating if a character is gay or merely European. I almost wet my pants, I was laughing so hard.
The actors did a great job with the material — and two of them will be recognizable to audience members from the MTV reality show “Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods.”
For the record, the rest of the audience seemed to agree — the cast got a standing ovation, something that doesn’t happen often.
Get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com
