Written By Brae Foust

Nothing screams 2000s pop culture like the story of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon. The movie was such a fan favorite, it later became adapted in musical format back in 2007, written by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. A Malibu Barbie in love with pink and fashion getting into Harvard to prove to her ex-boyfriend that she can be taken seriously? Sounds like the basis of some comedic and heartfelt moments, which is exactly what the cast at the Brownwood Lyric Theatre was able to accomplish.

The music written by Benjamin compliments the atmosphere from the 2001 movie all while being its own thing. It’s both respectful and cleverly written to bring the nostalgic feelings of 2000s life back into our lives for a few hours, and the cast of the Lyric make sure the audience has fun with that as well. They really had the audience in the palm of their hand in their performance and made them feel like a part of the show.

For sets and designs, you know that the stage at the Lyric is not the size you would see on perhaps a Broadway stage up in Manhattan. The stage designs for the Lyric were versatile, effective, and it made the stage feel whole. Lighting should get a pat on the back as well, as spotlights were good and they complimented the stage sets perfectly to make UCLA turn into Harvard and Elle’s room with barely a sweat.

The cast was excellent and! Elle Woods was played by Aleah Curtis and all I have to say is this: Aleah IS Elle! She’s got the look; she’s got the bubbly personality and she’s got the spirit of Elle Woods. Other notable performances include Martee Blanton who plays Paulette hilariously and is amazing. Levi Packer, who plays Professor Callahan, is superb in showing how vindictive and ruthless the character can be.

The ensemble also brought the energy to the stage in a big way. So much so, the direction they were given and musical spots made it so that while performing, they could take the eyes in the audience and put them on their performance while there is a big scene change happening in the background. And I can’t not mention the opening ‘jump-rope’ scene in Act 2. It was choreographed great, it brought the crowd back into the world after an intermission in a big way, and I felt the cast did an excellent job in making it feel like your typical DVD workout routine brought to real life. Snaps to that group for an amazing job done.

All in all, this show is a bundle of fun for MOST people. There are language concerns that some parents made need to watch out for if you want to bring kids, but I can’t recommend this show enough. It’s a must-see for a date night, friend’s night, any kind of night you can think of. They’ll be performing like for the next three weekends all the way to July 13 Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (July 12 has no 2:30 p.m. performance) and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. You can get your tickets at the door or online at brownwoodlyrictheatre.com. Don’t miss this fantastic comedy from the Brownwood Lyric Theatre, because this is one show that will never go out of fashion anytime soon.

***

Brae Foust, along with being a DJ for KOXE radio and Sports Broadcaster for local area sports, is a classically trained Baritone who graduated with a degree in Music Education from Texas Tech University. He has performed regionally with the Texas Tech Opera Theatre, Amarillo Opera, and Lubbock Moonlight Musicals. Additionally, he has performed around the country, including Lincoln Center in New York City.