Review: LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL at Starlight Theatre

Most Broadway series presentations at Kansas City’s Starlight Theatre consist of touring shows with the exception of one, traditional, locally-crafted production each year.  This year’s winning presentation is LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL and Starlight audiences win too.   This new production is as excellently performed as anything you might see in New York.

Broadway veteran Carrie St. Louis is Starlight’s Elle Woods.  She is super in the role.  St. Louis is cute and bubbly, but no dumb bunny with a huge mezzo-soprano voice that dominates a theater with eight thousand seats.  She is also a determined and skilled dancer.

This incarnation of LEGALLY BLONDE requires a cast of Broadway belters and this huge cast fills the entire playbill and almost everybody gets a chance to belt.   Music and lyrics were written by the team Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin with a libretto by Heather Hach.

LEGALLY BLONDE is based on a film of the same name and an earlier novel by Attorney Amanda Brown.  In a way, LEGALLY BLONDE is similar to DIRTY DANCING in that the story is broadly based on Brown’s own law school experience with a big-time university law program.

The show follows the journey of Elle Woods, a sorority girl from Malibu, who sets out to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner, by attending Harvard Law School. She faces skepticism and prejudice from her peers, Elle uses her determination, intelligence, and her unique approach to overcome obstacles and prove that she is much more than just a pretty face.

The musical features catchy songs, energetic dance numbers, and a humorous and empowering storyline. Some of the well-known songs from the show include "Omigod You Guys," "Bend and Snap," and "Legally Blonde." The show combines elements of comedy, romance, and self-discovery, exploring themes of female empowerment, friendship, and the importance of staying true to oneself.

Starlight’s production of LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL is directed and choreographed by Nikki Snelson, the actor who played the Brooke Wyndham character in the original Broadway company.

The musical play follows the non-musical film very closely.  In both, the comedy is very broadly drawn.   The playwrights have taken specific jokes from the film and expanded them into complete songs and dances.  The result is the audience knows what is coming and they get to enjoy the joke all over again.

Everybody in Starlight’s LEGALLY BLONDE is outstanding plus Starlight enjoys the dual opportunities of expanding the cast to include a passel of young Kansas City actors and  fully utilize its magnificent, sixty-five foot wide proscenium stage.

The cast features Soara-Joye Ross as Paulette, Elle’s lovelorn hairdresser friend. Edward Watts is Professor Callahan, Elle’s professor/lecherous boss.  Luke Hamilton is Warner, Elle’s former boyfriend.  Lisa deGuzman is Vivienne, Elle’s classmate and Warner’s new girlfriend.  Jessica Crouch is fitness guru and murder suspect Brooke Wyndham.  Gerald Caesar is Emmet, Elle’s teaching assistant friend and eventually supervising attorney.   I don’t always mention all the principal actors in a big cast, but these guys are all exceptionally top-notch.  Any one of them would be excellent as the primary lead in any popular musical theater piece. 

LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL is a spirited and comedic stage adaptation that celebrates female empowerment and challenges stereotypes while delivering an enjoyable and uplifting experience for audiences.  The play itself is not unforgettable, but these performances make it worth your time and the price of a ticket to ride.

The original Broadway production of LEGALLY BLONDE ran for 750 performances. The Starlight Theatre production continues through July 13.  Tickets are available at the Starlight box office, online, and by telephone at 816-363-7827.

Starlight Photos by Josh Chaikin.