Don’t Judge a Musical by its Color
by Rica S. Facundo on July 5, 2010
Cast: Nikki Gil, Nyoy Volante, Guji Lorenzana, Jinky Llamanzare
Directed by: Chari Arespacochaga
Musical director: Beth Martin
When you think of the color pink, Hello Kitty shades of pastel and bubble gum are regular fixtures that may come into mind. For Hollywood characters, sorority star Elle Woods is the epitome of what defines pink if it was a human being – sweet, flirty and feminine. Alas, this vibrant combination may be equivalent to a valley girl/dumb blonde, nonetheless.
Based on the MGM film starring Reese Witherspoon and Amanda Brown’s book with the same title, Legally Blonde is finally here to dominate hearts in the Philippines. Produced by Atlantis Productions, it carries the same lighthearted charm that we all fell in love with in the first place.
With her blond hair, latest designer clothes and ditzy persona, it’s easy to not take Elle Woods (played by Nikki Gil) seriously. After all, there’s only so much high-pitched screaming and empty space between the ears that one can take.
As we follow her journey to Harvard to win back Warner (Guji Lorenzana), her ex-boyfriend who dumped her for not being ‘serious’ enough, it becomes obvious that beneath all that sparkle is a boundless combination – a mind that is worth taking seriously and a will that never takes no for an answer.
Everything in the set screams out pink, from the whimsical library of colossal books sprawled across the stage as platforms and backdrops to the cherry-tinged wardrobe. If the color domination doesn’t overwhelm you, the immense vocal power of the cast will.
They belt their preppy little hearts out with such vocal variety and stylishness that you truly believe they’re from the Ivy League halls of Harvard. A chorus of “Omigod you guys!” from the giddy sorority girls of Delta New has never sounded so harmonious (or non-irritating) in real life or on stage.
The music is a combination of pop with a touch of old fashioned Broadway. The upbeat tempo of songs like “Whip into Shape” and “What You Want” will surely release all kinds of endorphins. Plus, not everyone can jump rope and execute cheer dancing while singing and acting at the same time.
Content-wise, the Atlantis production is essentially the same as the movie where the classic lines and jokes will produce chuckles and gut-wrenching laughter. From the bend and snap to the package of the UPS guy, audience members will enjoy the sexual subtext and obvious punch lines that you don’t realize are funny until they’ve been said by the cast.
Despite studying what was iconic from the movie – the necklace, the moves and the hand gestures of Elle, director Chari Arespacochaga incorporated these elements in the show. “Rather than big and moving realistic sets, we wanted to create a world that represented Elle and a world that looks like anything is possible for her there,” she says.
Whether or not pink is your favorite color the truth is, that there is an Elle Woods in all of us. We all may face the same kind of challenges of being stereotyped before being able to show our true colors.
Similar to the movie and book, the same message underlies in the musical. “We are all equipped with the right amount of strengths and smarts to get through what we need at the moment,” says Chari.
It’s the simplicity of the show’s overall design and terrific performances of the cast that makes Legally Blonde a fantabulous production. The underlying message of being true to yourself and not judging anyone based on how they look stands out as fiercely as a legally blonde Malibu girl in Harvard.
Rating: Four stars out of five
For ticket information, call Atlantis at 8927078 or Ticketworld at 891-9999
Sources:
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