Sorority girl Elle Woods is ready to start her perfect future with her perfect boyfriend — and even when he dumps her, she's sure that their love will win in the end. Her dedication gets her into Harvard Law School, but it's not the success she imagined. Eventually, Elle realizes that she'd rather use the law to help people than keep chasing her ex. But can she be her true self and still be taken seriously?
Minneapolis Community Education had the second Legally Blonde of the summer, and it's always fun to see which elements stay the same or change from one production to another. Minneapolis Community Education isn't primarily a theater group; its main focus is offering affordable classes to the community on all sorts of topics. But it's a natural decision to make use of the available resources (e.g. a nice performance space) and talent to put on a show! I really enjoyed last year's Matilda, despite the limitations of the outdoor space (mainly relating to acoustics), and I was excited to see what the group would do this year when back in an actual theater.
Alison Thvedt directed this production, and I thought her program note was very interesting, as she pointed out some of the ways that the show as written doesn't do justice to all of its characters. While Elle goes on a journey that challenges the ways she's stereotyped, other characters don't get that opportunity. This is the kind of discussion I'd love to see more of from director's notes, acknowledging the show's flaws under a modern lens while also pointing to the aspects that make the show worth watching nonetheless. In one scene (the "Jamaican" frat party), Thvedt added protestors, which needed no changes to the script to make a thoughtful statement about casual cultural appropriation. In general, I liked the way Thvedt put the ensemble to use throughout the show; one moment I particularly enjoyed was the very Bostonian bros in "Bend and Snap." Sara Sawyer music directed and shared pit direction with Max Voda. While the orchestra was a little uneven, the vocal performances from the cast were strong and the group numbers sounded great. Anna Esposito's choreography was a lot of fun, especially in songs like "Oh My God" (and at the end of the show I enjoyed seeing characters like Vivienne and Enid reprise those moves). The end of "Positive" was particularly funny, as the sorority girls tried to keep dancing seductively despite being very confused.
Molly Stoker's costuming included some amazing looks, like Elle's majorette outfit in "What You Want." The transition from the colorful sorority girls to a very beige Harvard crowd was a very nice touch, especially as it highlighted how out of place Elle was in her class. From scenic designer Robin McIntyre, I particularly liked the pink striping for the sorority house and Elle's dorm, and of course I liked the way the walls flipped around from the dress shop to the restaurant. Dewey's mobile home was also surprisingly cute. Mary Southern's lighting involved some nice colorwork with the scrim, including some dreamy night skies. Ryan Rowell's sound design was largely successful but unfortunately couldn't handle all of the belting in the show.
Julia ScottRussell is a very strong singer and as Elle she had no trouble with the strenuous vocals and high belts. I was particularly impressed in "Legally Blonde" by ScottRussell's resonance throughout her range. ScottRussell committed fully to Elle's big emotions, making the audience want to root for the character even when she was making bad choices. As Emmett, Castiel Matthews sounded great in songs like "Chip on My Shoulder," but most impressed me with the amount of personality that he brought to this character. His Emmett, while serious about his career and family, also managed to be a little feisty and to have a real sense of humor. ScottRussell and Matthews had a playful energy together, and had great chemistry in scenes like "Take It Like a Man." Christine Kullman was seamless as the world-wise Paulette; like Elle, Paulette has big emotions and believes in big dreams, but she believes that her own chances have passed her by. Kullman's vocal skill shone in "Ireland," and the mix of hopefulness and resignation she gave Paulette made the character an excellent foil for Elle. I also appreciated Kullman's fun accent! Vienna Larche was absolute gold as deliveryman Kyle, from her large mustache to her deadpan delivery to her intense focus when Irish dancing. Larche also played the store manager who delivers the most memed line of the show, but she managed to put her own spin on it and certainly had me laughing.
Sophia Schott's Vivienne was appropriately uptight and cruel until the pivotal second act moment, and her return as Elle's ally was triumphant and satisfying. As Warner, Jackson Lyon had a nice boy-band sound in "Serious"; Lyon played Warner a little dumb (and definitely out of his depth in law school), which was also satisfying. On the night I attended, May Anderson stepped into the role of Enid on very short notice, but you wouldn't know it by her performance. She had great energy and physicality as the aggressively alternative Enid. Jim Chase was intimidating as the demanding and cruel Professor Callahan. Gabby Sullivan's Brooke was tough and determined; Sullivan had a tough task keeping up with "Whipped Into Shape" but sounded strong throughout and ended with an impressive riff.
Isabella Nehk, Rosemary Vega, and Kate Cosgrove played Elle's high-energy best friends; all three were strong and engaging dancers, and they sounded great in songs like "Bend and Snap." I enjoyed the Greek chorus of sorority girls every time they came on stage; their energy and enthusiasm was infections. The entire ensemble was fun to watch and kept the audience engaged throughout the show.
As a whole, the Minneapolis Community Education team showed a great understanding of what brings people back to this show, hitting all the classic moments while also leaving room for some interesting individual takes. This show seemed to be just as much fun for the cast as it was for me as an audience member!
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