Legally Blonde - Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Legally Blonde doll

Oh my god, oh my god you guys...if you favour serious, understated oeuvres on the melancholy side with profound messages of global significance, this is not the theatrical piece for you. It was the peppiest, most upbeat, extroverted musical I've ever seen. Magnified by ten because, given the small size of Upstairs at the Gatehouse, we were only centimetres away at all times from the energetic gyrations of the actors.

This musical was a warming burst of sunshine in the middle of dreary winter. The story was the same as that of the film, with a few minor changes. I liked the set, which at first glance was reminiscent of an Inca temple. The grey stone 'temple walls'  on either side of the 'stage' doubled up as the sorority house and Harvard. Audience members sat on either side of the theatre, with the show taking place on a reasonably narrow aisle down the middle, connecting the grey stone walls.

The cast was small - only twelve people - all of whom, other than those playing Elle, Warner and Emmett, played multiple roles. Bruiser was not played by a real dog, sadly. Abbie Chambers made an extremely sweet, appealing, believable Elle, with perhaps a little more 'edge' than that of Reese Witherspoon. Robert Colvin looked exactly right for the smarmy Warner. Jodie Jacobs, as Paulette, was heart-warming, a powerful singer and very funny. It was all highly energetic and fast-moving. I was particularly impressed by the cast's ability to sing while undertaking various exercises with skipping ropes.

I probably preferred the second act to the first. Despite my implications in the first paragraph, of course, this musical does actually deliver some important messages: don't make assumptions about people based on their appearances; you don't have to conform to other peoples' incomplete perceptions of you; support your fellow women in the workplace and life in general; romantic relationships are not the be-all and end-all etc. I loved the bit when Elle is appointed lead lawyer in the case to defend Brooke, and the female interns rally to support her. I also really enjoyed the UPS guy's appearances, the bend and snap sequence and the 'is he gay or European' song. All the court case scenes were extremely funny. I liked seeing the relationship blossom between Elle and Emmett...I couldn't remember the latter from the film at all, which was a bit weird given his prominence in the story.

Things I didn't like so much: in the film Elle's admissions essay for Harvard takes the form of a video, whereas in the musical it's an in-person presentation featuring cheerleaders and flag-waving. I didn't like it - it was too silly to be funny. Plus, I like the fact that Elle gets into Harvard in the film purely on the strength of her LSAT score and video. In the musical she actually tells the admissions people that she wants to get in because of LOVE. There is a fine line between silly-but-funny-and-suspend-disbelief-able and plain ridic, and the line was crossed in this instance. There was also a long bit about Paulette specifically wanting to get together with an Irish man, which I can't remember from the film. This in itself was fine but the Irish dancing part edged over the line. 

photo credit: Casey via photopin (license)

Next: not sure