Quote of the Day: To thine own self be true. Shakespeare. It fits with the entire theme for the day. I experienced a double feature Sunday as a reviewer, and it was wonderful. I’ve been in a local production of Church Basement Ladies (Brainerd Community Theater at CLC) and have not gotten to the metro for theater. So, my friend Joanna and I spent last Sunday enjoying some of the finest, and funniest.
Angela Steele (center) with Caitlin Featherstone, Mari Holst, Brittany Marie Wilson, Dorian Brooke, Sarah DeYong, Antonia Perez, and Abigail Rose Sharp. In Legally Blonde at Artistry. Photos by Devon Cox
We were delighted by our first experience at Artistry in Bloomington. What a lovely and comfortable theater space inside their Center for the Arts. And, Legally Blonde is a fun and energetic show with some important messages. Elle Woods (played by the darling Angela Steele) follows a boy to Harvard. Now, you can’t just say you’re going to Harvard, you have to be accepted. And, they’re picky. But, she pulls it off with her stellar grades and creative approach to the essay, and there she is. She’s smarter than she thinks, and breaks the stereotype that so many people put her in. She’s intelligent, hard-working, loyal, resourceful, and kind. I like Elle Woods, and I like how the creators Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin turned a popular novel and movie into a fun musical. I can’t get some of the songs out of my head. “Omigod You Guys” and “There! Right There! or Gay or European” being the top two! And, I’m still breathless at just watching the jump rope song “Whipped Into Shape.” I could barely do the Bunny Hop and sing!
Dorian Brooke and the cast of Legally Blonde at Artistry. Photos by Devon Cox
All of the leads are marvelous. Their voices soar. Many have opera training, and they have such control over their voices and characters they create with them. In addition to Angela’s awesome Elle, Benjamin Rubenstein is an outstanding Emmett. Alec Leonard is a dashing and talented Warner. Mary Palazzolo kills it as Paulette, one of my favorite characters ever. You got that bend & snap, girl! Paul R. Coate is an excellent sleezy and gifted Professor Callahan, and Dorian Brooke is the athletic and strong Brooke Wyndham. Excellent casting all around. And, we loved watching all the dancers. At the curtain call, the crew came out and took a well deserved bow!
Lars Nisswandt, Angela Steele, and Mary Palazzolo in Legally Blonde at Artistry. Photos by Devon Cox
You can see Legally Blonde at Artistry in Bloomington, MN through August 19, 2018. Don’t drag your feet on getting tickets. This is a well loved show with an excellent cast.
Paul R. Coate and the cast of Legally Blonde. Photos by Devon Cox
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt:
Great review, Mary. Your enthusiasm definitely came through. I enjoyed the movie Legally Blonde, but not sure if I could handle a musical version. Guess I’d have to see.