Last weekend, after my salon visit, I spent a pleasant three hours watching MTV’s presentation of Legally Blonde: the Musical, and while my preferred method for watching musicals is not with commercial interruptions every fifteen minutes, I’d been dying to see this play ever since my friend Jeremy informed me that it existed, about a year ago.
Broadway tickets are not cheap, and seeing live theater is much more of a production when you don’t live in New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. While Dallas does get touring companies, there’s something so much more magical about seeing a show in New York. The energy is just different.
In this musical, Laura Bell Bundy takes the role of Elle Woods, who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School after he breaks up with her because he feels he needs someone who’s “less of a Marilyn, more of a Jackie.” Through song and dance, the movie’s plotline is shared, with fine performances by all, especially Christian Borle as the gently nerdy Emmet Forrest, and Orfeh as Paulette from the salon. Orfeh’s real-life husband makes three appearances in the show, first as the reggae-esque singer/dancer in “What You Want,” next as Paulette’s ex, Dewey, and finally as Kyle the UPS guy.
Bundy, of course, is well cast as Elle, and has made the part her own, though she’s admitted in interviews that she bought so much pink clothing as part of her process when prepping for the role, that she’s a bit tired of the color now.
It wasn’t live, but it’s the first time a currently-running show has been filmed for broadcast.
And, OhMyGod, you guys, it was so much fun!
