Why is Legally Blonde so popular in high schools?

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:03am

I swear every year there is a high school, college or community theatre doing this in my city. It's not even that good. It was only on broadway for a year, won no awards. I don't get why it's so popular. Someone told me that it's currently one of the most popular musicals for high schools to do.  Why is it so big in high schools?

Updated On: 4/21/16 at 11:03 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:07am

You're kidding, right?  

- it's fun

- it's a money maker 

-gads of female parts

-it's contemporary

 

We did it 4 or so years ago when the rights first became available.  Can't tell you how many schools we've leant costumes to.

 

Updated On: 4/21/16 at 11:07 AM

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:13am

dramamama611 said: "You're kidding, right?  

- it's fun

- it's a money maker 

-gads of female parts

-it's contemporary

 

We did it 4 or so years ago when the rights first became available.  Can't tell you how many schools we've leant costumes to.

 

 

"

 

I wonder why it didn't do better on broadway for those reasons considering it's so popular for high schools to do. I guess I get the female parts thing.

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:15am

There is a major difference between observing Broadway commercial viability of a show and the feasibility/interest in mounting a show on a regional/school level. Two completely different ballparks.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:18am

Many shows are better fits for high schools than they are for Broadway. I don't mean that as a judgement against the quality of the shows themselves, but as Dramamamma mentioned, there are certain qualities that high schools look for when picking a musical, which have little to no bearing on how marketable or well-recieved the show might have been in its initial run. 

[phan24]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:37am

Believe it or not, the three most produced high school shows are The Addams Family (<1 year Bway run), Shrek (~1 year), and Legally Blonde (~1.5 years) I think it is the fun aspect of these shows that make them popular, rather than the critical response during their Broadway bow.

Here's the list of most produced shows: http://www.playbill.com/article/can-you-guess-the-most-performed-high-school-musicals-com-384163

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:43am

Legally Blonde was selling many seats but the theatre it was in is too big. When they moved it to London it was s big hit, scaled down and got a good review in London from the NY times, it also won the Olivier award for best musical 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 12:12pm

And what do those 3 shows have in common?  Name recognition...not for their b'way show.  It will bring people in to see it....because they know the title. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   is a concern for high schools too.  

[sarahb22]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 12:37pm

A high school in my area is doing "High School Musical."  Did that even run on Broadway?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 12:44pm

It did not play Broadway but Disney did send out a national tour.

[JM226]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 1:46pm

sarahb22 said: "A high school in my area is doing "High School Musical."  Did that even run on Broadway?

 

"

 

you might be surprised to learn that there are THOUSANDS of musicals licensed out to schools and theatre companies every year that.... never played Broadway!!! *gasp* 

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 1:47pm

It's a great crowd-pleaser with showy parts for a variety of performers. It's definitely one of the best cash-grabbing name recognition adaptations out there.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 1:49pm

They put out the licensed version when the whole phenomenon was hot.  It's pretty awful, but the kids has a fabulous time.  (I had jr high kids do it.)

[finebydesign]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 2:07pm

Except for that Gay or European crap the show is a pretty darn solid book musical.  

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 5:21pm

My production of LEGALLY BLONDE I directed is playing right now in a small town in WV and the run is completely SOLD OUT (which is a rare occurrence). People know and love the movie and therefore want to see the show. Many people coming had NO idea it even was a musical until they heard we were doing it. They couldn't care less how long it lasted on Broadway. We had a similar thing earlier this season when I did Fester in THE ADDAMS FAMILY.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 5:42pm

The one part of it I find godawful is the horrendous ballad version of the title song. One of the worst songs on Broadway in recent years honestly and that is saying something. The up-tempo reprise is so much better why even include the ballad?? 

[binau]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 6:19pm

finebydesign said: "Except for that Gay or European crap the show is a pretty darn solid book musical.  

 

"

I find it hilarious!!

 

[Ranger Tom]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 7:36pm

qolbinau said: "finebydesign said: "Except for that Gay or European crap the show is a pretty darn solid book musical.  "

I find it hilarious!!"

I agree.  It's a fun, clever number.  And, from the way it works out, I think the Europeans should be more offended.  

[GoblinKing2]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 5:17am

Cost and expectations.  My daughter was in the ensemble for her college's production of Legally Blonde and it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of theater.  The show itself is annoyingly and dreadfully predictable even if you aren't familiar with the source material, but it works at that level (my son loathed the show but loved watching the pretty girls).  No way could I imagine paying for three tickets at Broadway prices for it, regardless of what stars might be in it.


And sometimes really talented and charismatic kids can elevate otherwise borderline material.  The four girls in our community theater's production of Little Women had performed together for years in the high school's competitive show choir and had amazing chemistry (of course I'm biased as my daughter was one of them).  Still, I would have loved to see those same four girls together in any show, maybe something like Steel Magnolias, which I otherwise might find excruciating. 

Updated On: 4/22/16 at 05:17 AM

Posted: 4/22/16 at 8:54am

Personally, I really like the show. I think it just came in a very competitive season.

[bfreak]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 9:18am

phan24 said: "Believe it or not, the three most produced high school shows are The Addams Family (<1 year Bway run), Shrek (~1 year), and Legally Blonde (~1.5 years) I think it is the fun aspect of these shows that make them popular, rather than the critical response during their Broadway bow.

Here's the list of most produced shows: http://www.playbill.com/article/can-you-guess-the-most-performed-high-school-musicals-com-384163

 

The Addams Family actually ran between 1.5-2 years on Broadway.

 

[JM226]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 9:22am

It ran from April 8th, 2010 to December 31, 2011. that's not two years... 

[bfreak]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 9:36am

I said between a year and a half and 2 years which fits exactly in that range. It certainly didn't last less than one year.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 1:32pm

I'm curious Broadway Bob as to how you presented that "gay" sequence. I saw a local production last month and had no problem with the plot line where Elle busts the gay character for being homosexual by testing her "Elle picking up something from the floor" routine in an overly sexual manner and not getting any response from him. I found it  clever and non offensive. What did bother me was at the end of the scene as they changed scenery the orchestra broke out in a dance arrangement and both the gay character and his boyfriend effeminately ran into each others arms swishing along the way. Ending up with one of the characters jumping up on the others crotch region with his legs wrapped around his groin. I'm too lazy to dig up my home recorded DVD of the televised Broadway production but is this scene actually in the script and how are you presenting it?