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| Picture shows Logan Switzer, Kieran Thomas, Rachel Doyel, Mickey, and Max Powell. Photo by A Life Condensed Photography. |
By Tina Arth
When possible, I like to approach live theatrical
performances with an open mind, unfettered by specific expectations and
prepared to revel in the moment for what it has to offer, rather than for what
it may lack. Never having been exposed to Legally
Blonde in either its 2001 book and movie formats nor the 2007 musical
version, I was a perfectly primed blank slate for Theatre in the Grove’s
current production of Legally Blonde, The
Musical – and I found the entire production to be a thoroughly charming
exercise in the power and promise of community theater. Director and
Choreographer Luis Ventura, teamed with Vocal Director Michelle Bahr and the
rest of the production staff, about 30 cast members, the talented musicians in
the orchestra pit, and two scene-stealing dogs deliver 2+ hours of high-energy
silliness anchored by several excursions into serious themes including a
plot-shifting “me-too” moment.
The story, in a clamshell: UCLA fashion design student Elle
Woods (Malibu Barbie with backbone, if that helps to create the image) learns
that her college sweetheart, the well-connected cad Warner Huntington III, is
dumping her when he goes off to Harvard Law – he has presidential aspirations,
and wants a wife who is “more Jackie, less Marilyn.” Determined to prove that
she’s not just an empty-headed blonde, Elle miraculously manages to ace her
LSATs, and to talk/sing/dance her way into Harvard Law by dazzling the
admissions committee with an elaborate (if somewhat unlikely) musical number.
Elle leaves her Delta Nu sorority sisters behind (sort of), packs up Bruiser
(her pink-clad Chihuahua), and heads off to join the first-year law class with
Warner. Warner has by now reconnected with Vivienne, an old pal (and serious
brunette) who fits his “Jackie” image to a T and who has no interest in sharing
Warner with a bubbly blonde. Determined
to recapture Warner’s heart, Elle goes off to a beauty shop to transform
herself into a brunette, but the beautician, Paulette, talks her out of it.
Elle and Paulette bond over their mutual heartache and love of dogs, and with
Paulette’s advice, the support of teaching assistant Emmett Forrest, and an
imaginary Greek chorus (Elle’s Delta Nu sisters) she not only aces law school,
but saves the day with her brilliant defense of fitness queen Brooke Wyndham. In the end, instead of changing herself into
someone she’s not, Elle stays true to herself and in the process makes the
world a lot brighter.
When I saw it on Easter Sunday, the show was by no means
perfect – there were some unfortunate costume choices, a few muffed lines, and
the occasional stumble during one jump-rope driven dance number – but none of
this in any way diminished the audience’s enthusiasm for the production. 17-year-old
Rachel Doyel is impossibly cute, perky, and naive as the irrepressible Elle
Woods, yet she manages to capture the character’s intelligence and courage –
her rendition of “So Much Better” is a show-stopping summation of the
character’s growth and Rachel’s vocal chops. As TA Emmett Forrest, Max Powell
creates a slightly nerdy alternate love interest from his first appearance, and
the audience immediately roots for him to knock the shallow Warner (William
Dober) out of his place in Elle’s heart.
I was blown away by Ami Erickson as the quirky, working
class hairdresser Paulette. Her wise, downtrodden, slightly hangdog affect
disguises a fundamentally optimistic core, she totally sells her big number
(“Ireland”), and her comic timing and subtle accent make every line a winner.
While he fills many roles, it is as UPS delivery guy Kyle B. O’Boyle that Nick
Serrone really sparkles (and rocks his slightly-shorter than-standard issue UPS
shorts).
A few other performances particularly stand out – don’t miss
the uninhibitedly campy Zachary Centers’ white, white legs; his dance number
with Kieran Thomas is downright hilarious. Brittany Bickel’s frenetic exercise
queen Brooke Wyndham maintains an unbelievable energy level - I kept watching
for signs of exhaustion but saw none. I loved the entire Delta Nu ensemble,
especially Emma Heesacker, whose cheerleader “Serena” seemed to imbue the whole
cast with her bouncy enthusiasm. Of course, the entire cast disappears whenever
there’s a dog on stage, and Legally
Blonde gives us two – audience favorite Parker Pup as the stately and
obedient Rufus, and the exceptionally tolerant Mickey as tiny Bruiser, the
Chihuahua with the killer costumes.
James Grimes’ set design is minimalist, in most cases barely
suggesting locale (except for the flashy trailer exterior, which is essential
to the development of Paulette’s back story). By using rotating sets, virtually
no time is lost to scene changes, and this helps to keep the show’s length to
around two hours. A quick look at the program makes it obvious that Legally Blonde is the product of a huge
community of actors, musicians, techies, stage hands, directors and assorted
helping hands, and TITG is lucky to have the kind of broad-based support needed
to bring this much fun theater to local audiences.
Legally Blonde The
Musical is playing at Theatre in the Grove, 2028 Pacific Avenue, Forest
Grove through May 5, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
