When Elle Woods’ boyfriend dumps her because she’s not “serious” enough for him, she decides to win him back by following him to Harvard Law School. But even after getting in, no one takes her seriously! With the help of a kind but determined TA, she works hard to prove herself as a student and finds a new passion for helping others through the law. But her future is on the line when she’s chosen to help with a big murder case. Can she win the case, and more importantly, can she do it while staying true to herself?
This summer Cross Community Players was back in the Maple
Grove Town Green Amphitheater with their production of Legally Blonde. The space offers some challenges for the cast
and crew, since the set has to come down and be stored after every rehearsal,
and weather issues (this year, extreme heat) can interfere. But as an audience member, this is a lovely
spot to attend a show. There’s plenty of
room for seating and the lake behind the stage adds a nice view and the
prospect of a cool breeze on a warm day. (Sunscreen is highly recommended.)
Jeff Anderson directed Legally Blonde and played up the “girl power” aspect of the play, emphasizing with the staging that this is more than Elle’s story; she’s able to save the day because multiple female characters are working together to support each other and get things done. Under Mary Ann Boniface’s music direction, the ensemble captured the energy of the Delta Nu sisters without losing vocal quality (in contrast to the production filmed for MTV, which is painfully shrill at times). The band had the occasional rough spot, but the soloists and the ensemble were strong throughout the show and the harmonies came through clearly on the group numbers. Ann Marie Omeish’s choreography was energetic and often very funny, as in “Serious” and “Positive.” I also particularly “Blood in the Water”; the subtle movements became ominous when performed en masse. The one dance that I disliked was the mannequin dance in “Take It Like A Man” – I can’t be the only person to find dancing mannequins to be downright unsettling!
Brady Whitcomb’s set design made the most of the space, creating an upper level above the orchestra and using movable columns with replaceable panels to create different settings. The columns added a nice bit of structure that was more dynamic than flats would have been. Two-dimensional cutouts were used for some of the set pieces, like a desk, golf cart, and trailer, and occasionally these felt a little out of place stylistically (for example, the television cutout was awfully old-fashioned when the characters were talking about watching a DVD). Sydney Summers designed the costumes, color-blocking the ensemble with colors themed to the setting (such as blue for UCLA and red for Harvard); the effect worked best in numbers like “Blood in the Water” when there were few outfits that weren’t part of the coordination. Elle’s (mostly pink) looks were always good, especially her proposal dress (a fun on-stage transformation) and her final courtroom look. Grantland Ashling’s lighting didn’t come into play until the second act as the sun set, but I was delighted to see footlights (regular readers of this blog will know that I am often wishing for footlights), which were particularly helpful in a theater space this angled. Nathaniel Glewwe’s sound was well balanced even when the wind picked up (an impressive feat). There were lots of solos and brief speaking parts throughout the show and the sound was consistently balanced.
Elle Woods is one of the most demanding roles in musical
theater, but Marissa Noe kept up with it like a pro. She had lots of energy from beginning to end
and really brought out Elle’s character development as she learns to be “serious”
in her own way. Noe is a strong singer
and brought out the comedy with her physicality in songs like “Serious.” As Emmett,
Jackson Calhoun had a nice warm vocal tone in songs like “Chip on My Shoulder,”
and he and Noe were well matched in their duets. Together they made “Legally Blonde” a very emotional
scene. Maddie Dinndorf was endearing as
the down-to-earth Paulette, who sounded great in the wistful “Ireland” and was
very entertaining in the sassy “Bend and Snap.”
Abigail Lawrence’s Vivienne was judgmental and mean at the
start, but an ally to Elle in the end. Lawrence did a very nice job with the
complexity of Vivienne’s turning point, and had a strong belt for her solo
in “Legally Blonde Remix.” I have a little trouble with the character of Enid,
the stereotypical lesbian feminist; in the script she’s written to be abrasive
and largely to be laughed at, and I just don’t find it to be a very interesting
or original stereotype. In this
production, Rachel Perry played Enid very well, and some of her lines landed more
powerfully with the audience than usual. As Professor Callahan, Bryan O’Neil
was a very effective villain because he genuinely became more likeable before
revealing his sleazy side. Callahan’s
about-face was the more upsetting because it felt so realistic.
As Warner, Joe Voth was appropriately self-centered, oblivious
to whose feelings he might hurt, and was very funny playing against Noe’s enthusiasm
in “Serious.” Hannah Cruzen’s Brooke was passionate and stubborn, with believable
“boss” energy. Calista Wedemeier, Mary Herbst, and Sydney Summers played Elle’s
sorority sister Greek chorus with tight harmonies and a lot of attitude. Mitch
Vosejpka was an audience favorite in his assortment of side roles, from the strutting
delivery man Kyle to the over-the-top jilted Frenchman Carl. Vosejpka has great
comedic timing and got a lot of laughs as his various characters.
The ensemble was a powerful force throughout the show,
bringing infectious energy and strong skills to the group numbers. Legally Blonde is a demanding show, but this cast and crew were more than a match for it.
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