Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)
You’ve read right. Legally Blonde has come to Toronto! The musical began its journey at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre where after just 18 performances it moved to Broadway’s Palace Theatre, where it would conclude after 30 previews and 595 regular performances on October 19, 2008. During its stay it earned 7 Tony Award nominations, racked it millions and made its mark in the world of theater as a truly brilliant production. Since then, it has had two successful North American Tours, a West End production, a UK Tour, an Australian production and many other independent productions across the world.
Legally Blonde now comes to Toronto at the Lower Ossington Theatre (The LOT). The story revolves around Delta Nu Sorority queen Elle Woods (Anna Hurshman), who decides to enroll at Harvard Law to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner (Jeff Hookings). With her heart set in one direction and the help of new friends Emmett (Sean Cage) and Paulette (Heidi Michelle Thomas), she sets down the nail polish and picks up the books to make her plan a reality. With her goal in sight, her journey takes her a down a path where she discovers her own hidden potential, begins to understand those around her and gets an opportunity to reflect upon the important things in life.
The LOT production, directed by Tricia Lackey, brings an interesting take on this magical musical. The one thing you notice immediately is the cast and their performances. You are greeted by sudden enthusiasm and excitement and that just grabs your attention right away. It is amazing to see a cast put their heart and soul into their roles and you can notice that in their performance. You are intrigued, engrossed and just want to learn and experience more. A production like this would falter if it didn’t have that commitment from the cast. The role of Elle Woods was originally performed by the talented Laura Bell Bundy. These are tough heels to fill but Anna Hurshman has used her own heels, bringing her unique flare to the role. Emotion, action, facial expression, tone – everything that Hurshman does on stage is brilliant. You are captivated by her presence on stage and the way she performs, which makes following the journey with Elle Woods more exciting.
Other brilliant performances included David Hohl’s representation of Professor Callahan, who’s out for everyone’s blood (metaphorically of course). He adds a deep dimension to the character that is not only refreshing as a performance but genuinely brilliant to watch on stage. Sean Cage brings to life a truly lovable Emmet Forrest. A sound character with a very simplistic approach to handling the everyday problems. Cage’s performance adds that much needed simplicity to balance off the various other complexities in the production. A fantastic performance. A lady who went above and beyond her role was Heidi Michelle Thomas who portrayed the brilliant Paulette. A character who has a whole lot of attitude, style and stage presence is very difficult to pull off. Thomas not only performs but delivers an amazing version Paulette, making her performance very memorable.
The cast and crew have done an amazing job putting this production together. The props are simple and the stage design is inviting. The production is choreographed brilliantly to accommodate dogs – Buckminster & Roxy – on the rather small theatre space, adding that extra bit of authenticity. Every little detail has been addressed in this production, which makes the experience that much more exciting. They have stayed true to the music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and have definitely kept that Broadway flare. Overall, the creative aspect is spot on.
This is not a gigantic Broadway production but certainly delivers like one. It is great to see such young actors perform above and beyond their role and create this magical theatre experience. Legally Blonde is a definite must-watch for the theatre enthusiast.
Legally Blonde plays at the Lower Ossington Theatre until March 31st. To find out more information or purchase tickets, visit www.lowerossingtontheatre.com or call 416.915.6747
whom is the author of this review?
That would be me =)