Theater review: 'Legally Blonde' lead lacks special Elle quality

Becky Gulsvig (center) as Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde: The Musical" 

(Photo by Joan Marcus)

A pretty, popular, bubbly girl like Elle Woods would have to work fairly hard to fade into the background — especially at Harvard Law School. But in "Legally Blonde: The Musical," playing at the Fox Theatre through Sunday, Elle unfortunately does just that.

She's the kind of spoiled girl who thinks it's perfectly logical to follow her ex to Harvard to prove she's serious wife material. She carries a dog — with his own wardrobe — in her purse. And she has her very own Greek chorus of Delta Nu sisters that appears sporadically to guide her decision-making.

In short, Elle is eccentric.

Becky Gulsvig, who's been touring as Elle since 2008 (and understudying Elle since Broadway in 2007), clearly knows the role. And she has a dynamite voice. And she's absolutely adorable.

Unfortunately, she lacks a certain charisma we've come to expect from the character — the essence of Elle, if you will.

"Legally Blonde" has a cast of standout co-stars: D.B. Bonds as Emmett (Elle's charming teacher's assistant), Jeff McLean as Warner (Elle's ex) Natalie Joy Johnson as Paulette (Elle's loud beautician galpal), Lucia Spina as Enid (a fellow law student) and Michael Rupert as Callahan (Elle's law professor).

Tiffany Engen, Rhiannon Hansen and Candice Marie Woods channel their inner Valley Girl as Elle's Delta Nu sisters. Their ditzy quips — and their subtle homage to "The House Bunny" — get big laughs and manage not to sound forced or predictable.

The show moves along briskly, thanks to snappy dialogue and big, energetic production numbers that carry the story a good distance rather quickly.

"Omigod You Guys" and "What You Want" get a lot of the story's details out of the way while wowing us with big sets, flashy costumes, eye-candy dancers and infectious music. Your seatmates will excuse your foot-tapping.

"There! Right There," in which Elle and her classmates must determine whether a witness is gay or European, is guaranteed to make you laugh — possibly till tears come out of your nose (their words; not ours).

And "Legally Blonde," a moving duet toward the close of Act 2, is sweetly performed by Gulsvig and Bonds. In fact, Gulsvig is at her best during these scenes.

Other songs — "Ireland" (with Irish dancing!) and "Bend and Snap" — are decidedly less utilitarian and exist purely for our amusement.

At some points on opening night, the pit orchestra didn't sound as full as the action onstage. But the sound quality of the vocals, a recurring gripe at the Fox, was mostly adequate.

Thank goodness: The lyrics are clever and memorable, which means you'll leave the theater with a song stuck in your head. Possibly for days.

By Gabe Hartwig • ©2010 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, STLtoday.com • Published 04.09.10