Legally Blonde (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Legally Blonde (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: This Much Fun Shouldn't Be Legal
Hit: 4 Stars
I'll just start this review by saying that I have never seen this show. I'll then proceed to say that based on this album, I would actually prefer to see this over this season's slightly over-hyped multiple Tony winner Spring Awakening. The score is unabashedly pop, and the show doesn't pretend that it isn't just a whole lot of fun, while still managing to deliver a wonderful message about staying true to yourself.
Unlike last year's big pop musical, The Wedding Singer, the score is uniformly excellent. From the high energy opening, "Omigod You Guys" to the great closer "Find My Way/Finale", the score is peppy, catchy, and as optimistic as sunny day in spring. Some of the standout tunes inclued "Ireland", a wistful song of longing, "Much Better", the explosive Act I finale, "Blood in the Water" a dark, jazzy number extolling Callahan's moral views (or lack thereof), and "What You Want" Elle's Harvard preparation montage. Of special note is the title song, "Legally Blond", which defied all of my expectations. I was expecting something of a big showstopping number broadly defining the moral of the show. What we get is a hearbreaking ballad from Elle, and what is arguably one of the most beatiful numbers from the show. Then the remix/reprise of the title number delivers the expected goods in a finger snapping, toe tapping, smile inducing showstopper worthy of some of Herman's biggest crowd rousers.
The cast is equally as great as the score, and they are all so equally good that even Laura Bell Bundy has problems standing out, but stand out she does, displaying an impressive set of pipes while belting her heart out. Orfeh shows an equally amazing voice as hairdresser Paulette, and Christian Borle makes for a very sweet, caring Emmett.Michael Rupert even has a deliciously amoral turn as Professor Callahan. The ensemble is strong, and blends well with each other, and also gets to act as a Greek Chorus of voices in Elle's head at times.
According to some sources, the book for this show is a tad weak, and considering the source material it isn't too surprising, but it would have to be weak beyond reason to bring down the sheer energy that the musical numbers exude. The music and lyrics are deep enough to get the message across, without sounding stilted or out of place within the music, and they don't come across as trying too hard to sound poetic (I'm talking to you Spring Awakening...). All in all,it is definetely one "Elle" of a show.
Free Music Review: Much Better Than I Thought It Would Be...
Hit: 4 Stars
I didn't have high expectations for this album, if I'm being completely honest. I thought the movie, while fun, was a little unoriginal, and add that to a relatively inexperienced cast and my expectations were low. The album jumped way past my expectations to one that has had a spot in my CD rotation for over a week now.
When I first listened to it, two shows came to mind, Wicked and The Wedding Singer. This soundtrack is a combination of those two shows, almost exactly, in my mind. The marketing and target demographics are similar to Wicked, so there should be no doubt there. It took a very similar path as The Wedding Singer, even hiring the same "bad guy" with Richard H. Blake playing that role well in both productions, although drastically overshadowed in both.
For the role of Elle Woods, they went to Wicked and took Laura Bell Bundy, who was the understudy to Kristin Chenoweth in the role of Glinda. Seeing as how it is easily believable that Glinda could have been a Delta Nu, they also dipped back into the Wicked pool and hired Annaleigh Ashford to play Margot. They played the Delta Nu sisters in throughout the show, making them, on the whole, basically an additional character in the cast.
The CD isn't perfect. Some of the songs are a little tedious. I could have done without Ireland (let alone a reprise of it), or Whipped Into Shape. However, the pluses far outweigh the negatives on this album. The very first number is an engaging, almost obnoxiously upbeat song entitled "Omigod You Guys" and it plays perfectly to set the tone. Christian Borle provides a nice steadying influence in the musical, making sure that it doesn't get too far out of hand and the chemistry between the two sounds excellent on songs like "Chip On Her Shoulder", "Take It Like A Man", and "Legally Blonde" which is a particularly emotional number in the production.
This show is more than just the light fluff of The Wedding Singer, without quite reaching the meaning or appeal of Wicked, but still entirely worth the buy and without a doubt worth listening to.
Free Music Review: Pathetic show produced pretty good score.
Hit: 4 Stars
Now I will admit that when I heard that the powers that be were planning a broadway show based on the fluffy Legally Blonde movie and book I was EXTREMLY Skeptical. Sadly to say my fears were founded because when I saw this show it was one of the worst to hit broadway in a long time. The book was amatuer-ish and un funny and the sets looked like the highschool drama club built them. There were only two things that kept me from walking out and they were Laura Bell Bundy's preformance and The Score.
So while this score isn't classic or even good broaday it's extremly fun and upbeat. It is remenicent of 2006's The Wedding Singer on Broadway sans the 80's pop vibe. There are a lot of sweet melodys and rhymes sung by passible to very good singers. Some of the standout songs are
1. Omigod You Guys
3. What You Want
4. The Harvard Variations
6. Positive
7. Ireland
10. Chip On My Shoulder
11. So Much Better
12. Whipped Into Shape
14. Bend And Snap
17. Legally Blonde Remix
All in all Legally Blonde isn't worth much as a show but the CD has some highlights and suprises.
Free Music Review: OMIGOD.
Hit: 4 Stars
I first saw this production on Broadway with the original cast, and I was not excited to go. I loved the movie, and I couldn't imagine how a musical would work. I was BLOWN AWAY. It was amazing. 100 times better than the movie, and now I can't watch the movie without thinking "Why aren't they singing yet?" Of course, I immediately went in search of the soundtrack, and to this day I cannot stop listening to it, it doesn't get old.
All I have left to say, is after the MTV televised show, can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get a DVD??? It would make this the best show ever. Maybe after the touring group is done?? =)
Free Music Review: Not as bad as one may think
Hit: 4 Stars
Extra points for promoting empowerment of the fairer sex.
The movie was cute, but the musical on Broadway was totally pure fun, and come on, no one is expecting "Hamlet" from this show! This Musical Soundtrack CD is one of the few you can enjoy with even the slightest idea of what the show is all about. It's perky and bright!
If perky is not your thing, I understand, stay away from this CD. If you are into fun (and maybe "girl power") this CD is really not bad.
Bravo to all of the cast members, especially to Nicole Snelson for her energy and humor.