WEST VALLEY CITY — Despite massive obstacles, it has felt in some ways like this is a year where all West Valley Arts can do is win. Their August production of Legally Blonde: The Musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hatch is a pink-powered parade of chic, charm and choruses. This was easily the most fun I’ve had at a musical in ages.
The production follows the story of Delta Nu sorority queen Elle Woods who is anticipating being proposed to by her long time boyfriend Warner. He instead dumps her, goes to law school, and she pursues for love, only to find that she has more purpose than Warner and can find love for who she is. The musical, adapted from the 2001 film Legally Blonde but adds wild songs, character depth, and, in West Valley’s production flamboyant design and dance.
Legally Blonde plays at WVA through August 31 | Photo Credit: Izzy Arrieta
The choreography was overall the strongest element of this production. Done in the round, Benjamin Rowling’s choreography was wide ranging in style and utility. It was also extremely successful. Some numbers such as “Serious” featured couple dancing and utilization of rolling tables and chairs. Classroom and court scenes utilized synchronized seated gestures on benches that were precise and often hilarious during “Blood in the Water” and “There! Right There”. And some of the choreography was downright bootylicious with men and women shaking their stuff in a variety of sassy, jazzy, and sometimes even classy twerks and jerks. All of it was well executed, and added to the over the top energy of the show from start to finish. Slay.
Director Brooklyn Pulver Kohler made exceptional choices in casting, staging, and stakes elevating moments. There was such a clear chemistry between the cast, that moments in the play that were high stakes still felt playful rather than off-putting. When Callahan, played by Jared Lesa, tells Enid, played by Amanda Anne Dayton, “you lesbians are all the same!” Dayton brings a visceral reaction that fits the scope of the play and earns audience sympathy, but doesn’t feel like a pointed stop to the banter of the play itself. So many moments like this in the play have their moment to breathe, and then allow the party to keep on going. The jokes in the script were found and played exceptionally well. I was exceptionally impressed by how well each member of the ensemble seemed to commit to their character and objectives. Sorority girls didn’t feel like caricatures, they felt like women who were proud of what they loved. Nikos didn’t feel like a gay trope as much as a fabulous self-loving man. Little things like bubble guns and the choice to use real dogs felt like every decision was based on the question, “what will the fun choice be?’ Kohler navigated tricky text well by leading actors to live through their characters, and it seemed to be a great cast to be part of.
Photo Credit: Izzy Arrieta
Stand out performances from the leads Rachel Matorana (Elle) and Geoff Beckstrand (Emmett) made the show’s love story sparkle. A love story that doesn’t make you melt a little is hardly worth taking the time to see, and this one was heartwarming from start to finish. Beckstrand didn’t feel like he was nursing a crush on Elle from the beginning, and he carried the “chip on his shoulder” through most of his driving action. Matroana was likewise unabashedly forward about love being a good enough reason to be in Harvard, and playing that objective until her character changed. Dayton’s Enid was a passionate and ardent feminist rage machine and simultaneously hilarious in the way she’d subtly check out Elle. Teaira Burge was able to play the frigid Vivienne with the same demeanor the character demands, and only have objective shifts rather than personality changes. Over and over, the acting impressed.
That’s without mentioning the stellar singing. Each of the soloists were solid. When Beckstrand sings about Emmett being “driven as hell” I got goosebumps from both his character’s emphasis and Beckstrand’s excellent tone and timbre. Bryn Campbell was impressive in Brooke’s song “Whipped Into Shape” as she sang beautifully while jump roping vigorously for nearly five minutes. Along with the belting Ariel in HCT’s Little Mermaid from a few years ago, it was one of the most impressive acts of singing excellently while being physically engaged I’ve seen in Utah.
Photo Credit: Izzy Arrieta
So much of the technical design was spectacular as well. Michael Gray’s lighting design of 575 cues was exceptional at elevating the vibe of each number while pinpointing where the audience needs to look at key moments. Scenic Designer Mauri Smith did an excellent job designing scenes to be in the round so no technical element made a moment lost, and many moments were elevated through simple design choices. I loved having the judge’s desk turn into a toilet seat when the court scene transitions to the bathroom. Alicia Kondrick made subtle choices with vivd impacts. The choice to have Vivienne in a deep red contrasting Elle’s electric pink put them in the same universe while being distinct. The many different ways in which pink was deployed in the show’s various technical elements was creative and exciting. So many design elements just worked for the space.
The show was not without flaws. Wigs fell off, jump ropes flipped into the audience, and goofs happened. But the actors who slipped up or made mistakes were so good natured and committed to bits that it always just felt like the result of playing too hard. It also likely pushes the edge of some Utah theatregoers’ sensibilities with its language, themes, and overall sexiness. Go anyway. The cast and crew at West Valley Arts dominated this, and made Legally Blonde the Musical an absolutely fantastic production. It’s a show that got a rousing standing ovation, and we’ve already purchased tickets to go back. West Valley Arts took a fun musical and made it great. “What, like it’s hard?”
These reviews are made possible by a grant from the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks program.
