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| Charlotte Gearside and Ensemble in "Legally Blonde" |
Directed by Jim McMullen - Musical Direction by Richard Daley
Choreographed by Sarah Tulley - Set Designed by Ian Croker
Costumes by Chelsea de Rooy & Jill McMullen
Lighting Designed by Phil Goodwin - Audio Designed by Peter Barton
Presented by The Canberra Philharmonic Society.
Erindale Theatre, 22nd August to 7th September, 2019
Reviewed by Bill Stephens.
The Canberra
Philharmonic Society has come up with a bright, chirpy production of this
light-hearted musical, which, with it’s not-too-convincing message of female
empowerment, or ‘Never judge a book by its cover’, depicts the experiences of pretty blonde, Elle
Woods, who decides to follow her
snobbish boyfriend into law school. There she discovers her ultra-feminine
appearance works against her progress, until she reveals a sharp legal mind
which wins her the respect of her peers, and unexpected romance.
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| Nick Valois (Emmett) - Charlotte Gearside (Elle Woods) |
Charlotte
Gearside is perfectly cast as Elle Wood, and carries the show with a strong,
confident performance which showcases her formidable singing, dancing and
acting skills. She receives strong
support from her two leading men, Patrick Galen-Mules as the snobbish Warner,
and Nick Valois as the ever-reliable Emmett, both of whom have good stage
presence and sing attractively.
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| Hannah Maurice (Paulette) - Charlotte Gearside (Elle Wood) |
As the
big-hearted hairdresser, Paulette, Hannah Maurice almost steals the show
revealing a huge voice and comedic talent with her show-stopping performance of
“Ireland”. Ian Croker, who also designed the spectacular set, provides another
memorable performance as the smarmy Professor Callahan, his performance of
“Blood in the Water” providing a memorable highlight.
Kat Bramston gives a nicely under-stated
performance as Elle’s rival Vivienne, and Meaghan Stewart, Amelia Juniper-Grey,
Amy Campbell, Courtney Hayden, Tim Maher and Liam Jones stand out in the large
ensemble, all making the most of their
opportunities in supporting roles.
Director,
Jim McMullen made full use of clever set and lighting design to keep the show
moving along at a fast bat guiding his large cast through a series of imaginative
scene changes and spectacular production numbers for which choreographer, Sarah
Tulley, who certainly knows how to fill a stage with interesting movement, has
created some spot-on choreography to challenge her large ensemble of brightly
costumed dancers, all of whom perform with considerable panache.
However,
despite all the good work, it was a pity that on opening night poor sound
balance between Richard Daley’s excellent, but over-enthusiastic band meant
that many of the lyrics of the songs were unintelligible, particularly in the
opening scenes, detracting considerably from the overall enjoyment of an
otherwise admirable presentation.
This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 23rd August 2019
