Review: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Film to stage adaptations are nothing new. Many of the more bizarre choices in recent memory - like Hairspray, Spamalot, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - were met with incredible success and great reviews. Others - like Fearless Vampire Killers - performed miserably. While Legally Blonde: The Musical isn't a bad show by any stretch of the imagination, it certainly can't be called good, either.

Legally Blonde: The Musical is adapted from the Reese Witherspoon comedy about a materialistic blonde - Elle Woods - who follows her true love to Harvard Law School in a bid to win him back and prove she's the right one for him. Featuring a colorful cast of characters and a very positive message about self fulfillment, it's no surprise the show has become a musical.

Legally Blonde: The Musical can't be described as anything other than a pop musical. Any show that opens with a song called "OhmiGod You Guys" isn't exactly gunning for the intellectual crowd. It sets its scope on the tweens and never lets them out of its sight. The music is catchy and will stick with you for days after seeing the show. However, the monotonous score is barely at the level of Top 40/Pop radio stations. The show excels when it takes risks with the musical, like with "Ireland", a hilarious bit of musical love advice from a desperate hair dresser - Paulette (played by Orfeh) - to an equally desperate Elle Woods (played by Laura Bell Bundy). The backing of an Irish meditation tape, traditional drum and pipe elements, and over the top diva performance from Orfeh makes it a show stopping number. Another surprisingly successful song also takes place in the beauty parlor. Its taken directly from one of the more popular scenes in Legally Blonde. "Bend and Snap" has Elle and her imaginary chorus of sorority sisters ("cause every tragedy needs a Greek chorus") teaching Paulette how to seduce the man she dreams of. The clever use of cheerleading motifs and harmonies works to show off the strong ensemble work in the show. Sadly, most of the show is nowhere near as adventurous with the music. Almost every song is completely overwhelmed by the choreography, costumes, lighting, and set design. It gets to the point that you just look at the show rather than watch it.

That is not to say the show is terrible. The book is actually quite smart and touching (when it wants to be) and captures the essence of Legally Blonde. Laura Bell Bundy and Orfeh provide some of the best performances in recent Broadway history. The whole cast commits so much to the production that you can't help but be swept up in the enthusiasm. The problem is there really is nothing to become excited about. The show is inconsistent at best and doesn't try to do anything new. There is something for everyone here. It just doesn't amount to a whole lot.

Legally Blonde: The Musical is, in the end, a by the numbers musical. The sole reason to see it right now is the lead performances by Laura Bell Bundy and Orfeh. Once they leave the production, I don't see how the show can continue much longer. They bring the production to life with their commitment to the only two developed characters in the entire show. If you truly must see the show, go before these two leave for bigger and better shows. Otherwise, you could do much worse for a family friendly show with a positive message. Much worse.