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Legally Blonde

Author: Jess Pether & Tessa Davies

Information

Date
19th November 2019
Society
Brentwood Operatic Society Youth Theatrical Group
Venue
The Brentwood Theatre
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Gaynor Wilson assisted by James Wilsom
Musical Director
Max Harris
Choreographer
Katie Lawrence

Another production from this talented group of young performers.  Because they company have double cast some of the lead roles, two performances were rviewed by different reviewers.  and the folloing is a cobination of the two review.

TESSA DAVIES

The performance that I watched was slick and worked well, the lead role of Elle was played extremely well by Mia Harper.  It is a challenging role as the character is onstage for a very large part of the show, even making costume changes on stage!  Mia was very good; great characterisation and a lovely strong singing voice to go with it.  I particularly liked her performance in Serious.

The male lead role of Warner, the snobby boyfriend, was well played by Sam Johnson.  The other male lead role, Emmett, was beautifully played by Jamie Wilson.  I have watched these two young men grow and develop over the past few years and it has been a pleasure to see them take on lead roles with such confidence and maturity.  Jamie is moving on but I hope that Sam will continue to perform with the company.

Lucy Green played the part of Vivian, well, snobby enough but a good transition to the more friendly person needed n the story. Lucy Pugh played the part of Paulette in the performance that I saw, and this was a nicely presented character.  I would have liked the character to be a bit more ditsy, but it was well performed.

The rest of the company all played named roles and it is extremely difficult for me to comment on them all individually.   The Delta Nu girls were a strong team and individually everyone performed well, each with good characterisation.   Finally, a special mention for Michael Percival who seemed to play a number of different parts, each with a different character.

The scenery was, as needed in this small performing space, simple and effective.  Costumes were good, well co-ordinated and colourful.  Lighting worked well but I am afraid the sound was not up to standard.  I have made these comments before about the sound at this theatre, so I am beginning to wonder if it is the venue and not the operators. I know that the company had some difficulties getting sound engineers. However, there is no excuse for mics being turned up late.  The actors work hard and it is unforgiveable that their first line of dialogue was not always heard.   Get this right and it makes all the difference.

The show was very well received by the packed audience and, at the end of the day, it is their response which tells us that the show was a success, so well done to cast and crew.

JESS PETHER

Legally Blonde the film first hit our screens in 2001, starring Reece Witherspoon, and was made into a musical in 2007. Some films become questionable musicals but this particular show has been a hit around the world and is now a popular choice for amateur societies. It contains some great music and sticks pretty closely to the film’s original storyline.

I saw BOSSY’s opening night and the lead role of Elle Woods was played by Jess Richardson. It is not a phrase I often use but Jess completely owned the show. She was the perfect Elle in every way. She looked the part (her pink costumes were great throughout) and embodied the not-so-ditsy blonde who suddenly gets into law school and helps solve a murder case. I felt like I was watching a future West End star, and the same could also be said for Jamie Wilson who played Emmett. Jamie was very professional and he and Jess’s rendition of the song Legally Blonde was superb; their performance showed a maturity beyond their years.

Dillon Buckley as Professor Callaghan looked sharp in a smart suit and nailed the smarmy charm needed for the role. Although I think Blood in the Water is one of weaker songs in the show, he sang it well and has an excellent voice; I could hear a likeness to Michael Buble in places.

Grace Harrington played Paulette on the night I watched and she had a strong voice. I feel like her song Ireland could have had a little more direction in it, as it was a bit static at times, but she was likeable and developed a good character.

Lucy Green played the part of Vivian, who ends up engaged to Elle’s ex-boyfriend, and she was easy to dislike, which is the whole point of the part! Sam Johnson as Warner also did a good job - I think the whole show was very well cast. Of the three other law students on Elle’s course, Sophie Haywood as Enid stood out the most for me and the other supporting roles did well too. Elle’s girlfriends all had a good level of sass, although at times they were looking at the floor rather than at the audience. The Brentwood Theatre can be intimidating, with people sitting so close, so it takes an awful lot of guts to look them in the eye, and I’m sure this level of confidence will build over time.

I was most looking forward to seeing the song Whipped into Shape, mainly because whoever plays the part of Brooke Windham has to sing it whilst performing a full-on skipping routine. When I saw the show in the West End, it amazed me that the actress was still standing at the end of the number and I have to say, Beth Savill didn’t disappoint! She looked and sounded fantastic and I can only imagine how much stamina she had to have for the role. The dancers also did a great job in this number and I thought the choreography was very good, so well done to Katie Lawrence.

There are a lot of comical moments in the show but some of the main ones came courtesy of Michael Percival, who played UPS delivery guy Kyle very well, and also during the number There! Right There! (also known as Gay or European?). During this same scene in the courtroom, Oliver McDonagh and Devon Adams played exceedingly camp characters Carlos and Nicos. The boys were two of the youngest in the cast, but this didn’t stop them giving the parts 100%. It could be easy for young guys to feel embarrassed going all out in roles such as these but they didn’t hold back and rightly received huge laughs. Well done!

The set BOSSY used was very simple and I perhaps would’ve liked to have seen a bit more going on in places, but I understand the restrictions of the Brentwood Theatre, and the set they did use worked well. Unfortunately, there were some sound issues on the night I attended; several mics weren’t turned on in time and one was left on for a while backstage, which is always frustrating for the audience. The sound levels weren’t quite right at the beginning of the show as the band were too loud and then the mics seemed to be too loud to try and compensate, but this did settle down.

The chorus were clearly loving the show and I praise each and every one of them for getting up on stage. Much of the singing sounded great, but especially for the female chorus, a lot of the songs end quite high and belty and I think for their young voices, occasionally this was a bit too much of a stretch.

Overall for me, BOSSY did a really good job and the show was a pleasure to watch. Well done to all.

 

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