SRT’s ‘Legally Blonde’ Arrestingly Impressive
While “Legally Blonde” the movie is certainly a hoot, without a doubt, “Legally Blonde: The Musical” is guilty of aiding and abetting an outrageous time.
Now playing through March 23 on the Sierra Repertory Theatre (SRT) East Sonora Theatre stage, the award-winning show is even more over the top than the film. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie, the theatrical musical book was written by Heather Lach with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, whose poppy songs further elevate the hijinks and hilariously punctuate the story of Elle Woods, the effervescent University of Southern California sorority president and homecoming queen turned law school student as she pursues the supposed man of her dreams with eyes on becoming his betrothed.
While her initial plans seem doomed at the start, Elle’s ability to hilariously persevere and forge solid friendships along the way, learn how to trust her gut and expertly navigate stereotypical prejudices and scandals is certainly a story to cheer on, especially with the production’s very impressive ensemble cast, whose acting, singing and supercharged stage movements and dancing are in two words: absolutely terrific.
SRT Artistic Associate Camryn Elias (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” “Into the Woods,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Little Shop of Horrors”) is off-the-charts incredible as Elle. Although she pretty much steals the show in every scene she is in, everyone in the cast more than carries their own weight. SRT regular Courtney Glass (“Into the Woods”) as her manicurist friend Paulette is a scream and a perfect foil. New to the SRT stage, TJ Shelton is fun to watch as Kyle, her UPS delivery man dreamboat. Also making their SRT debuts are Chase Graham and Austin Miller, who respectively play Elle’s creepy frat beau Warner Huntington III and budding legal eagle bestie Emmett. Mandy Corbett as Energizer bunny-fitness guru Brooke Wyndham is stunning in her role as well as in the dance numbers as is the rest of the cast, whose stage antics just might leave you breathless.
New this season, SRT is introducing a repertory schedule, presenting two shows in tandem that will be switching off later this fall: the theatrical adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” (Sept. 26-Oct. 25) and “Constellations” (Oct. 3-26) both at Fallon House Theatre in Columbia State Historic Park. The latter, a two-actor play that debuted in 2015, involves a romance in which the audience sees different versions of the pair’s relationship play out in a “Groundhog Day” sort of way.
After “Legally Blonde” wraps up, audiences can look forward to another musical pleaser, the Off-Broadway hit “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” written and created by SRT collaborator Roger Bean, which is slated to run April 18-May 18 at Fallon House.
Showtimes for “Legally Blonde: The Musical” in East Sonora (13891 Mono Way) are Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. with matinees on Wednesdays at noon and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For more details and tickets, visit sierrarep.org.
