Omigod You Guys!

One night a few months ago, my fiancé Tom sat me down and said that we were going to watch the first episode of Glee - I tried it once and really didn't like it; and he set out to change it. After the episode was over, we talked about it, and the conversation went a little something like this:
Me: Ok, well that was actually better than I remembered it being
Tom: See, told you you would like it
Me: But it still is cheesy as hell
Tom: Of course it is, but it's good cheese
*PAUSE*
Me: You know, I've just thought, since I now know you like Glee, how's about I put Legally Blonde out there? I know you like your rom-coms
Tom: What do you mean?
Me: It is coming to Leicester soon. So how's about we make a deal - if we manage to get through all 6 seasons of Glee in time, you'll have to come and watch Legally Blonde with me. Trust me, you'll like it, I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't think so.
Tom: Haha. Ok, deal


And here we are now. Guess who won =P

Based on the book by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film, the musical adaptation of Legally Blonde has music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and it had its Broadway première in April 2007, with an MTV broadcast of the show made in October the same year (this is available on YouTube and is WELL worth a watch). The West End début followed in 2010 at the Savoy starring Sheridan Smith (who is coincidentally back there playing Fanny Brice in the revival of Funny Girl). The production went on to win 3 Oliviers: Best Actress in a Musical for Smith, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Jill Halfpenny as Paulette, and Best New Musical.

According to Elle, Curve's Bruiser loves Game of Thrones - 
now THAT'S my kind of dog!!!

At first, I had the same reaction I did as to when I heard about Shrek - "Ah.... ok..... well, someone is running out of ideas..." - but like Shrek, I was weaned into it gradually, particularly through the live London cast recording, and I eventually found the MTV broadcast - and then it grew on me! Before I knew it, Legally Blonde had become my ultimate guilty pleasure, and became perfect for a night in with a bit of chocolate or ice-cream - it couldn't NOT make me smile. So when I heard about this new production at Curve, I knew I had to jump at the chance, as I had not seen it properly on stage before.

For anyone who has no idea what Legally Blonde is about, it follows Elle Woods, a beautiful and popular girl who gets dumped by her boyfriend, and does what anyone going through heartbreak would do - pack up her bags and follow him to Harvard Law School! And of course, things don't go quite according to plan.......

While Lucie Jones may not have quite had the comedic chops of Laura Bell Bundy (the original Broadway Elle), it really didn't matter because she still managed to make the role of Elle Woods completely her own. It was impossible not to fall in love with her incredibly sweet and lovable portrayal, and her voice suited the part perfectly - boy can she belt!
The cast also included the hilarious Tupele Dorgu as Paulette, Danny Mac as the jerk-boyfriend Warner, and Phoebe Street (who was in Calamity Jane last year) as Elle's nemesis-turned-ally Vivienne, as well as a very hard-working ensemble cast taking on various roles while tackling Nick Winston's fun choreography (he also did Calamity Jane last year). Some of the best included Francesca Hoffman, Genesis Lynea and Christina Hoey as Elle's sorority friends (although I'm not sure why Hoey's Serena decided not to show up in the Greek chorus scenes like she is supposed to  - but never mind, I digress).

With all that, I have not even mentioned the who gave best performance (in my opinion) of the night; and that HAS to be the incredible Jon Robyns as Emmett Forrest. Other that Street, Robyns was the only other person in the cast I remember seeing before, and this was all the way back to his Enjolras in Les Mis on the 25th anniversary tour in 2010 - he was brilliant then and he's brilliant now, and played Emmett completely different to what Christina Borle did in the MTV broadcast. He made Emmett completely his own and he was a vocal dream - his take on Chip On Your Shoulder was definitely one of the highlights of the evening, and his chemistry with Jone's Elle was wonderful to witness, particularly during the title song. I could geek out about his adorkable performance all day, but I would bore you guys to death... =P

Another point I would like to make is the musical arrangements, particularly slowing down the beginning of So Much Better, the Act I finale - it really suited Jone's voice, and also allowed a hilarious and uber cute moment for Robyns as both characters took in what was happening (don't worry, no spoilers).

I knew I was going to like Legally Blonde, and I knew I was going to smile throughout it, but I didn't know just HOW BIG my smile was going to be - finally getting the opportunity to seeing the ultimate feel-good show on stage was such a joy, and I urge anyone in the Leicester area to go and catch this amazing production. And for anyone who's unsure about it, I urge you to take a chance on this because I guarantee it that you will enjoy it.
Oh and finally, I can happily tell you that Tom really enjoyed it as well, so deal well made! =D