By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
“Legally Blonde” is a Valley Girl fever dream of female empowerment. With the depth of female talent at Bowling Green High School, it’s maybe the perfect show for the season.
Like those who underestimate the heroine Elle, audiences would be mistaken to be distracted by the frills and fluff and silliness of the show. It packs a punch – well, at least a determined slap to put a masher in his place – with its message of being true to yourself and not letting others’ opinions determine your future. Also, it helps to have friends to support you.
As noted earlier, maybe the perfect show for the season.
The all-school musical “Legally Blonde,” based on the movie and novel, will be on stage tonight through Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Bowling Green Performing Arts Center with a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or in advance. Click for tickets.
The show opens and closes at graduation time. Back at UCLA, Elle (Whitney Bechstein) is in a tither expecting her long-time boyfriend Warner (Zach Mangan) to propose. Her posse of sorority sisters captures the spirit of the moment with the opening number “Omigod You Guys.” They help her to pick out the perfect dress. That scene gives the first hint of Elle’s astute observation that lies behind her bubbleheaded demeanor.
That second sense fails her, though, when Warner sings that it’s time to get serious. He means his career, he aspires to be a senator by 30. Elle doesn’t fit in. So he dumps her as he prepares to head to Harvard Law School.
This plunges Elle into a funk. Again, her Delta Nu sisters come through for her.
This chorus, led by the trio of Serena (Rose Walters), Margot (Carly Lake) and Pilar (Kelsey Kerr), are a collective co-star, always there (even if only Elle can hear them) to bolster her resolve.
Elle decides she’s going to Harvard Law as well. Level-headed sorority sister Kate (Reagan Otley) lets her know how difficult it is and then helps her prepare for the LSAT.
Characteristically though, instead of a personal essay, Elle and her sorority chorus offer a song and dance number explaining to the admissions committee that she wants to attend Harvard because of love.
She gets in.
Yes, the story is fantasy. But along the way it touches on serious issues, including domestic abuse and sexual harassment. This shows Elle how the law can be used to help people. That drives her to persist in the face of withering discouragement from the tyrannical Professor Callahan (Cody Ray), Warner and his new girlfriend Vivienne (Lauren Goberman), and just about everyone else.
Her only support comes from Callahan’s assistant Emmett (Drew Thomas), Elle’s hair stylist Paulette (Maggie Titus), who has her own romance issues, and, of course, her dog, Bruiser.
But Elle is always at center stage, barely slipping off for costume changes. Bechstein makes sure her character never wears out her welcome. She’s bubbly and sharp and empathetic. She wants to be a team player, even when the other players doubt she belongs on the team. But when they are called on to defend fitness queen Brooke Wyndham (Megan Amburgey), she proves to her fellow law students, including Enid Hoopes (Katie Mangan) the idealistic lesbian, her true worth.
Bechstein’s commitment to the role makes it easy for us to suspend disbelief in the rather outlandish plot twists.
Titus brings out Paulette’s brash and vulnerable sides. Her big and colorful voice are perfect for the part.
By design, the men including Paulette’s UPS guy love interest (Rory Mott) play second fiddle to the female characters. This is their show and, omigod!, do they make the most of it.
