Review: SummerFest's 'Legally Blonde' is lively, despite drab production values
Kentucky Conservatory Theatre opened its last show of SummerFest 2012 on Wednesday night with a lively production of Legally Blonde: The Musical by Heather Hach. This romp, which on Broadway starred Lexington native Laura Bell Bundy as sorority girl-turned-law student Elle, is a quick-moving, high-stepping entertainment with hilarious lines and catchy tunes.
Director/choreographer Jenny Fitzpatrick has done an excellent job of pacing the show, giving the warmer, sweeter moments time to resonate within the swirl of activity. Her inventive dance moves weave in and out of the story, adding to the remarkable dimensionality of the actors' characterizations.
Ellie Todd emphasizes the sensible, capable side of the main character, Elle, making her leap to Harvard Law School more credible than when the ditzy Reese Witherspoon does it in the 2001 movie on which all this is based. This approach humanizes Elle, who could easily be cartoonish, and Todd is sympathetic and commands the audience's attention in this demanding role.
Elle's two love interests are played charmingly by Matt Elmore and Miles Sullivan as very different from each other, with realistic touches that make them true contenders for Elle's heart rather than just rivals. Elmore, very comfortable on the stage, shines in his tuneful singing and brings out Warner's vapidity with amusing flair. As the more substantial Emmett, Sullivan also is immensely appealing, and he uses his thin, reedy voice to the character's advantage. It takes a while for Elle to realize she really loves Emmett, and Todd and Sullivan resist giving that away too soon, resulting in a bigger dramatic payoff when it happens.
Many of the supporting players also inject their roles with vivid color. Tom Gibbs as cutthroat law professor Callahan demonstrates a good voice, and his understated delivery again makes a real character out of a stereotype.
Vanessa Becker as hairdresser Paulette almost steals the show with the verve she brings to her songs, investing the part with quirky warmth. Neil Phelps deserves a special mention for his charismatic portrayals of Paulette's boyfriends, and Alicia Cox as fitness queen Brooke and Rebecca Keith as lesbian law student Enid also present bold, interesting interpretations of their roles.
Unfortunately, this show is compromised by second-rate production values. The costumes by David Senatore are neither flattering nor stylish, a serious flaw in a musical about a fashionista. The drabness of the clothes and the haphazard array of several decades of pop fashions do not work either for the play or for the large outdoor setting at The Arboretum. At one point, Senatore has Elle sporting five clashing shades of pink, her signature color, which rings so false for the character as to pose a distraction.
The multi-level set by Dathan Powell has served all three SummerFest productions, but for this show is dressed in the most amateurish mise-en-scène in my memory of 25 years of outdoor theater in Lexington. The hastily painted walls meant to represent Harvard look instead like a drab factory, devoid even of ivy. Worse, for the scene in which Elle gives Emmett a wardrobe makeover at a department store, the backdrop looks like a crudely rendered log cabin. My companion remarked that it looked like he was trying on suits in an outhouse.
Danny Bowling's lighting design sometimes leaves actors in dark corners on the stage, but his special effects in the number Bend and Snap are the best production element of this show.
Musical director Mary Joy Nelson has coached fine singing from the actors. As leader of the small band, she keeps the tempos flowing nicely, although the musicians themselves will hopefully miss fewer notes as the weekend of performances progresses.
This story was originally published July 26, 2012 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Review: SummerFest's 'Legally Blonde' is lively, despite drab production values."