I can never see a show at Southwards without reflecting on what a legacy old Sir Len has left us here on the Kāpiti Coast; that such wonderful theatre experiences can be had in own own back yard, or at least suburb.
We are similarly fortunate so have so many talented and dedicated performers continually coming through the ranks of our theatrical groups including Coasters Musical Theatre, who are staging Legally Blonde until 11th October.
The show is a fast-paced romp that never falters for a moment. The lead roles are uniformly strong from our heroine Elle Woods (played by Lauren Loghry on the first night, sharing the role with Briana Allan) through to the real stars of the show, if you can gauge from audience reaction, the two canine actors Ava (playing Elle’s handbag dog Bruiser) and Sonny (Hairdresser Paulette’s boxer).
The story is a typically heartwarming tale of self-discovery and romance – girl has Boy ‘A’, Boy ‘A’ thinks he can do better, girl up-skills to get him back, does better than anyone expects, Boy ‘A’ comes crawling back but she’s moved on and rides off into the sunset with Boy ‘B’ who encouraged her to achieve her potential.
The music is engaging and demands a high level of vocal prowess from the cast – many of the songs have angular melodies with big vocal leaps and key changes. The big ensemble numbers are sensational from the opening ‘Omigod You Guys’ to the ‘Legally Blonde’ finale. A highlight for me was Paulette’s ‘Ireland’, reprised satisfyingly with her courier stud boyfriend (played by Vic Roper) later in the show, complete with river dancing jokes and demonstration.
Plaudits are due to director Jessica Clough and assistant Vic Roper, Musical Director Charlotte Kerrigan and Choreographer Rachel Wilson. Scene changes were slick and seamless, enabled by superb mobile sets thanks to Alison Clark’s design; but there is an army of collaborators behind all these names mentioned whose contributions you will read about in the programme.
Go see the show – you’ll come away uplifted and satisfied, and perhaps inspired to burst your stereotype bubble, throw off your societally-forged shackles and discover your true potential!
Review by Andrew London