‘Legally Blonde: the Musical’ is super fun!

CMPAC’s production debuts new sound system

Twerking California sorority girls as the classical Greek chorus is probably the best way to describe “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” which had its opening night on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale.

While the golden nuggets of the movie (e.g., the bend and snap) remain intact, the musical is actually even funnier, with expanded jokes and an unexpected Celtic element to the Paulette character.

For those not familiar, “Legally Blonde” is the story of Elle Woods, a sunny, quintessentially blonde UCLA fashion major and proud Delta Nu sorority president who is hoping to marry her dream boyfriend, Warner Huntington III. When the proposal is nowhere to be found and Warner tells Elle he needs a “Jackie not a Marilyn” as he sets off to Harvard Law School, Elle, with the help of her faithful Delta Nu sisters, make it her mission to get into the Ivy League school and win Warner back. As Malibu Elle makes her way through the “serious” East Coast society, she learns to believe in herself and that being blonde and being boldly intelligent are not mutually exclusive.

Director Keith Jones’s high-energy, glitzy, (and of course) pink extravaganza of a musical had the crowd roaring in laughter, with impeccable comedic timing and wildly cheering as the performers belted out their numbers.

Jones’s genius in all of this was to keep a great balance of light, airy, whimsical and dramatic moments with the action in the story, especially with the Paulette character, who, unlike Elle, does not have a glory period of being a Delta Nu president to remind her of her worth. She is built up to be a confident, happy woman, and Jones’s direction for that transformation was perhaps even more interesting than Elle’s journey.

Choreographer Melissa Rapelje, known for gracefully tackling demanding choreography, developed impressive ensemble numbers and sews together the traditional ballet-influenced dance with the modern, hip-hop twerks and booty-popping.

Scenic designer John Mazzarella decked out the entire stage with a pink wonderland for the L.A. scenes and a charming fashion magazine window encasement. But Mazzarella’s East Coast scenes were grittier and full of detail, bringing something like the bar scene/“costume” party into the world of Massachusetts dive bars being frequented by Ivy League students in what seemed like an homage to “Good Will Hunting” (where another pretty blonde gets rejected by Harvard students).

Silvio Sweet as sound designer got to take out a Ferrari out for its first spin with the new sound system (over $100,000 in equipment from angels Advanced Sound Company) and brought it to what will be a long and happy life at CM. With crisp voices, a deep, nuanced layering of pitches, and great harmony between the fabulous pit (led by Matthew W. Surico) and cast, Sweet gave the audience as auditory spectacle to match the visual.

Michelle Shapiro as Elle Woods was unique in her portrayal in that she never once cheapened Elle with a dumb blonde routine for easy laughs. Overly cheerful? Yes. Laser-focused on man hunting? Yes. Steadfast in fashion choices? Yes. But always with a sense of dignity and intellect that makes her role as valedictorian at the end not so much a transformation, but a reveal. Shapiro’s voice embodied the strength that gave her character more moxie.

Quentin Thomas as Warner Huntington III, the villain of the piece (aside from Elle’s self-doubt), was quite the crooner in his numbers and the arrogance and toxic masculinity radiated from his core. Thomas’s smugness and treatment of Elle is apparent, but layered in that Thomas showed the familial and outside pressures on Warner to make those decisions.

Emily Gates as Vivienne Kensington, the pearl-decorated East Coast WASP, had her voice shine in a late solo in Act II and throughout the performance kept her ice-cold grip on Warner.

Michael Krulder as Emmett Forrest carved out his character in his “Chip On My Shoulder” performance with a quiet, melancholic underpinning in his voice while still keeping a powerful presence in his song.

Michael Mandato as Professor Callahan was commanding and authoritative as the no-nonsense shark of a lawyer out to teach his class about practicing the law for real. The slime factor is one that Mandato oozes, but makes acceptable because of the dominant legal acumen he possesses.

Jess Ader-Ferretti as Paulette showcased her formidably soulful voice and her “Riverdance” sequence with Stone Lock (Kyle) was one of the best moments of the show.

The Greek-life chorus girls Courtney O’Shea (Serena), Sarah Minto (Margot), and Steffy Jolin (Pilar) were the holy trinity of fashion, sass, and “ethnic dance moves.” The challenging (but super fun) choreography for the triad exhibited their tremendous talent.

Courtney Braun as Brooke Wyndham was able to make orange the new black in her opening number “Whipped Into Shape,” where she dazzled with high kicks and high notes.

Now, the real standout of the show was Lulu as Bruiser, who emoted such reverence for Elle and was a good, good girl for the two-hour span.

“Legally Blonde: The Musical” is a perfect show to cheer on the characters and laugh at the preconceived notions we all hope to disavow from our naysayers. 

 

Link to Suffolk County News Review: https://www.suffolkcountynews.net/stories/legally-blonde-the-musical-is-super-fun,102765