Legally Blonde

Aimee Smith

I have this belief that watching a good musical imparts upon you the powerful knowledge that you, too, were born to sing, act and dance. This quality of musical theatre is almost a spiritual experience, infecting you with what may very well be a totally illogical belief in your own abilities, and imparting a desire to leave your seat and get onstage so strong it requires a degree of physical constraint. Potentially this religious fervour quality is why musical theatre tends to have such zealous fans.

Last night’s performance of Legally Blonde by the Wellington Footlights Society took awhile to convert me, I admit. The peppy tale of Elle Woods and her shaky journey from sorority girl with a head full of fantasies to a sharp and headstrong lawyer sits outside anything that has hit my theatrical palette as of late, and it took a few numbers to fully sink into what is a gorgeously fluffy world of marshmallow and Love (the musical numbers don’t let you forget the love part). Kudos here to the lighting design (Rowan McShane) for providing my gateway into this world, as well as the dense yet poppy score as musically directed by the deft Michael Stebbings. As an interesting side-note here, Footlights has committed itself to reducing its carbon footprint and have eschewed paper programmes - a worthy venture.

I pin what initially held me back as being a result of opening night nerves. There was a hollowness for the first ten minutes or so that had nothing to do with the performers lack of talent - the entire cast has this in spades. However this was quickly filled with that all important zest that brings a show to life as the actors relaxed into their roles. I felt I could literally see tension being released from performers bodies as the show progressed. And rightfully so. Director Ben Emerson has worked a tight scaffolding, well assisted by the choreography of Briar Franks, and the performers all have the triple-threat chops to make it sing (forgive the pun). I was particularly impressed with the chorus, who do an impressive job of maintaining a popping energy that the foundation of the show is built on. Kirsty Moir as Elle Woods blew me away by her sheer powers of endurance as she sang, danced and costume-changed through a mammoth amount of stage time that makes her akin to a particularly pink Hamlet. My favourite had to be Edward Blunden’s Emmett - he brings a much welcome subtlety and groundedness to this world of overblown characters. A shout-out is also in order for the unbelievable lungs of Karen Anslow as a charming and grunty Paulette.

At times, I got a sense the show was fighting against the space. Whilst Whitireia Theatre has the benefits of a deliciously deep stage it also has a level of intimacy that can be jarring for a musical of this scale, the effects of which were definitely felt from my front and centre seat. The moments where I was most absorbed the action tended to be focused further upstage, and on occasions the actors ended up a little close for comfort. Similarly, actors sightlines tended to be constantly focused a good metre above the heads of the front row. With Whiteria’s tiered seating, this makes sense from a “play to the back row” perspective, but at times gave me the impulse to turn around and see exactly what was going on back there.

Some of the most breathtaking moments came when the intimacy of the space was used in the shows best interest. This was largely a second-act phenomenon, and whilst I do not wish to divulge specifics for fear of spoilers, these moments managed to alter the tone of the whole show for the better. There is an interesting shift in the second act; suddenly the show becomes more aware of its own silliness, and we are invited to share in a slice of the silliness ourselves. And we really, really want to.

It was an enjoyable journey from slightly apprehensive to Legally Blonde convert. I can pinpoint the moment I realised I was sold on the show - a number by Professor Callahan, played by Mike Bryant, “Blood in the Water”. As he charismatically sleazed about the stage, I too wanted to pull out some punchy dance moves and fight for Callahan’s internship. It wasn’t personal, just that old joining-in thing a good musical is want to do. I was squirming in my seat from a desire to join in all the fun. And from my cheeky glimpses at the grins next to me, I feel it is safe to say this was a shared sentiment. And if this is something Footlights considers a worthy aim (I know I certainly do) then they can give themselves a standing ovation. Encore please, I can’t wait to see what’s next from this talented bunch of people.

Legally Blonde is on from the 12 - 21 May, 7.30pm at Whitireia Theatre. You can book your tickets here: http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=NZWCP

Check out the Wellington Footlights Society via their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Wellington-Footlights-Society-610386969075463/

Or website: http://www.wellingtonfootlights.co.nz/