Wow this "blog thing" is amazing. It used to be that one had to wait to read the daily newspapers the morning after a new Broadway show opened. Then you could go to the internet, click on a local newspaper site and get the theatre critic's review of the new show late at night after the show was over.
Now, no one needs to wait for a critic's review do they? Thanks to the internet, we now can offer our "very own" review of anything we want. Our very own "blog"!
I have been involved in the Broadway theatre ticket business for over 30 years now. And after reading thousands of reviews from many show critics, many of whom simply gave me the impression they simply wanted to offer "negative" opinions of what they personally witnessed on stage, I am most pleased to share my new TicketMan blog with you.
This past Wednesday, April 11, 2007 I had the great pleasure of seeing a new Broadway show called Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show is based on the film of a few years back which had Reese Witherspoon in the female lead role.
Legally Blonde, The Broadway musical is simply a show that stays right on track of the film. Laura Bell Bundy plays Elle Woods, a girl next door fashion loving "girly girl" of a women who is dumped by her Harvard bound boyfriend after thinking he is going to ask her to marry him. She is determined to "win him back" by gaining her own admission to the school, no small feat as you can imagine. Elle is not taken seriously by her "ex" and the other members of her law class and although she is always trying to win the boyfriend back, he never really "gets it". By that I mean he doesn't believe she has the smarts and the real desire to make it through law school. He tells Elle he needs someone by his side more serious about the desire to eventually become a lawyer and hopefully a politian someday.
Although the book by Heather Hach doesn't stray far from the film, there are many funny jokes sprinkled throughout the show and the story seems simple and fun all the way through. The music is very good but not great. I came out of the theatre thinking the music was fun but didn't leave me wanting more. The direction and choreography by the always talented Jerry Mitchell is the best thing about the show. In fact, I often think of the great fun and dancing that seemed constant thoughout the entire production, from the marching band number when Elle was trying to gain admission to Harvard to the wonderful "bend and snap" routine which had Elle and her friends trying to teach her beauty shop friend, played by Orfeh, all the moves she needs to make in order to catch the eyes of the UPS delivery man she is attracted to.
In the second half, Elle and her classmates are asked to help her "sexist" law professor, aptly played by Michael Rupert to defend one of his celebrity fitness guru clients that is accused of murdering her husband. Elle not only proves their client "didn't do it" but manages to finally fall in love with her law class teaching assistant, played by a very talented Christian Boyle, who has been smitten with her since they first met.
So what you see when you buy a ticket to Legally Blonde is not anything overly original. You get a boy meets girl, girl gets dumped by boy, girl shows him who really has the "smarts, class, warmth and looks" story. Then the girl gets the opportunity to prove she has all the tools to suceed in work, life and love.
Legally Blonde has all the elements of a major league Broadway hit. The cute little story, good music, a capable book with lots of funny lines throughout, an extremely hard working and talented cast lead by Laura Bell Bundy, excellent direction and dance moves by the extremely talented Jerry Mitchell, make this show a "must see". There have been many critics and blogs that have simply said negative things about this show and many others that have come and gone on Broadway. This show may not be the beat musical ever, but for my money and experience as someone that has seen nearly every show playing in New York City this season, you should buy youself and anyone else you know that loves a good Broadway show a ticket to Legally Blonde. Omigod, you'll be so glad you did. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The Broadway Ticket Man
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