Would a Legally Blonde Revival be a bad idea?

[singer234]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 10:23am

With everything that’s been happening in the world lately between Kavenaugh and #metoo, I can’t help but think that both the film and the musical were a bit ahead of their time. Something tells me with a really smart director and a grounded approach, a Legally Blonde revival could be really beautiful right now, especially for young women. Thoughts? Am I nuts?

[Rainah]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 10:48am

Someday? Heck yeah. Love that show. Right now? I wouldn't. It's not just about timely message (And the "sexually assaulted by her boss" bit is such a small part of the greater message of the show) but marketing, demographics, what else is currently playing, how long it's been since it's closed, etc

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 10:58am

I’m not sure if now is the best time for one, it is regularly performed, well, everywhere. If it did happen, I would welcome it.

Legally Blonde is my favorite bubblegum show - I think it’s damn near perfect and a great star vehicle.

It is timely and it is more relevant than ever. “Girls it’s a fact when you’re attacked you’ve got to respond!”

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 10:59am

IMO it was a pretty mediocre show the first time around; unless they reworked the book and the score dramatically (liked redid), I can't imagine it being any more successful than it was the first time around.  

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 11:02am

Sweet Jesus, please God no.

[JBC3]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 11:22am

^ this

[starcatchers]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 11:46am

It’s going back out on tour. I just got an email from Backstage.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 11:53am

With LEGALLY BLONDE 3 apparently in the works, it wouldn’t make sense for them to try to make some cash from this show.

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:02pm

I thought Laura bell bundy was the perfect Elle. I cant think of anyone who would be as good.

[Loopin’theloop]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:05pm

Jordan Catalano said: "With LEGALLY BLONDE 3 apparently in the works, it wouldn’t make sense for them to try to make some cash from this show. "

Wouldn’t? 

[Sunny11]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:09pm

There was allready a third legally blonde film; about twin high school girls. Are they forgetting that it exists ?

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:09pm

This show only looks good now because of all the bad movie to musical adaptations that have happened since the original run, but it was pretty mediocre at the time and it still is now. It's a regional show at heart that can be done at a performance art-geared high school. The book took what was a nice and charming film into a bloated mess, it doesn't understand how law school works, Elle is more pathetic in this version and one-note, and Paulette is just a shrill running joke. It has its moments, but I can think of 20 shows I rather see revived. And LOL at this being a "feminist" show to revive in the face of Kavanaugh. No thanks. Also, Laura Bell Bundy robbed Kristin Chenoweth of a Tony nomination.

Now with that said, I agree with the OP that the material is actually there. If they were allowed to totally revamp the book and tweak the score and rewrite Elle a bit, I think a more grounded approach could actually make this show rise a few levels in quality. 

Updated On: 10/6/18 at 12:09 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:13pm

Loopin’theloop said: "Jordan Catalano said: "With LEGALLY BLONDE 3 apparently in the works, it wouldn’t make sense for them to try to make some cash from this show. "

Wouldn’t?"

WOULD. Damn spellcheck 

[singer234]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:44pm

Oh yeah, I definitely envision an overhauled production. Ellle is a really beautiful character and I think this material has the potential to be crafted into something quite interesting. Small scale. I would want no sort of pandering to the problems our society is dealing with, just a more deeply written female character that is trying to succeed in the face of many real obstacles.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 1:12pm

singer234 said: "Oh yeah, I definitely envision an overhauled production. Ellle is a really beautiful character and I think this material has the potential to be crafted into something quite interesting. Small scale. I would want no sort of pandering to the problems our society is dealing with, just a more deeply written female character that is trying to succeed in the face of many real obstacles."

When you put it that way, I'd support a revival. Seriously.

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 3:46pm

I've always thought Legally Blonde is vastly underrated. Sure, it's fluffy and peppy, but it's also self-aware about its silliness and, as others have said, has a pretty complicated, interesting female character at its heart. We talk so much about wanting characters who aren't one-dimensional stereotypes, and I for one think Elle is definitely one that deserves a second look.

Also, it's a small thing, but I felt like this musical was the rare show that expands on movie storylines in a positive way, rather than a time-filling way. Emmett's relationship with Elle was infinitely better and more detailed in the musical, whereas it was kind of a cute throwaway just implied in the movie until the last scene.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 5:07pm

"I thought Laura bell bundy was the perfect Elle. I cant think of anyone who would be as good."

