Review: LEGALLY BLONDE at Artscape Is Fun, Frothy and Fierce

LEGALLY BLONDE needs little introduction: based on the cult-classic movie of the early 2000s, the story follows blonde bombshell Elle Woods to Harvard Law School as she attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III.  However, Elle’s love story ends up being about so much more than ‘getting the boy’. Indeed, I imagine the character’s discovery of the law is what inspired many women to attend law school – it certainly contributed to my own decision to go. And, in November 2020, while gutted from a break-up and attempting to study for my second-year exams (at home because COVID), it was my daily blasting of the LEGALLY BLONDE Musical soundtrack that got me through it. Suffice to say, this musical has a special place in my heart. To see it live (finally!) was such a treat – and Pinelands Players really did it justice (see what I did?).

Note that this production has two casts: the Legal Cast and the Blonde Cast. While the ensemble is the same for both casts, the principals alternate. This review is written about the Legal Cast.

Christine Thonissen as Elle is exceptional. Her voice is clear as a bell and perfectly hits each note of her challenging songs. She makes for a quirky, adorable, gutsy, spunky, strong Elle. Her American accent is seamless and her dancing, acting, and singing are equally fabulous. Indeed, this role is exhausting: Elle is onstage virtually the entire show and features in almost every number. This requires substantial stamina and Thonissen aces it. I would have liked to have seen her lean more fully into Elle’s vulnerable, more tender moments to balance out her excellent comedic timing.

Noah de Villiers, who normally plays Emmett Forest in the Blonde Cast, stood in for Michael Squitieri the night I attended as the latter was ill. Emmett, Elle’s adorably nerdy love interest, is a wonderful but difficult role with very high songs. De Villiers knocks them out of the park. I adored his Emmett: endearingly earnest, shy and gentle, while communicating the character’s conviction and resilience. His voice is spectacular, as is his characterisation. I have seen de Villiers perform various times and he is consistently brilliant. He is definitely a stand-out.

Without writing essays on each of the leads, they must all be mentioned. Paulette, Elle’s beautician and friend, is played with aplomb by Tamith Hattingh. Hattingh’s spot-on comedic timing provides much of the comedy in the show and we root for her from the get-go. Her acting is matched by a powerful voice – she is fabulous. Simon Thompson’s portrayal makes for the perfect Warner Huntington III: arrogant, smooth, self-serving, and perfectly chiselled. He does an excellent job of playing the guy we love to hate, and his performance in “Serious” in particular is brutally hilarious. Barend van der Westhuizen’s booming baritone crafts a formidable Professor Callahan – his “Blood in the Water” is a highlight. He doubles up as Musical Director and has clearly got the very best from his fellow-performers. I really enjoyed seeing van der Westhuizen thrive in his portrayal of this merciless character.

Helen Maslin as Vivienne Kensington, Warner’s new girlfriend, has a larger-than-life soprano belt and owns her performance as Elle’s nemesis. She is delightfully catty. Last but not least is Megan Chetty as Brooke Wyndham. Brooke is by far the most physically demanding role: she requires belting out a number while performing a complex dance routine involving a skipping rope. While Chetty’s microphone unfortunately failed the night I watched, I was seated close enough to the stage to be able to hear her. She hardly broke a sweat and made the number look easy – no simple feat.

I love that Pinelands Players spares nothing in this musical: we get adorable dogs; impressive, large-scale, rotating sets; and the full, musical experience. Chad Findlay deserves kudos for his excellent set-design. The standard of this show is incredibly high and is one of the best community theatre productions I have seen. Only two things detracted from the quality. First, there are quite a few sound issues. Unfortunately, the microphones were quite spotty and, as mentioned above, sometimes failed completely. This is a pity because it means we lose precious dialogue and singing. If the microphone issues are not resolved, then I would urge the performers to be even more careful with their diction, to give the audience every opportunity to hear their deliveries. Secondly, the set changes were a bit noisy, slow and clunky. At times, this resulted in the dipping of pace and could be tightened. Granted, I attended opening night so these issues might very well have been sorted out by now.

One of my favourite things about LEGALLY BLONDE is that the ensemble and smaller parts are given just as much time to shine as the leads. There are so many delicious moments (some of my favourite parts of the show) which are delivered by smaller roles or by members of the ensemble. It’s clear that the cast is having so much fun, and that joy is infectious. Indeed, I must mention two of my favourites: Kameron Steyl as Serena, one of Elle’s sorority sisters, is incredible – her stage presence and sassy, cheerleader-attitude is as ferocious as her voice. Tian Landman’s role in “There! Right there!” made me belly-laugh for ages. He commands the stage and his facial expressions and accent are flawless.

Kyla Thorburn’s directorial vision shines through in this production: the show is tight, polished, and cohesive. She has done a superb job at successfully staging this highly ambitious musical, as have van der Westhuizen as musical director, and the various chorographers. Pinelands Players’ sensational production more than commits to this musical: it dives headfirst into the opulence, the fun, and the froth – and it does it in pink!

LEGALLY BLONDE runs at Artscape from 3 to 18 February. Tickets are available via Webtickets and range between R250 and R295. The Legal Cast performs on: 3, 6, 8, 10 (matinee), 11, 14, 16, and 17 (evening) February. The Blonde Cast performs on 4, 7, 9, 10 (evening), 13, 15, 17 (matinee), and 18 February.

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