I never thought I would end up seeing Legally Blonde: The Musical. I had never seen the movie before, and I didn’t plan to, because as a guy, I thought it was too girly. So, when it was announced JCCC was going to do this, I was understandably hesitant about seeing it. But, when I actually sat down to experience the musical for the first time, by the end of it, my expectations were shattered.
Legally Blonde tells the story of Elle Woods, (Hannah Olberding) who, after being dumped by her boyfriend Warner, goes to Harvard Law and sets out to win him back while juggling being a good law student and trying to find her purpose in life.
This musical had a lot of good things going for it.
Firstly, I found myself relating a lot to Elle and her problems. A few years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But now, I know for a fact I want to do something in journalism after taking a class in high school and getting unlimited support from that.
Also, I enjoyed the dialogue. I chuckled quite a bit at some of the lines. But most importantly, every transition from words to song felt like it mattered because I was so invested in the plot, and every song helped advance the plot, except for maybe two or so. The songs were very good, because they were catchy. The way the songs could flip from happy to sad was also something that kept me invested.
Finally, I have to mention the fact that the commitment that the actors bring to their roles, particularly Olberding as Elle, is very noticeable and appreciated.
Honestly speaking, there was not a lot I didn’t like about the musical. My only complaint with it would be its length. There were multiple times where I thought the musical would end way before it actually did, and whenever it got to that point, it was boring until a good part happened.
Everyone who watched the show seemed to enjoy it, including the people who saw it. When asked about her thoughts on the musical, one student said, “I thought it was really well done. I liked it a lot. My favorite part was probably when Elle dumped Warner and figured out she was going to do law as a full time thing.”
I’ve never been much of a technical theater person. But the usage of a smoke machine on Saturday intrigued me. So, I knew I had to ask a few questions.
The smoke machine was used during scene changes and dramatic points in the plot to provide special effects where there wouldn’t normally be some. It added a sense of mystery too, because the plot was unpredictable. Because of that, I felt like it was used in all the right spots.
Overall, I really enjoyed this musical. Maybe it was because I had matured and I was more open to it, but it was really good, and I would definitely recommend watching it.
Will Hadel, volunteer reporter