Post by ilovegrayshaw on Dec 20, 2009 11:09:00 GMT -5
Legally Blonde was always going to be a success on the stage, as a musical, because the film it’s based on is absolutely amazing. I loved Reese Withersthingy’s Elle so much that I was worried about how the role would come across on stage and I was not disappointed.
The show was amazing for a preview performance. It has some amazing songs in it and this cast brings the show wonderfully to life. The only thing that went wrong was that Bruiser came on and ran back off again. He then failed to bark when Amy carried him in her arms. I guess the dogs still need a little more training and this is something that will be sorted out prior to opening night.
I’m not going to say much about the show or the sets because it is still in previews and I want to leave most of the things as a surprise for people who have yet to see it. So I will focus mainly on the cast.
Here is how I rate the cast, in order of preference:
Sheridan Smith took on the role of Elle and made it her own. She has so much fun on stage that it is infectious and has the most amazing singing voice to go with it. Her performance was flawless and one of the best I have seen this year. I would definitely say she’s my favourite Elle now, even though she did look a little awkward as a bunny rabbit.
Susan McFadden was my second favourite performer. She plays Serena, who is one of Elle’s closest friends. Her facial expressions are perfect and she has an amazing stage presence. She was totally amazing to watch. My only criticism would be her vocal performance in Bend and Snap which seemed to lack power. But apart from that this girl is absolutely awesome and one of the most amazing performers ever.
Roxanne Palmer was an amazing Chutney because her acting amazed me. She has a wonderfully loud voice, which I feel is something that most performers need to acquire. The trial scene remains one of my favourite moments and the song about “the scene of the crime” brought a humongous great smile to my face. She was like Susan and Sheridan in the way she put loads of effort into her performance.
Jill Halfpenny has a really good singing voice and is great to watch. At times though she was inaudible, particularly towards the end (and I was three rows from the front). Her acting is amazing and she just really shines on that stage. Loved her.
Caroline Keiff IS Vivian. Her facial expressions are so right for the part and she looks like the character should. Her singing voice let me down because it was not quite what I remembered it being from her Wicked days. I loved her acting though and she’s a huge legend. I still love her.
Alex Gaumond was my favourite male member of the cast. He really got the emotion in the song ‘Legally Blonde’ – which surprisingly didn’t make me cry. His personality suited the part. I don’t like some of Emmett’s first songs so it took me a while to get used to him. After a while I grew quite fond of him.
Aoife Mulholland, as Brooke, let me down vocally. Her acting and dancing were perfect, however. I would have to see her again or in a larger role to really make a decision about her. I did warm to her though and I thought she really stood out when she was on stage.
Peter Davison was someone I never liked in The Last Detective. He seems to have his perfect role here though. He was another great performer – not one of the best though – and this show really is full of talent. It was incredibly hard to put the cast in a certain order.
The last cast member I am going to mention is Duncan James. I have missed a lot of the cast out because it is a large company and I only really have things to say about certain performers. Basically, he let me down. I thought he would have been better than he was. His acting and singing was mediocre.
I do, however, really recommend this show to people who want to have a fun day out. It will certainly make you happy and take you away from the real world for a couple of hours. It has some great sets and some hilariously funny scenes. Most of the songs are brilliant, although some songs like 'The Harvard Variations' kind of let me down. It also moves pretty quickly from one song to another. The sets are not as good as Broadway, with the lift Elle enters on not having the shopping bags around her. It is basically just a platform that rises. And the house exterior is also lacking some of the greatness of the Broadway one. I also noticed that, because some of the sets are small, they shorten the stage so that the far right section is not used. This would be very offputting and restrictive for those sitting on the right. The left hand side is definitely the better one to go for.
The show was amazing for a preview performance. It has some amazing songs in it and this cast brings the show wonderfully to life. The only thing that went wrong was that Bruiser came on and ran back off again. He then failed to bark when Amy carried him in her arms. I guess the dogs still need a little more training and this is something that will be sorted out prior to opening night.
I’m not going to say much about the show or the sets because it is still in previews and I want to leave most of the things as a surprise for people who have yet to see it. So I will focus mainly on the cast.
Here is how I rate the cast, in order of preference:
Sheridan Smith took on the role of Elle and made it her own. She has so much fun on stage that it is infectious and has the most amazing singing voice to go with it. Her performance was flawless and one of the best I have seen this year. I would definitely say she’s my favourite Elle now, even though she did look a little awkward as a bunny rabbit.
Susan McFadden was my second favourite performer. She plays Serena, who is one of Elle’s closest friends. Her facial expressions are perfect and she has an amazing stage presence. She was totally amazing to watch. My only criticism would be her vocal performance in Bend and Snap which seemed to lack power. But apart from that this girl is absolutely awesome and one of the most amazing performers ever.
Roxanne Palmer was an amazing Chutney because her acting amazed me. She has a wonderfully loud voice, which I feel is something that most performers need to acquire. The trial scene remains one of my favourite moments and the song about “the scene of the crime” brought a humongous great smile to my face. She was like Susan and Sheridan in the way she put loads of effort into her performance.
Jill Halfpenny has a really good singing voice and is great to watch. At times though she was inaudible, particularly towards the end (and I was three rows from the front). Her acting is amazing and she just really shines on that stage. Loved her.
Caroline Keiff IS Vivian. Her facial expressions are so right for the part and she looks like the character should. Her singing voice let me down because it was not quite what I remembered it being from her Wicked days. I loved her acting though and she’s a huge legend. I still love her.
Alex Gaumond was my favourite male member of the cast. He really got the emotion in the song ‘Legally Blonde’ – which surprisingly didn’t make me cry. His personality suited the part. I don’t like some of Emmett’s first songs so it took me a while to get used to him. After a while I grew quite fond of him.
Aoife Mulholland, as Brooke, let me down vocally. Her acting and dancing were perfect, however. I would have to see her again or in a larger role to really make a decision about her. I did warm to her though and I thought she really stood out when she was on stage.
Peter Davison was someone I never liked in The Last Detective. He seems to have his perfect role here though. He was another great performer – not one of the best though – and this show really is full of talent. It was incredibly hard to put the cast in a certain order.
The last cast member I am going to mention is Duncan James. I have missed a lot of the cast out because it is a large company and I only really have things to say about certain performers. Basically, he let me down. I thought he would have been better than he was. His acting and singing was mediocre.
I do, however, really recommend this show to people who want to have a fun day out. It will certainly make you happy and take you away from the real world for a couple of hours. It has some great sets and some hilariously funny scenes. Most of the songs are brilliant, although some songs like 'The Harvard Variations' kind of let me down. It also moves pretty quickly from one song to another. The sets are not as good as Broadway, with the lift Elle enters on not having the shopping bags around her. It is basically just a platform that rises. And the house exterior is also lacking some of the greatness of the Broadway one. I also noticed that, because some of the sets are small, they shorten the stage so that the far right section is not used. This would be very offputting and restrictive for those sitting on the right. The left hand side is definitely the better one to go for.
