February 2017 Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde

Music and Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell BenjaminBook by Heather HachBased on the novel by Amanda Brownand the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture.This amateur production is presented by arrangeme

society/company: Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre (directory)

performance date: 21 Feb 2017

venue: The Point 

reviewer/s: Bob Heather (Sardines review)

Legally Blonde by Lawrence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin based on the book by Heather Hach. The show was brought full of fizz and bubbles to The Point in Eastleigh, Hampshire by Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre.
The show opens in a shopping mall near the University of California, Los Angeles, where Delta Nu’s sorority president Elle Woods is found dashing around in a pink storm with her friends trying to find the ideal dress for her up-coming engagement to handsome hunk Warner Huntington III. Once she has her dream dress, she is off to dinner with Warner. Instead of going down on one knee and proposing, Warner tells Elle that he wants someone different; he has decided to find someone else that has a serious down-to-earth side. Poor Elle is devastated at the break-up and decides to follow Warner three thousand miles across country to Harvard Law School in the hope that she can win him back.
The show started beautifully, but a little disappointingly as the sound was not quite right - it was at the right volume, but out of balance so the audience couldn’t hear the vocals or spoken word, the diction was muffled. However, the blame rests with one section of speakers not working properly. All was sorted within the first five minutes and from then on, we could hear every word that was said and sung splendidly.
Madison Cooper took the reins of the lead character, Elle Woods, with gusto. She could move, dance, act and sing like a pro, and really portrayed her character as bubbly blonde college girl in the early part of the show, through to the high flying legal brain of act two.
Toby Naylor attacked the part of Warner Huntington III nicely, looking every inch the hunk he was supposed to be, but it would have been so much better if he could hold a tune a little better. However, his acting was spot-on.
Tyler Convery Played the role of Professor Callahan to perfection, showing his nasty, slimy side to the audience when he wasn’t being condescending to Elle. A brilliant piece of acting and a good singing voice to go with it. He could go a long way, and a name that I’m sure we’ll all be hearing quite a bit more of in the future.
Emmett Forrest, (Luke Barker) was the law teaching assistant and the only member of the college personnel willing to help Elle. Barker is another very fine actor with a good singing voice.
Ebony Deas played the part of Paulette the hairdresser at Hair Affair to perfection. She was brilliant in the role, so life-like, and what a voice - she had the audience spellbound with her first song. She held the whole audience in her hands whenever she was on stage, especially the well timed comedy sequences when she was captivated by the rugged charms of Kyle the sexy UPS delivery guy.
Eddie Jones played the role of Kyle brilliantly. With a great flair for comedy, he is another person to keep your eyes open for. He had the whole audience laughing at his every movement and the way he delivered his lines – not an easy thing to do.
Fitness queen Brooke Wyndham (Alex Harrison) was accused of murdering her husband, a part she played very well. I particularly liked the opening number to act two, ‘Whipped into Shape’ where not only was she singing and dancing, but skipping at the same time, without getting caught in the rope once.
Many other characters throughout the production were very well cast. Matilda Bell as Vivienne, Harvey Payne as Nikos and Elle’s three friends, and sisters of Delta Nu, Bethany Williams as Serena, Amber Haverly as Margot and Mae Cagampang as Pilar, all worthy of a mention.
There were so many characters, it is impossible to name everyone, but they all did a great job and should be pleased with their performances.
The dance team were brilliant, all girls and one solitary boy - he was outstanding. I think he might be Isaac Lee, but not completely sure as the programme doesn’t list him with the dance team, but he certainly deserves a name check. As well as being a terrific dancer, you could see by the look on his face that he was enjoying it as much as, and probably even more than, the audience.
The whole thing was very well directed by Harry Andreou and Mike Mullen, they really knew what the audience wanted, and not only did they deliver, but they delivered above and beyond the call of duty.
Andreou was also co-choreographer alongside Lisa Mcgreal, the moves and routines were worthy of the west end - full of energy and sparkle.
The Music was provided by MD Nigel Finch with his ensemble of very able musicians, giving a very full and rich sound to all the numbers. The tech team were all doing their jobs to perfection, apart from the very slight sound foo-pa at the beginning, all was spot on. The lights were ideal for each individual scene, and lit the actors nicely. The stage crew were all on top form for the logistics of set movement and all the set changes ran as smooth as silk.
All in all, this was a very well-produced, slick production. I am looking forward to my next visit to see Centrestage Youth.