Legally Blonde: The Musical

Legally Blonde: The Musical. Even saying it out loud, I can't help but be skeptical. When I heard it was coming to Purdue, I decided quickly to not see the musical. Maybe it was what little amount of machismo I still possess that was violently retching at the thought of watching this musical, or perhaps it's just the overwhelming campyness of the premise and execution. But regardless of what caused it, I knew that this musical was definitely not for me. What better way to start off my blog than by watching a musical that definitely would challenge me to be more open and not write off musicals right away?

But going into this musical, I didn't have high hopes. A friend of mine from high school, a blonde herself, had forced the movie upon me as a junior. And as much as I detest saying so... I enjoyed it. Quite a bit in fact. But I was determined to not enjoy the musical version of this Reece Witherspoon nightmare.

And then I saw the opening song, "Omigod You Guys."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QqouXhaqng

Just... wow. Not even ten minutes into the musical, and my opinion has already done a complete about-face.

You can skip the first minute of that Youtube link. In fact, the entire musical can be found on Youtube, just follow that link and you can find the rest of the parts on that channel. (It's how I was able to see the musical, even though the tour had already come and gone at Purdue)

The song itself is so catchy its almost criminal, lodging itself in my brain for the greater part the day after finishing it. Not only that, but from a technical standpoint... I was floored with how technically strong the musical was; I had to rewind the video and watch some parts of it over again, just to be sure I had seen it correctly. "Did she really just do a quick change, WHILE sliding down a pole? And... all those set pieces... where are they all getting put? There's so much to store!"

Christian Borle and Laura Bell Bundy as Emmett Forest and Elle Woods

But no matter how good your songs and crew are, it's nothing if the casting isn't solid. And not only is the casting solid, it's spot-on. Laura Bell Bundy, the original Elle Woods on Broadway, already had some experience playing ditsy blonde poofs in musicals before coming to Legally Blonde; she was the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and a standby for Galinda in Wicked. And in Legally Blonde, she shines in every number, portraying perfectly the legally minded, fashion conscious Elle Woods. I have no complaints about the casting of any character, and each added their own facet to the overall story with no detrimental parts.

The musical does have its flaws. I don't much care for the story; it's a hard pill to swallow that Elle would not only be able to get into Harvard Law School, but would in fact thrive there after having nothing more than fashion marketing classes. And as satisfying as the court case's ending might be, it's neither likely to happen, nor do I think any judge would allow a court to visit the scene of a crime (in this case, a bathroom). But this musical is about having fun, not over analyzing; suspend your disbelief at the ticket booth, and your experience will be much better. If you can get past its initial campyness and over-the-top nature, Legally Blonde: The Musical will reward you with entertaining song and dance numbers.

I may have initially groaned at the prospect of seeing this show. But, ohmigod you guys, it was like, totally worth it.

Practicing his bend and snap,
-Logan

Hello Internet! or What Happens When Logan Is Given Creative Choice On An English Project

Hello Internet!

So this is primarily a test post, to see if I actually know what I'm doing. Don't be surprised if I just randomly try new coding in here too, I'm experimenting, haha.

It's also a way for me to make a short post explaining what this blog is. As part of my English course at Purdue, I have to do a multimedia project for my final. I've got a journal started, and now I'm making this blog! The whole theme of my project is my experience with music, theatre, choir, musicals, etc. So I figured that a blog would be a good place to review music, plays, musicals, and the like. As such, it's all going to be subject to my opinions... but I hope to at least make myself seem like something of a knowledgeable critic.

...plus this is a good chance for me to broaden my musical horizons. And by "broaden my musical horizons," I mean "watch tons of Sondheim musicals and claim it's for homework." In the name of learning of course.

I don't expect that anything I say will be very interesting; it's difficult enough for me to be an engaging, entertaining person in real life, much less in a text based medium typing words that may or may not actually be read by anyone. But if you do stumble here by some chance, do try to enjoy yourself. Leave a comment if you've got the time! I appreciate feedback, even if it's just to tell me that my blog isn't interesting (which I assure you, I'm already aware of).

Thanks all, stay classy!
-Logan