Sheridan Smith in the London production was 1000x better (as was the London production on the whole). I thought it was cute on Broadway, but they really tightened up the show in London, cast a lead female that could deliver a true star turn performance, and scaled down the physical production a bit to fit a more appropriate size space for the show. The show's full potential was realized and it was pure classic musical comedy. A revival could be gold, but it would need a perfect storm of cast, director, choreographer and theater. The first Broadway production was only about 75% there. I think the book and score improve on the source material and the London cast recording is definitely one of my most often played.

[Princeton2]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 5:23pm

I wasn't a massive fan of Laura as Elle but she was a million times better than Sheridan who was so miscast. She was nothing like a California valley girl and basically played her slightly ladette self. It was the Sheridan show. It was vastly better with her replacements.

I did think the production itself was better in London though, Broadway was a bit overblown.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 5:35pm

Ages be damned, the more of "The Good Place" I watch, the more I really want an NBC Live production with Kristen Bell as Elle, William Jackson Harper as Emmett, Ted Danson as Callahan, Jameela Jamil as Vivianne, Manny Jacinto as Kyle, and D'Arcy Carden as Paulette. Hopefully featuring cameos by Maya Rudolph, Marc Evan Jackson and Jason Mantzoukas.

[IloveNYC2]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 8:57pm

Sheridan won the Olivier Award. yes so miscast  

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/8/18 at 12:40am

It's touring in the spring, so? 

Posted: 10/8/18 at 10:17am

In a way, I thought it spoke volumes Laura Bell Bundy was nominated for Outstanding Actress (Musical) yet the show itself didn't receive an Outstanding Musical nomination.  Just my thoughts. 

[Loopin’theloop]

Posted: 10/8/18 at 11:21am

IloveNYC2 said: "Sheridan won the Olivier Award. yes so miscast"

 

She was miscast, she in no way could make you believe that she was a rich socialite Malibu princess. BUT the show still worked better with her than it did on Broadway because she had star quality and above everything else she was funny. Laura Bell Bundy was nowhere close to mining the laughs that Sheridan did and it was in Londob that the show made sense, it was suddenly clear to everyone that it was a contemporary version of an old fashioned musical comedy. The Broadway production took itself too seriously in several moments and the overblown sets did nothing to focus on the heart of the show.  

Sheridan Smith found a way of making the show work for her in same way that someone like Ethel Merman made several of her roles work for her. She used what she was good at, that stuff that made her individual and she built her performance around it. That’s what stars used to do. That’s how old fashioned vehicles were created. Ethel Merman spoke in her own accent as Annie Oakley and sand lullaby’s as though she was an electric drill but by all accounts, she was thrilling to watch.

We unfortunately have so few people like that anymore, you only need think of ‘Hello, Dolly!’ and the revolving door of personality casting it had in its original run. There are so few people with marquee value who can do that sort of show now. We have most certainly come on leaps and bounds in the standard of acting, within musicals but it has also whiped the odd ball personalities and the quirky singing voices. They are so few and far between. Sheridan Smith was so refreshing because she could’ve been transported straight from a 1950s production. What she lacked in vocal finesse/the suspension of disbelief we had to employ to imagine her as having the correct heritage vanished in minutes of her performance. 

 

 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/8/18 at 12:48pm

Another reason I wasn't as concerned about Sheridan precisely fitting the Malibu stereotype stems from how the character was written. Elle has far more heart and compassion and a bit more intelligence than the more commonly known stereotype which allows the audience to root for her from the start. If you overplay the stereotype, the audience will have to work a bit harder to care about her. That was part of the problem for me with Bundy (her liberal use of botox was a constant distraction as well). To me, Sheridan's Elle was more balanced and the character's arc was more credible.

Whether Sheridan would be considered miscast is sort of irrelevant because, as Loopin'theloop mentions, she truly delivered a star performance the likes of which we rarely get to see. It's just a shame that Broadway didn't get the chance to see how great the show could be.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/8/18 at 1:16pm

Sheridan Smith is a massive talent who makes every project a delight, but has yet to find a perfect star vehicle custom-made for her.

Laura Bell Bundy, while pleasant and with maybe a more conservatory-perfect singing voice, had nowhere near the sheer charisma and appeal and JOY Smith brings.