Legally Blonde

One thing that can always be assured, Empire Theatre’s annual musical will be put together with a high degree of professionalism and this year’s production of Legally Blonde was no exception. From the original design work of Grant Lehmann, the assured direction of Morgan Dowsett, to the top notch cast who worked their butts off, the show about sorority sweetheart Elle Woods and her rise to glory at Harvard Law was musical theatre at the top of the community level scale.

Dowsett and Lehmann’s design concept of a huge book centre stage, that when opened revealed the various settings, worked a treat. It simplified the staging and when coupled with set-pieces that were flown or rolled in, it kept the production moving.

Dowsett cast the show with an acute eye. Dramatically every performer had something to offer which made for characters who jumped off the stage but who were grounded in truth.

You couldn’t help but love Elesha Hetherington’s Elle. She had spunk, buckets of charm, and looked a treat in pink. It was great to see Matthew Semple and Chris White, two recent Griffith Musical Theatre graduates, as the men in her life. Semple as Emmett was sympathetic, loyal and solid as a rock of stability. The man every girl would like in her corner, while White was a perfect fit for the superficial Warner.

As Professor Callahan, Brad Kendrick had a ton of charisma and sang one of the score’s best numbers, “Blood in the Water” with ruthless conviction. Elissa Ryan lifted the second act with “Whipped into Shape,” Jessica Berwick’s Vivienne had privilege written all over it, while Angela Ponting’s Paulette and her bulldog pooch were audience favourites. In the dual roles of Dewey, Paulette’s trailer-trash ex, and Kyle, the UPS delivery hunk, Lachlan Schoenfisch had the necessary ‘package’ to get the laughs and he got plenty. The joyous score paid off big-time with Dylan Ashton’s Carlos’ cameo a riot in “Gay or European?”

George Canham’s well-drilled routines added to professionalism of the production as did Timothy Panitz’s lighting design and the off-stage chorus. Sound in the second act was better than the first, which was patchy, but the orchestra under the baton of Julie Whiting, a Legally Blonde musical direction veteran, was on the money.

Peter Pinne