OmiGod, you guys! So I took my teenage niece to see Legally Blonde, the Musical, at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre. She was drawn to the musical primarily because she’s a big fan of Ray Quinn, that handsome feller with the cheeky smile from X Factor and Dancing on Ice. What we got was a show that was entertaining and light and blonde and pink and fluffy and glitzy…
The award-winning musical is based on the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, based on Amanda Brown’s book of the same name. The story goes that, after being rejected for not being ‘serious’ girlfriend material by a would-be senator (played by Ray Quinn), Elle Woods follows her beau to the hallowed halls of Harvard to pursue a law degree in a bid to win him back. Bear in mind that Elle prides herself on her bubblegum pink fashion merchandising expertise, so she must work hard to blend in with the serious crowd – the type “who wear black when nobody’s dead!” Then there’s the whole business of reading…. err…law books! But just as all fairytales end happily ever after, naturally Elle proves herself to have the makings of a great lawyer, and goes on to successfully represent the defendant in a high profile murder trial.
It’s little wonder that this all singing, all dancing, feel good show has been a West End and Broadway hit. There’s ditsy Elle Wood’s Greek chorus dressed in cheesy cheerleader outfits, ready to sing at the drop of a pompom; there’s the legendary ‘bend and snap’ move; the obligatory Chihuahua with matching carry case; there’s even a hot and spicy FedEx delivery man who drew the largest applause of the night from the largely female audience when he announced, “I’ve got a package for you!” So ladies, don something pink and sparkly, dust off your cheerleading pompoms, gather the girls and prepare for a great night out.
You can see Legally Blonde at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre until 14th July 2012.
Irna Qureshi blogs about being British, Pakistani, Muslim and female in Bradford, against a backdrop of classic Indian films.