Legally Blonde: tickled pink!

OMG! You guys like totally have to come see this show! Well, I'm not much of a valley girl (though this is Silicon Valley), but I loved Broadway San Jose's production of Legally Blonde the Musical.

Besides the movie, I knew nothing about the show, but I was pleasantly surprised. The valley girl attitude can get old fast, but this cast made it funny rather than annoying. Actually, this is the perfect show for a girl's night out. The acting and singing is wonderful, and the show is packed with girlish humor. Of course, for all those men who think they couldn't possibly enjoy a show where pink is the primary color and "oh my God" and "like" are common phrases - to them I say, you do realize the show is filled with girls wearing tight pants and short skirts, right?

The cast didn't have a weak link in it. Thankfully, the actors made the choice to stay away from simply copying the movie actors and instead made the characters their own. I believe that the characters presented on stage were a lot more well rounded and developed than the characters from the film version. Elle, played by Becky Gulsvig, was a joy to watch. Her wonderful voice and flawless portrayal of that famous blond made her the perfect choice. Paulette, played by Natalie Joy Johnson, had a knockout voice, and she was much funnier and more enjoyable than the original character. Emmett, played by D.B. Bonds, had a much stronger character than the film, which the actor pulled off perfectly. With that voice and acting skills, I doubt there would be anyone in the audience who wasn't routing for him to win Elle's heart. Now, one character who was completely different than the film version was Brooke, played by Coleen Sexton. As far as her entrance song, I have one word to describe it: "wow." How she manages to
do all that complex jump-rope choreography and sing flawlessly at the same time, I'll never know. Of course, there are two little actors that I cannot leave out: Bruiser Woods and Rufus. Trained dogs played these characters. They were so well behaved and absolutely adorable! The audience squealed with delight whenever one of the came onstage.

I feared that adding songs to an already well-known and beloved story line would be awkward, but the songs enhanced the mood rather than hindered it. The songs certainly stay playing in your head for a long time afterwards – especially “Omigod You Guys.” I personally enjoyed the song in the courtroom scene when Elle and the others are trying to figure out if Nikos is “gay or European.”

Don’t miss Legally Blonde the Musical playing March 16-21 at the Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit www.broadwaysanjose.com.