Legally Blondeis celebrated for its humor and charm, and theLegally BlondeBroadway musical is a faithful adaptation in terms of story and tone. The musical’s runtime is longer thanthe originalLegally Blondemovie, and the additional time allows many of Elle Woods’ most important relationships to be explored at a deeper level. Even though it is, by definition, a spinoff, this actually allows the stage show to improve on the film in one key area.
Legally Blondewas adapted for the Broadway stage in 2007, six years after the film’s release. Fans ofReese Witherspoon’s iconic role in the originalLegally Blondemoviewill appreciate the new elements added to the musical, with the multitude of songs adding depth to classic scenes from the movie. Beyond this, however, the musical’s format gives Elle’s character room to adequately develop – particularly with how it explores her various relationships throughout the story.
The Legally Blonde Musical Captures The Essence Of The Original Movie
Iconic Legally Blonde Moments Are Blown Out Into Epic Musical Numbers
TheLegally Blondemovie was a surprise hit – not quite a romcom, not quite a chick flick, but a genuinely funny and uplifting movie about succeeding on one’s own terms. This was only two years afterElection, so Reese Witherspoon was not yet a proven box office success playing an adult character. TheLegally Blondemusical is a rare adaptation that captures the essence of the original film. Many ofLegally Blonde’s iconic linesand moments are lovingly recreated, if not inflated to epic musical proportions.
In the movie,Legally Blondeopens with a tracking shot following a congratulations card being signed by Elle Woods’ sorority sisters, set to “Perfect Day” by Hoku. TheLegally Blondemusical takes the spirit of the opening montage and starts the musical with the high-energy number “Omigod You Guys!” with all of Delta Nu celebrating Elle’s impending engagement. Everyone is so excited to celebrate Elle that the audience can’t help but get caught up as well.
Similarly, Elle’s video essay as part of her Harvard Law application is a memorable part of the movie. TheLegally Blondemusical takes this idea to the next level, blowing it out with a live performance by UCLA’s marching band. Elle makes it clear to Harvard that she is “What You Want” for their law school, bedazzled to the nth degree.
Ancient Greek theater used a chorus, a group of performers speaking as one, to provide commentary on a story.TheLegally Blondemusical cheekily flips this custom on its head by giving Elle a Greek chorus made up of her sorority (Greek life) sistersonce she arrives at Harvard Law. This allows musical Elle to keep her three best friends around, at least in her own head, since they are criminally underused in the original movie. This clever device speaks to the musical’s greatest strength – namely, that through song, Elle’s underexplored relationships are finally given their chance to shine.
Elle’s Relationships Are Able To Go Deeper In The Musical
The Legally Blonde Musical’s Longer Runtime Gives Many Characters More Space
TheLegally Blondemovie has a lean runtime of 96 minutes, while the musical adds almost an hour at approximately two hours and 25 minutes. This extra time gives breathing space not just to Elle but to many secondary characters. In theLegally Blondemusical, Professor Callahan, Paulette, and Brooke Wyndham all get solosthat allow the audience to understand them more intimately.
Blood in the Water
Brooke introduces her workout and life philosophies.
Bend and Snap
Elle and Emmett say goodbye.
Vivienne, Elle, & Company
Vivienne encourages Elle to be herself.
In the movie, Emmett’s romance with Elle is largely off-screen, relying on Reese’s and Luke Wilson’s easy chemistry. By contrast,theLegally Blondemusical explores Elle and Emmett’s compatibility and partnership more deeply. As in the movie, Emmett helps Elle buckle down on her studies to gain the respect of her peers, but there is an added sequence in the musical where Elle repays the favor by taking Emmett shopping, knowing a sharp wardrobe will impress his boss. Musical audiences have more to root for in the relationship, even ifElle and Emmett’s romance isn’t the driving force ofLegally Blonde.
In the Legally Blonde movie, Emmett’s last name is Richmond, but in the musical it is changed to Forrest. No reason is explicitly given, but Woods and Forrest are complimentary terms, perhaps foreshadowing Elle and Emmett’s compatibility.
In theLegally Blondemovie, Vivian Kensington is Warner Hunting III’s new fiancée, the obvious rival for Elle, but they ultimately bond. The musical takes their friendship to the next level. In the movie, when Elle feels like no one believes in her, a female professor who was quite hard on her earlier convinces her to stay, which is fine, but Elle has barely interacted with her. TheLegally Blondemusical instead has Vivienne (musical spelling) convince Elle to stay. This is a far more powerful relationship to be the catalyst for Elle’s decision.
The Act One Finale Song Is A Perfect Example Of Music Heightening The Emotion
The Legally Blonde Musical Takes This Iconic Line And Creates An Entire Musical Number
Musicals naturally allow for characters to sing their innermost thoughts, and theLegally Blondemusical uses this feature to better effect than most. In the movie, Elle’s triumph of getting one of the coveted Callahan internship spots is over in one expertly delivered burn from Elle to Warner:
“Remember when we spent those four amazing hours in the hot tub after Winter Formal? …This is so much better than that!”
TheLegally Blondemusical takes this one line and blows it into a spectacular musical number that truly gives the audience an insight into Elle’s state of mind. Her song “So Much Better” closes out the first act, and Elle belts to the cheap seats:
“Maybe you [Warner] will change your mind, but you might look up to find I’ve moved on to better things - better jobs and bigger rings!”
With the Greek chorus backing her up, it’s an electric set piece that takes an iconic movie scene and heightens it in the way only Broadway can do. In elevating the emotion of such moments and giving Elle’s relationships greater depth, theLegally Blondemusical makes some subtle yet successful changes to the movie’s approach.
