Blackpool Winter Gardens – until 9 March 2024
Reviewed by Debra Skelton
5*****
‘Bend and Snap’ is what you will be practising after seeing this production.
Legally Blonde has landed at the Winter Gardens Blackpool and will be showing until Saturday 9th March.
This musical is by Encore Productions with their first amateur production in association with Blackpool Entertainment Company and directed by Katie Edgar.
As Legally Blonde is a film that both my daughter and I have enjoyed together, I was really looking forward to seeing how this was portrayed on the stage and the only word I can say is AMAZING. As many of the cast were local talent and taking to the Opera House stage for the first time this made it even more special.
Legally Blonde the musical tells the story of Elle Woods journey from UCLA’s Delta Nu sorority house to her graduation from Harvard Law School.
The story begins with Elle expecting her boyfriend Warner Huntington lll to propose but instead breaks up with her saying he needs a serious girlfriend if he is to get a seat in the Senate. Elle does not accept this so follows him to Harvard where she is accepted after bursting into Harvard’s admission office with cheerleaders revealing she is motivated by love.
Unfortunately, Elle is only accepted by law-teaching assistant Emmett Forrest but even he cannot protect her from the intimidating Professor Callahan who kicks her out of class after being suggested by Warner’s dark-haired girlfriend, Vivienne.
Believing she needs to be a brunette, Elle visits Hair Affair salon and meets beautician Paulette. Whilst there, Vivienne invites Elle to a ‘costume party’ which she attends dressed inappropriately as a playboy Bunny. She leaves the party deflated and runs into Emmett who convinces her to assess her priorities which results in Elle winning one of the coveted internship positions. This however is marred by Warner proposing to Vivienne and her acceptance, but Elle realises she needs to believe in herself and that she needs no man to feel accepted in the world.
The case they are to work on is the accusation against fitness queen Brooke Wyndham of killing her billionaire husband. They meet with Brook in jail who refuses to disclose her alibi and dismisses the team, however she realises Elle is her Delta Nu sisters so tells her the alibi with which she needs to keep a secret. This causes friction within the group so Elle decides a makeover for Emmett will improve his chances of impressing Callahan.
As Elle is in the salon, Kyle, a sexy UPS courier, walks in delivering a package to Paulette who is in awe of him but does not make a move on him. This is where we are introduced to the ‘Bend and Snap’ dance move which Paulette does use on Kyle but accidentally breaks his nose.
At the trial, the pool boy Nikos claims he was having an affair with Brooke but after Elle does the ‘Bend and Snap’ dance move, she proves he is gay which is corroborated by his boyfriend Carlos. This impresses Callahan and later in his office, he makes a move on her which is not reciprocated so he fires her resulting in Elle preparing to go home.
After being convinced by Vivienne and Enid to stay, Elle puts on a pink dress and heads back to the courtroom where Brooke fires Callaghan and hires Elle. Brookes stepdaughter Chutney is next on the stand who claims she was in the shower when the murder occurred, however Elle proves otherwise based on the fact that Chutney had had a perm that day so would not have showered as it would flatten it with Chutney finally breaking down and confessing to the murder.
Three years later we see Elle as valedictorian of her class with a proposal from Emmett which she accepts and as for ‘Bend and Snap’ Paulette, she marries Kyle and is pregnant with her third child.
As to the cast, I would normally write a little something about the main cast but for this show, the whole cast was just stunning with their dancing, choreography, enthusiasm, and you could tell from the vibe of the audience that I was not the only one who thought this.
The production also needs special thanks to Andy Batty and UK Productions for creating such an adaptable set, Stuart Shawcross for the wonderful sound, Ben Rooney for the lighting, Natalie Pollard for the streamlined choreography and the wardrobe team.
This is a show not to be missed.