Legally Blonde The Musical Junior

Taking a new direction is always a courageous decision for a theatre company, but with ‘Legally Blonde the Musical Jr’ SNADS demonstrated that they can meet any challenge with energy, determination and teamwork. ‘Courageous’ is the term which best describes this production: courageous girls playing the male leads with aplomb; courageous to be the only male actor in the entire show; courageous young directors for daring to tackle such a hugely ambitious project; and a courageous SNADS committee for letting them try. 

The pink set was solidly built, with a sturdy staircase on either side of a central doorway, and a banner to indicate that we were at Harvard University.  Lighting changes were subtly effective.  Costume helped to unify the ensemble and to facilitate Elle’s numerous wardrobe changes; Callahan wore an exceptionally smart silk suit.  The Sound department dominated the production, so that songs and speech were often lost.  Take care also to remember the importance of clarity and projection as you focus on achieving an American accent. 

Principal songs, although often overwhelmed by the volume of the music, were delivered enthusiastically, with Elle’s songs a particular highlight.  Ensemble singing with a majority of immature and inexperienced, untrained voices, inevitably leaves room for improvement, but everyone committed to their songs and gave their all.

Characterisation amongst the company was generally fair.  The relationship between Elle and a convincingly lively Brooke was clearly drawn, as was that with the feckless but charming Paulette. Vivienne was the bossy, sulky girl whom the audience loved to hate.  Emmett presented exactly the right blend of sweetness and sparkle.  The characters of Warner, Callahan and Kyle were tackled fearlessly as they each adapted to moving and speaking in a masculine style.  Chutney coped well with her untamed perm and enjoyed maliciously maligning her stepmother.  Bruiser deserves credit for looking cute and wearing a dog costume in a heatwave.  Playing the pivotal character of Elle Woods is a huge task, tackled here with maturity, commitment, energy, and youthful skill: a young performer well on her way to becoming an accomplished singer and actor, Elle entranced and entertained us throughout with her irrepressible energy.

With so many completely new to the stage (a company of twenty-four youngsters) the ensemble singing and dancing may have lacked polish, and acting skills will develop with experience, but this was an entertaining, amusing and uplifting event, well-supported by the local community. Director Sophia Olford and Choreographer Lina Felsa had created a great ensemble atmosphere, with a lovely sense of girly togetherness in the Delta-Nu inmates of the sorority house, which fed into the group-work of law school students, beauty stylists, dancers and law school alumni: everyone was keen, committed and focused.

Whatever their ability, each person was fully-engaged in the dance numbers, and we appreciated the endearing quality of carrying on regardless of any minor errors: Paulette and Kyle had fun with the Irish jig; the Bend and Snap routine was energetically dangerous for anyone who got in the way; ‘Whipped into Shape’ was an impressive demonstration of physical fitness as Brooke led the company in simultaneous singing and skipping.

The overwhelming impression was of the youthful energy of the company and of optimism for the future of amateur theatre in Sturminster Newton.  It is an impressive feat for a rural company to rustle up so many youngsters, drawn from near and far, engage them fully in the project and pull it all together: SNADS is what community theatre is all about.

Congratulations to you all for some impressive teamwork and for rising to a new challenge.

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