EDITOR'S REVIEW:
Dressed in pink from head to toe, I saw Legally Blonde: The Musical by City Springs Theatre Company on opening night and it was FANTASTIC!!
The cast for this show is unbelievably talented! Not only does everyone have a wonderful voice, but they also have some serious dancing skills! (some of them must have also had some gymnastic experience) The costumes are terrific and I loved the musical score so much that I ordered the soundtrack the very next day.
With a powerhouse voice and enough energy for ten people, Lily Kaufmann is spectacular as Elle Woods! Haden Rider, with his gorgeous voice and emotional acting skills is the perfect choice to play Emmett Forest. (You might remember his brilliant performance as Quasimodo in Aurora Theatre's Hunchback of Notre Dame). And, Kayce Denise (Paulette) nearly brought the house down with her powerhouse vocals and her interactions with Marcello Audino (the delivery man) were hysterical!
Nikki Snelson's choreography stole the show! I have characterized some other shows as high energy, but nothing I have seen before comes even close to this level. Her choreography throughout the show, but especially in "Whipped Into Shape", was phenomenal! I don't know how they made it through that number without someone passing out!
Legally Blonde: The Musical has everything that I love about musical theatre... an endearing, but sometimes laugh-out-loud, love story with a happy ending, despite not one, but two, villains, (actually more cads than true villains), amazing voices and big production dance numbers!
But my favorite thing about this sensational show was that beneath all the laughs and sequins, some very important life lessons came shining through. If you have a teenage daughter, she needs to see this show! Elle was brought up to believe that her worth in life was to be eye candy on the arm of a successful husband. (full stop) She only went to Harvard to impress the boy she wanted to marry. But, once she got there, she discovered that she had a brain as well as beauty and that she could achieve great things without allowing others to take advantage of her. Paulette showed us that the size of your heart matters a lot more than your dress size. And like Margot, we saw that through sisterhood, instead of rivalry, both women win. But the biggest lesson was that steady, unselfish, supportive love beats a pretty face with a pedigree every day of the week!
Don't wait... grab your tickets now, before they sell out!! You will LOVE this show!!!
Disclosure: I was the guest of City Springs Theatre Company for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received and as always, all opinions are unbiased and my own.
Legally Blonde: The Musical is the story of Elle Woods, a college student who seemingly appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her to move and attend Harvard Law. Determined to win him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school, where she struggles with peers, her professors, and her ex. With the support of some new friends (and, of course, her faithful chihuahua, Bruiser) Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.
Legally Blonde: The Musical is based on the 2001 novel by Amanda Brown, and on the popular 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon. It opened on Broadway in 2007, then later transferred to London’s West End, where it was named the Best New Musical at the 2011 Olivier Awards®. Music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 3 | 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 | 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 5 | 2 p.m.
Thursday, May 9 | 8 p.m.
Friday, May 10 | 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 | 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 12 | 2 p.m.
Thursday, May 16 | 8 p.m.
Friday, May 17 | 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 18 | 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 19 | 2 p.m.
TICKETS:
Legally Blonde: The Musical is rated PG-13 due to adult themes. Individual tickets ($42 - $98) are on sale now, with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and active and retired military personnel at www.CitySpringsTheatre.com or call 404-477-4365 for more information.
LOCATION:
City Springs Theatre Company at the Byers Theatre, 8601 Dunwoody Pl Suite 136, Sandy Springs, GA 30350
CAST:
Elle Woods: Lily Kaufmann (Broadway’s Monty Python’s Spamalot and Broadway’s Mean Girls)
Emmett Forest: Haden Rider (Frankie Valli in CSTC’s upcoming Jersey Boys)
Paulette: Kayce Denise (CSTC’s Hairspray, The Color Purple)
Professor Callahan: Bryant Smith
Warner Huntington III: Nick Walker Jones (recently seen as Lumiere in CSTC’s Beauty and the Beast, Bob Gaudio in the upcoming Jersey Boys)
Pilar: Rayven Bailey
Margot: Owen Claire Smith
Serena: Mona Swain
Brooke Wyndham: Jennifer Geller (Broadway’s Hamilton)
Vivienne Kensington: Sara Al-Bazali
Enid: Megan K. Hill
Kyle/Dewey: Marcello Audino
Ensemble: Grace Arnold, Emmanuel Cologne, Mandy Corbett, Timothy Ellis (Broadway’s Annie
Get Your Gun), Sammy Fossum, Jenna Gamerl, Arielle Geller, Emmanuel Kikoni, Lillie
Langston, Charizma Lawrence, Candy McLellan, Roberto Méndez, Ryley Perry, Arielle Prepetit,
Zac Pritts, Charles Pruitt, Zach Shanks, Brandon L. Smith, and Alyssa Yard
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAMS:
Director/Choreographer: Nikki Snelson
Music Director: Ben Bryant
Conductor: Greg Matteson
Lighting Designer: Mike Wood
Sound Designer: Anthony Narcisso
Scenic Designer: David Robertson
Costume Designer: Amanda West
Production Stage Manager: Shay Holihan
About City Springs Theatre Company:
City Springs Theatre Company (CSTC) is dedicated to entertaining, educating, and enriching
lives by creating world-class entertainment experiences and innovative arts education programs
that drive cultural enrichment and economic vitality. Through musical theatre productions that
utilize the talents of local and national artists, CSTC provides Broadway-quality entertainment to
the diverse Atlanta populace, helping to establish Sandy Springs, Georgia, as a growing cultural
center. City Springs Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, led by Executive
Director Natalie DeLancey, and Tony Award®-winner and Atlanta native Shuler Hensley as
artistic director. To date, CSTC has served over 174,000 patrons and 135,000 students through
its mainstage musicals and educational programs. www.CitySpringsTheatre.com. For tickets
and information call 404-477-4365 or visit CitySpringsTheatre.com.
