Legitimate Theater: Legally Blonde (2007)

Legally Blonde

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Opening

With September rolling around, it's time to go back to school. For college students, that means preparing to get back to the books and prepare to follow your profession to your hearts' contempt. Among the shows that are most loving and embracing of the school system is Legally Blonde, which has remained a phenomenon for fans thanks to its professional recording and the upbeat songs that are as enjoyable as they are witty. Everything about this show puts you in the mood for learning, and it feels like the perfect way to kick things off as school rolls back around. Does Elle Woods do as well on stage as she does in her film franchise? Depending on who you are, that answer may be yes. 

A Quick Background

Tony Nominations: 7 nominations including Best Book of a Musical

Based on: Legally Blonde (2001)

Music: Neil Benjamin, Laurence O'Keefe

Lyrics: Neil Benjamin, Laurence O'Keefe

Book: Heather Hach

Prominent Actors: Laura Bell Bundy, Christian Borle, Orfeh, Michael Rupert, Richard H. Blake

Soundtrack

1. "Omigod You Guys"

2. "Serious"

3. "What You Want"

4. "The Harvard Variations"

5. "Blood in the Water"

6. "Positive" 

7. "Ireland"

8. "Ireland (Reprise)"

9. "Serious (Reprise)"

10. "Chip On My Shoulder"

11. "So Much Better"

12. "Whipped Into Shape"

13. "Take It Like a Man"

14. "Bend and Snap"

15. "There! Right! There!"

16. "Legally Blonde"

17. "Legally Blonde Remix"

18. "Find My Way/Finale"

Note: Listen to the music here

Song Exploration

Opening Song:
"Omigod You Guys"

Considering that this is a crossection between the giddy blonde stereotypes and the collegiate status of lawyers, it makes sense to open with a song that's plenty enthusiastic and silly. The way that encapsulates plot works pretty effectively and does so with the familiar upbeat positivity of Elle Woods on the verge of being married. Even the way that it breaks down towards the middle to reveal that she's not even in the song shows a cleverness that makes you admire the craft and effort that goes into the show. While it's a bit overlong and the energy never quite works as well as in the chorus, it still gets the tone of the show right in making you see the life that's in every piece of comedy that Woods will participate in.

Carryovers

As far as songs go, there's nothing to really be drawn from here. It's an entirely original songbook that takes key moments from the film and elevates them into clever songs. If anything, there feels like there's more caffeine and Pixie Stix in the mix, finding a wilder balance of cheeky comedy and intellectual undertones. It works as far as emphasizing what was great about the movie, making thee characters come to life in ways that fit. Even the songs that exist as nothing more than legal talk somehow work to the peppy beat.

High Point:

"Blood in the Water"

An example of where the show is at its best is when it's dealing with a comical mix of lowbrow humor and legl situations. In this case, it's an early example of law students having to determine whether this career is for them. They're testing their feet and given clever situations that will ask them how they would instinctually solve problems. It's comical, witty, but has some smarts underneath it. Everything's in place to establish every major character and make you understand the confidence that Woods will have for the entire show once she becomes a lawyer full-on.

Low Point:

"There! Right! There!"

To be honest, this song isn't nearly as offensive as it could be, but the whole fad of "Is he gay or European" is one of the more dated jokes in this whole show. While it's likely reflective of the Metrosexual craze of the 2000s, it's not particularly endearing as a song, finding ways to explore stereotypes in such a way that should be clever, but mostly exists to ask dumb questions about a supporting character. It's not necessarily doing it in a derogatory way, but it's not exactly doing it in a brilliant way that would make it more necessary to the bigger story.

What Does It Bring to the Story?

The easy answer is that it's producing a whole bunch of upbeat songs that capture the tone of the film correctly. Everything is amped up and I'm sure that the style by which the show adopts will only make these songs stronger. They all have this enthusiastic structure that help to build character and make fun legal jokes from underneath peppy beats that never give up and characters who are delightful and warm. It's a confectionary of ideas brought to the stage in the smartest way possible. 

Was This Necessary?

No

To be totally honest, this is probably a show for middle school girls who want to get into theater. It fits in a camp not unlike Bring It On that may lack these provocative and deep songs, but has the energy and reverent spirit that makes it delightful. Even then, it feels more novelty and simplistic than those type of shows. There's been better versions of this young crowd show. I'm sure that my opinion might change a little if I saw the action in context, though even then I'm not a big fan of the soundtrack, which has fun ideas but never quite manages to hold onto the endearing components late int he second act.