Theatre
Legally Blonde: the Musical
Manoel Theatre

With the current local debates on the removal of sexist glass ceilings and moves for positive discrimination at the workplace, Mellow Drama made a perfect choice for their latest musical offering.

Caruana’s interpretation of such a demanding role was steady and focused – which showed that plenty of thought had gone into her characterisation

Legally Blonde: the Musical deals with a touchy subject with a light-hearted approach. Think Malibu Barbie goes to Harvard and you get the picture: lots of pink, plenty of fun songs and quite a lot of implied studying.

With Paul Abela as musical director and Steve Casaletto directing; music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin; and based on the book by Heather Hach, the show last Sunday was an entertaining evening of Hollywood fun in flaming fuchsia.

What Legally Blonde really deals with is a culture clash between East Coast preps and sun-bleached, laid-back West Coast Californian beach worshippers.

It criticises the negative attitudes that both parties have towards each other and, most importantly, reminded us all that believing in a dream – as was exemplified in the fun and upbeat What You Want – goes a long way to helping us achieve our full potential. But ultimately, it is belief in ourselves that pushes us that extra mile – Chip on Your Shoulder and So Much Better come to mind – and makes us who we really are.

Jo Caruana as the upbeat chipper Elle Woods made quite the case for blond bombshells by breaking the stereotype which makes them out to be vapid women with nothing more than a few brain cells to keep their vitals functioning. Who said that you cannot juggle Cosmo and Constitutional law?

Caruana’s interpretation of such a demanding role was steady and focused, which showed that plenty of thought had gone into her characterisation. The same can be said for that of her co-star, John Montanaro, who played the well-meaning Emmett, the teaching assistant she befriends at law school, who pushes her to work harder and achieve her true potential.

Initially following her college boyfriend, Warner, portrayed by Daniel Lake, to Harvard after he dumps her for a partner more suitable to his prospective career – needing someone who is “less of a Marilyn, more of a Jackie” as he puts it – Elle realises that dreams can change and that there are more ways than one to achieve a happy ending.

The handsome Lake’s stage presence made for a good Warner but his singing was not quite up to par with Caruana’s clear and consistent vocals.

Finding good male actors who can do musical theatre is often problematic in Malta and Montanaro also occasionally faltered in his singing.

Vocal coach Denise Mulholland, together with director Steve Casaletto, however, managed to steer them in the right direction with staging and backing vocals as well as clever bridging by Caruana. The end result was still pleasant to listen to.

I thoroughly enjoyed Roger Tirazona’s performance as Professor Callahan, Elle’s strict law professor, who tries to make a move on her and gets rejected. His rich singing voice and great interpretation, especially in Shark in the Water, were excellent.

Larissa Bonaci’s portrayal of defendant Brooke Wyndham was also refreshing and good fun: it was certainly an energetic performance which was well choreographed by Kristina Ann Schranz and cleverly staged too.

Pia Zammit won over several Maltese hearts as the sweet and rather clumsy Paulette but sadly she only had eyes for Irishmen as her excellent rendition of Ireland made quite clear.

Krista Paris’s Vivienne had just the right amount of snobbery as Warner’s new girlfriend, but she showed her softer side when she sided with Elle and pushed her to stand up for herself and in so doing, also managed to stand up for Brooke and represent her in court.

Michaela Fenech, Maxine Aquilina and Leanne Vella as Elle’s chief sorority sisters, the Delta Nus – Margot, Serena and Pilar – made a great Greek chorus, accompanying Elle in spirit in a good number of songs along with all the other female members of the chorus. Think the Muses in Disney’s Hercules, with shorter skirts and more Red Bull than red wine running through their veins.

Luke Mercieca as Nikos and Keith Zammit as Carlos also made a fun splash as gay Greek lovers in court in Gay or European?

The ensemble pieces really made the show as they were well paced and tightly executed, making good use of the stage at the Manoel Theatre with all of its limitations for musical theatre.

Excellent music and tongue-in-cheek lyrics made this musical a good night out and certainly had the theatre packed to the gallery, which is, at the end of the day, the mark of a show’s success.

• Legally Blonde is being staged again on December 2 at 6pm.Tickets may be obtained on 2124 6389, bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or www.teatrumanoel.com.mt.

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