Legally Blonde

 

Woodseats MTC turn totally pink with their production of Legally Blonde, based on a true story of love and determination. The young lady fearing losing her boyfriend because in his eyes ,and his parents, she wasn’t bright enoughand wouldn’t be accepted , aspires to get to the top college Harvard to study law. With the help and guidance of new friends she realizes there is more to life than her desire for beauty and being blonde. Her new found drive to reach the top is cleverly told through the ups and downs of the musical with well written songs and script giving the performers ample scope to portray the story to their audience. On entering the auditorium we see a very clever but simplistic set, creating the vision of a narrowing series of proscenium with two doors upstage left and upstage right. Five windows are hanging with the young ladies within Nu Sorority House, chatting away. Chase lights edge all the four proscenium along with a flat back wall of white allowing the lighting team to alter the colours to fit the many and varying scenes. This production by Woodseats managed to have a large cast and my compliments to your director Sue Curr who cleverly utilized all the team in ways avoiding a visually overfilled stage. The spacing and shaping were well worked and along with your two choreographers Amber Parry and Lily Abram provided the vision for the actors to explore the scenes to a very good standard. Beautifully created dances, excellent use of the ladies in their white costumes with well thought out moves, from full ensemble groups to popping in and out , appearing and disappearing behind flats gave the audiences so much to enjoy. Sue Curr certainly provided a wealth of direction, whether it be as solo work, moments in the moving emotional scenes between performers, scenes at the hairdressers, scenes requiring a depth of emotion between Ellie and Emmett, thelarge group of ladies turning and displaying the letters. a heart followed by ELLE WOODS. Well done. Your musical director Dominic Ridler along with the orchestra played really well and compliments to his achievements with the cast for the quality of singing throughout the production.

The lighting by Chris Hanlon was excellent and with so many scene changes his clever vision of colour dependent on the mood certainly added depth and interest to the production, and with the impending works to the theatre removing the follow spot option he still managed to focus on the varying stage areas being performed in really well. The sound by Tom and Laura Olding sadly had a few technical issues which as the evening proceeded improved. We should always remember the cast rehearse for long periods but the technical teams have very little time, this being the absolute importance of dress and tech rehearsals. 

The costumes were well thought out with really imaginative use of colour and design, very apt for the time and production. Compliments to the stage constructors and design by Hansel D Rosa and Paul Curr and to your stage manager Alicia Manterfield who seamlessly organized the many scene changes utilizing cast and back stage to good effect.

Legally Blonde is centered around Elle Woods performed by Ellie Needham , whose character has to have the ability to be …. Oh look at me !!… to being sweet and innocent .. to being strong and all empowering .. along with a voice to deliver songs to the highest order .. undergo many costume changes…. Act out changes of emotion. You mastered this role and made it your own . Your solo of Find my Way, Serious with Warner, Take it like a Man with Emmett and Ensemble to name but a few, all delivered really well along with many memorable lines including …’ I want to be someone who wears black even when no one is dead’.  Emmett Forrest performed by Adam Walker, the quiet calming influence, full of encouragement and support for Ellie, with great singing and showing tenderness as the love between Elle and you developed. Beautiful scenes culminating in the court room scenes and resulting outcomes. Warner Huntington 11 performed by Jacob Boulton, another totally believable performance, firstly bowing down to what your parents would expect , being more concerned about what others may think rather than be yourself, then falling in and out of love with Vivienne, finally realizing the errors of your thoughts as Elle succeeds beyond your wildest dreams by which time its too late to win her back. Vivienne Kensington performed by Bethany Churcher,  a strong character part , falling for Warner then later realizing you were better without him, well performed scenes with Emmett , powerful singing in the salon and the courtroom an all round convincing performance. Paulette Bonafonte’ performed by Emily Germon , great performance within the Hair Affair Salon scenes with Ellie, your visual swooning over Kyle the UPS delivery guy , your beautiful delivery of songs and all round character acting , well done. Professor Callahan performed by Thomas Hay-Owens, a strong character part acted and sung to the highest order. Your strength of part and general all empowering demeanor ruined by over stepping the mark with Elle who later proved you wrong by her totally honest defence. Brooke Wyndham performed by Krystina Robinson, well you certainly lit up the stage with your exercise class. Your ability to sing and skip was excellent and along with the ensemble team around you all performing to the highest order,you ‘Whipped into Shape ‘. Compliments to you and all the ladies involved along with the interesting and inventive staging. Enid Hooper performed by Maddie Stones another well executed role, powerful acting and singing, I particularly enjoyed your scenes in the Hair Salon with the Legally Blonde number along with courtroom scenes and Blood in the Water number. Kyle O’Boyle performed by Matt Timms , you certainly made this part your own with disciplined strength in performance and glances to kill. Great fun culminating in winning the lady.

The Sorority girls, Margot by Lowri Anderson, Serena by Sarah Jenkinson-Ward and Pilar by Lilli Connelly, well done to you all, with excellent stage presence beautiful singing and dancing, you each fed off each other really well providing your audience with totally committed performances throughout. Delta Nu’s and Greek chorus Kate by Georgina Hartley-Willows and Gaelen by Lucy Keaton along with Eleanor Icke , Isabel Andrews, Jessica Anderson, Lydia Wood, Megan Leybourne and Rachel Wadsworth well done , with quality dances and singing , all giving excellent performances . 

This production with so many cameo roles was a pleasure to see, and whilst many of you not individually named takes nothing away from the level of performance achieved. The stand outs for me included the court scenes, classroom scene,Scene of crime, The re mix and more. 

I was grateful that I could see your dress rehearsal and know once you have an audience this production is going to be very well received and thoroughly enjoyed by you as cast.

It may seem that this review is full of glowing comments, well yes it is because that is what I felt it deserved.

Thank you Woodseats WMC for inviting me and your generous hospitality shown. I wish you all success for the run

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