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26, May 2019

Legally Blonde at the Walnut

by Steve Cohen
The Cultural Critic

Legally Blonde the Musical, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin; based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the M-G-M motion picture; through July 21, 2019 at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.
 

Legally Blonde is a good-natured musical that spoofs the stereotypical images of blondes, nerds, lesbians and gays. Its outrageous exaggerations make a frothy indictment of common assumptions. For most folks, this provides a fun evening.

But if you are a person who resents attacks on political correctness, stay away from this show. The plot concerns a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back the boyfriend who has ditched her, and proceeds to show her defying expectations

The Walnut Street Theatre has presented many re-creations of Broadway favorites that stood up excellently in comparison with the New York originals. This production is not one of them. It camps up the humor, and most of the male roles are misinterpreted.

Kathryn Brunner in the lead role of Elle Woods is an exception. She’s charming and attractive as she develops into an assertive woman. When she demonstrates the technique of attracting masculine attention which she calls “Bend and Snap” — and, in fact, in every ensemble dance number — her movements rivet our eyes. She steals attention even from the featured dancers on the stage.

Rebecca Robbins also is excellent as Paulette, the hairdresser who befriends Elle.

Here are a few of the miscalculations: The character named Emmett is an intellectual who has worked his way up from the working-class Boston neighborhood of Roxbury to become an attorney who is the teaching assistant to Harvard Law’s most prestigious professor. He tutors Elle and, of course, they wind up falling in love. But Elliott Styles plays Emmett as a silly goofball.

Warner is the rich snob whom Elle follows to Harvard and he should seem privileged and self-absorbed, but Sean Thompson plays him as a total asshole, with no nuance.

The UPS driver should be the image of assertive masculinity; think of Andy Karl who came to fame when he played the role on Broadway. But Parker Krug wiggles as if he’s impersonating a gay stripper.

Paul Schoeffler is an excellent baritone who has often been leading man, and his interpretation of Professor Callahan is powerful. We see no suggestion, however, of the character’s underlying smarminess.

Virtually stealing the spotlight are two adorable dogs, Elle’s pet chihuahua and Paulette’s favorite bulldog. They have a lot of stage time, and are superb performers.

Director Richard Stafford’s choreography is better than his casting choices, as he copies the Broadway versions of a skip-rope dance led by the fitness guru whom Elle defends from a murder charge, and a jig led by the Irish-American UPS driver who has captivated Paulette.

The song “Is He Gay or European” is a highlight of the score by the married team of Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, spoofing stereotypes of both genres. I’ve attended performances where people who identify those ways laughed with appreciation at lines such as: “They bring their boys up different / in those charming foreign ports / They play peculiar sports / In shiny shirts and tiny shorts.”

I’m sure there are some folks who will resent such lyrics. They should choose to do something else with their time.