Legally Blonde at the Empress

Yesterday I went to a matinee performance of Legally Blonde at the Empress Theatre and it was a really fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Elle Woods (Andey Samhain), a fashion merchandising student at UCLA, is sure that her boyfriend Werner Huntington III (KC Cook) is about to propose but he breaks up with her instead.  He is going to Harvard Law School and needs a more serious girl for the future he imagines.  She decides to prove him wrong and succeeds in getting into to Harvard Law School but no one there takes her seriously, especially the notoriously difficult Professor Callahan (Matthew Black) and Werner's new girlfriend Vivienne Kensington (Mackenzie Haslam).  A teaching assistant named Emmett Forrest (Jake Oaklyn) and a beautician named Paulette Bonafonte (Mya Sanchez) show her that she has what it takes to be a lawyer and she eventually gets an acquittal for her client, fitness guru Brooke Wyndham (Charity Jones).  The story is pretty faithful to the 2001 movie of the same name (except for a silly subplot involving Paulette's dream of meeting a handsome Irishman).  I am usually not a fan of turning a popular movie into a musical because I think they are very contrived but, despite the fact that the action gets bogged down a bit in the second act, I actually liked a lot of the songs.  My favorites were "What You Want," "Positive," "Blood in the Water," "Chip On My Shoulder," and "Whipped Into Shape."  I really liked the use of Elle's sorority sisters, Serena (Alayna Bria), Margot (Bridges Eatchel), and Pilar (Kimberly Webb-Zimmerman), as a Greek Chorus whenever she needs inspiration.  The choreography by Ashley Lynn Loewer is a lot of fun and the cast is very enthusiastic in executing it.  The stage has been transformed by Candice Jorgensen into a Harvard University courtyard with brick walls, the law school insignia, and photos of notable women in the legal profession (my favorite was Ruth Bader Ginsburg).  Pink metallic door curtains are located in the balcony where the Greek Chorus appears and set pieces for the classroom, court room, and beauty parlor are brought on and off stage as needed.  The preppy costumes worn by the law school students are a great contrast with the vibrant pink of Elle's wardrobe.  The best part of this show, in my opinion, is Samhain's performance because she is absolutely perfect as the irrepressible Elle.  I also want to give a shout-out to Chip who plays Bruiser because he is adorable (and so well-behaved!).  I had a great time watching this show and I recommend it to fans of the movie (go here for tickets).

Note:  I've noticed that the Empress often casts their shows without regard to race, gender, or body type.  I find it very refreshing!