By Jessica Kennedy.
Omigod, you guys! Legally Blonde opened at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village, and will be running through August 25th. Directed by Antoinette Dipietropolo and based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture, this show is sure to both entertain and inspire!
The stage production of this story is quite like the infamous film featuring the lovely Reese Witherspoon as the incorrigible Elle Woods. When Elle, a fashion merchandising student and dedicated sorority girl, is dumped by her long time career driven boyfriend Warner, she is devastated. After a week or two of wallowing, she hatches a scheme to win him back. The plan is easy- get into Harvard (like it’s hard?) and show Warner that she can shed her Marilyn facade, and be the serious Jackie O he dreams of! What follows is a story dripping in pink, but also in girl power! Elle learns that being a Marilyn is not such a bad thing, and that she can use her brains to succeed in a male-dominated industry, while not shying away from her more glamorous assets.
Not only is the plot of this play a perfect blend of fun and feisty, it is also well cast and executed. Not often does a full cast hit the mark as well as this one does (and that is saying a lot when they have the renditions of Selma Blair and Luke Wilson to compete with). Elle, played charmingly by Kirby Lunn, is believable as both the sorority ditz and the serious law student- her transformation feels genuine and natural. Her main men- Warner Huntington III (Jordan Litz) and Emmett Forrest (Tyler Miclean)- compliment her perfectly, while showing off their own impressive skills in songs like “Serious” and “Take It Like a Man.” Paulette (Jill Taylor Anthony) is endearing and lovable- you root for her to “find her Brendan,” and laugh out loud as she pines over Kyle (Jamie Farish) and tries to impress with the infamous “Bend and Snap.” Elle’s sorority gal pals- portrayed as a Greek Chorus to guide her while at Harvard- are full of energy, and make the scenes they are in dynamic and diverting. Even the bad guys of the storyline, Professor Callahan (David Engel) and Vivienne Kensington (Marie Eife), are smartly cast and fit their roles devilishly well. In addition to clever casting, credit to Michael Cassara, the whole production works together to create a performance which feels effortless despite its complexity. While both Elle and Emmett have some dramatic costume changes, they are executed- sometimes right on stage- in the blink of an eye! The costumes themselves (carefully curated by Travis Chinick and Kurt Alger) are copious, but work beautifully to tell the story of Elle’s journey. Additionally, the set design, provided by Front Row Theatrical, adds energy and movement to each scene as it seamlessly shifts from the Delta Nu house, to the Harvard Campus, to the courtroom! All of these elements combine to create a show that unabashedly celebrates beauty, brains, and blondes!