Legally Blonde is Tauranga Musical Theatre's final stage show for 2019. Photo / Supplied
Legally Blonde is Tauranga Musical Theatre's final stage show for 2019. Photo / Supplied
Fresh off the back of Wicked at Baycourt, Tauranga Musical Theatre brings their final show for the year to the 17th Ave Theatre stage. Reporter Zoe Hunter shares her experience of Legally Blonde the Musical.
Just eight weeks.
That's how long the cast and crew of Tauranga Musical Theatre's latest production Legally Blonde had to pull the show together.
We're not talking 9 to 5 every day either. Nope, the team of full and part-time employees and school students rehearsed when they could after their day-to-day commitments.
But this show is not like a salesgirl trying to sell you a "one-of-a-kind" Louis Vuitton dress that is so last season. No, you definitely get your money's worth with this show.
Snaps for director Ginevra Wohlstadt for bringing yet another classy production to the stage, despite the compressed timeframe.
Legally Blonde The Musical tells the story of a stereotypical blonde sorority girl who enrols in Harvard Law School in a bid to get her former boyfriend Warner Huntington back.
But beneath the Barbie pink exterior, the show explores girl-power themes and encourages the audience to reflect on how far we have come as a society and as women.
Entering the 17th Ave theatre, a makeshift white pillar entrance feels like you have just stepped into Elle Woods' sorority house of Delta Nu. Fake windows with pink framing give off a real sorority vibe.
The lights dim and band members Jonty Climo, Joseph Walsh, Brandon Croton, Frances Smith, Nikki Wilson and Paige Stewart take to the stage. A live band! Oh my God you guys!
Band director and vocal director mentor Elise Rohde does a fantastic job of conducting the band who give musical cues to the cast throughout the acts.
Laura Boucher as Brooke Wyndham with her ensemble. Photo / Supplied
Vocal director Ethan Thorburn gets props for the vocal direction of his cast who sound phenomenal, particularly the lead characters in their solo acts.
Pretty in pink Georgia Baker as Elle Woods is absolutely stunning in every way, hitting every note in each of her songs and dancing in almost every choreographed number.
Baker deserves credit for the way she handles herself on stage, which she hardly ever leaves throughout the performance. And how about those fast outfit changes - pink is definitely her signature colour!
Her Greek Chorus including Carrie Murphy, Ashley Hocking and Paras Spiropoulos make good girly sidekicks.
A number of solo performances from Fletcher Oxford as Warner Huntington, Michael Graham as Emmett Forrest, Le Roi Kippen as Professor Callahan and Ashleen Fahy as Enid Hoops are also show standouts.
Lianne Pepperell is an incredible Paulette Bonafonte with her perfect bend and snap. Hannah Spedding as Vivienne Kensington also deserves credit for the way she hits those high notes.
What I want to know though, is how on earth did Laura Boucher skip and sing at the same time? Boucher plays a sassy Brooke Wyndham and commands the stage with her skipping rope and orange jail pants.
Credit to Georgia Wilson who has choreographed a high-energy dance ensemble, with fun moves and motifs throughout a range of routines. Her ensemble brings a fun and funky vibe to the stage and helps give context to some of the scenes.
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Legally Blonde. I will definitely be telling my sorority sisters about this one!
The details
What: Legally Blonde the Musical Where: Tauranga Musical Theatre, 17th Ave Theatre When: November 29 to December 14
