Girl-power returns to Chicago with 'Legally Blonde The Musical'

Die-hard "Wicked" fans still mourning the Chicago departure of that long-running hit musical can take heart. "Legally Blonde The Musical," another rah-rah girl-power message show, has hit the Windy City for a monthlong stint at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre.

Though "Legally Blonde The Musical" is based upon the much-beloved 2001 MGM movie starring Reese Witherspoon, this 2007 Broadway show feels a lot like a "Wicked" sequel - something along the lines of "Glinda: The Good Witch of the North Goes to Harvard Law School."

You can be forgiven if you note the parallels. Both "Legally Blonde" and "Wicked" feature perky, pink-loving blonde fashionistas who do brief battle with brainy brunettes. And the very endearing Becky Gulsvig, who stars as the sorority-girl-turned-serious Elle Woods, has a powerful nasally belting voice that sounds similar to original Glinda star Kristen Chenoweth.

"Legally Blonde" doesn't hide its blatant commercial bent as yet another musical adapted from a Hollywood hit. Some dialogue is cribbed from Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith's original screenplay, while the show is rife with product placements (UPS, Elle Magazine, Red Bull, Dell Computers).

But taken on its own terms, "Legally Blonde" is an enjoyable piece of fluff that embodies important messages of "Don't judge a book by its cover" and "To thine own self be true."

Much credit is due to playwright Heather Hatch and the husband-and-wife songwriting duo of Laurence O'Keefe ("Bat Boy: The Musical") and Nell Benjamin ("Sarah, Plain and Tall"). They all honor the original film's outline while transforming the show into its own stage creation complete with pop-power ballads and snappy word play. Choreographer/director Jerry Mitchell polishes the writers' work to perfection by making everything flow with a kinetic joy and lots of campy humor.

One nice theatrical touch is Elle's imaginary Greek chorus of sorority friends (led by the sassy trio of Cortney Wolfson, Rhiannon Hansen and Crystal Joy). Also immensely enjoyable is the expanded budding romantic relationship between Elle and Emmett Forrest (nicely played by an Edward Norton-looking D.B. Bonds).

Even more heart and humor come with Natalie Joy Johnson as Paulette, Elle's beauty stylist/confidante. Paulette loves all things Irish, plus the muscular UPS guy (Van Daniel) who struts everywhere with a manly swagger.

Additional fun is had with the antagonists of Elle's ex-boyfriend, Warner (Jeff McLean), his girlfriend, Vivienne (Megan Lewis), and the aggressive Professor Callahan (Ken Land). These three pour on the villainy when necessary and help you root for Elle.

Other "Legally Blonde" plusses include a top-notch production design and an adorable set of dogs trained by Bill Berloni (the Chihuahua and bulldog always induced "awwws" from the audience).

"Legally Blonde" may not be a musical for the ages, but it is loads of fun for now. And though it is guilty of peddling products, "Legally Blonde" has its heart in the right place by showing how one woman can be so much more than she's led to believe.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=244">Clip from 'Legally Blonde'</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <p class="factboxheadblack">'Legally Blonde The Musical'</p> <p class="News"><b>Rating:</b> 3 stars</p> <p class="News"><b>Location:</b> Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago</p> <p class="News"><b>Showtimes:</b> 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, May 17; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday; through June 7 </p> <p class="News"><b>Running time:</b> About 2 hours, 30 minutes, including intermission</p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $32-$95</p> <p class="News"><b>Box office:</b> (312) 902-1400 or <a href="http://www.broadwayinchicago.org" target="new">broadwayinchicago.org</a></p> <p class="News"><b>Rating:</b> For preteens and older; some adult situations</p>