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Legally Blonde, Manchester

eternal

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eternal Veteran

eternal

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A couple of reviews in from Manchester:

Both are cracking :thumbsup:

http://www.thepublic...use-manchester/

Legally Blonde The Musical – Opera House, Manchester

Music and Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

Book: Heather Hach

Director and Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell

Reviewer: Luke Walker

The Public Reviews Rating: star.pngstar.pngstar.pngstar.pngblankstar.png

Legally-Blonde2-300x231.jpgIt’s big. It’s brash. It’s unashamedly camp. It’s like there has been an explosion in a pink factory! Yes, Legally Blonde The Musical is in Manchester and the froth bubbles over.

This fairytale story for the twenty first century perverts any rags to riches fable. Fashionista Elle Woods (Faye Brookes) is already rich – uber rich. Welcome to her world of pink, fluff, handbags, dogs in handbags and devoted sorority. She even has the model good looks boyfriend in Warner Huntington III (Gareth Gates). All she needs now is a giant rock on her finger to be complete. So when she is dumped for someone more ‘serious’ she is devastated. Undefeated, she decides to follow what she believes to be her love to Harvard Law School and win him back.

What follows is pretty much what you may expect. While everyone at law school is learning how to be sharks she is the fish out of water. Her pink laptop in a class of grey and her air head demeanor means she is bound to fail in this academic world. Doesn’t it? Of course it doesn’t. The plot is about as predictable as the “awws” from the audience every time a cute dog appears onstage. But that doesn’t matter.

The show bursts onto stage exuding energy from every pore of the made up and toned cast – and it never lets up. The characters are thin and the plot even thinner. The worlds they live in are sent-up and unbelievable. But it manages to get away with everything because it keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. There is enormous confidence in allowing the story to sway off at tangents. At one point the kooky salon owner Paulette (Jennifer Ellison) confesses during song that she is “not sure where this metaphor is going” and the highlight of the show is a number trying to decipher whether Nikos the pool boy is gay or simply European.

The performances across the board are exceptional. Strong support from the Greek Chorus and, in particular, Kyle the UPS guy (Lewis Griffiths) injects the show with massive laughs and whoops of delight from the mainly female audience. As Warner Gareth Gates has the desired swagger and arrogance needed to pull off his preppie attitude. The teaching aide, Emmett Forrest, is played with effortless charm and sensitivity by Iwan Lewis and Jennifer Ellison’s Paulette is measured with just the right amount of vulnerability keep her within the realms of believability. As Elle, Faye Brookes is superb and excels in her comic performance as much as her musical theatre talent. With a smile a mile wide she is cheeky, brazen, impetuous, and awful lot of fun! If you haven’t heard of her before I’m sure you will soon.

If you like your hot chocolate with a mountain of cream and extra marshmallows on the side then this is definitely the show for you.

http://menmedia.co.u...ter-opera-house

C_71_article_1588597_image_list_image_list_item_0_image.jpg?12%2F09%2F2012%2010%3A42%3A09%3A858

Feeling in need of a tonic after the post Olympic and Paralympic downer? Look no further than Elle Woods and her lively crew in Legally Blonde.

Flixton's finest, Faye Brookes, plays the pink-loving blonde law student who follows her ex boyfriend to Harvard to try and win him back only to find he's dating a serious brunette.

Brookes, a former Knutsford High School pupil and Pendleton College student, exceeds the requirements of the role. From shimmying and shakin' her booty to using her expressive face to play it for laughs, this petite powerhouse proves she is a theatrical force to be reckoned with.

And Gareth Gates has matured into a musical star, a decade after the shy stammering Bradford teenager won the nation's hearts in Pop Idol. His portrayal of Elle's snobbish ex, Warner, is confident and assured and that voice is as beautiful as ever.

Former Brookside star Jennifer Ellison plays hairdresser Paulette in a more understated fashion than others – although Paulette's fashion sense is as crazy as expected.

Rawtenstall actress Natalie Casey (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) grabbed the role and owned the stage when she took over from Denise Van Outen as Paulette at London's Savoy Theatre last year. Ellison's Paulette is more low key – although watchable.

Far from low-key are Elle's gal pals – with a stand-out performance from Micha Richardson.

Before taking our seats, I'd turned to my gal pal, who hadn't seen the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon or the stage version and said: "If you like dancing, cute dogs and ditzy blondes, you'll like this."

She didn't look convinced but she was laughing uproariously long before the hilarious Is He Gay or European? (guaranteed to make the theatre erupt) struck up in the second half courtroom scene: "I can't understand why I like it but I do," she said.

Best advice is not to analyse why it's so enjoyable; the plot is as thin as Elle Woods' arms and the supposedly serious subtext – to challenge the way we make assumptions based on appearance is stretching it somewhat. This musical isn't challenging but it is entertaining, exhilarating and uplifting.

:jump:

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Val4Gareth Newbie

Val4Gareth

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Nice chat with Gareth in the Lancashire Telegraph

http://www.lancashir...Blonde/?ref=rss

GARETH Gates still can’t quite believe that he’s taken to life in the theatre.

“It’s my new love,” he laughed. “I really never thought I’d be appearing on stage both singing and acting.”

Gareth has recently joined the cast of Legally Blonde, the show based on the hit movie which starred Reese Witherspoon.

In the show, which is now on tour after three years in the West End, Gareth plays Waner, the opinionated boyfriend of apparent airhead Elle Woods, who proves that she’s no dumb blonde after enrolling in law school. The touring show also stars former Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison and rising West End star Faye Brooks as Elle.

“It is a new avenue for me and it’s very liberating,” said Gareth.

The nation took the spiky-haired Bradford teenager with a bad stammer to their hearts when he appeared on Pop Idol.

“Appearing on stage is very liberating for me,” said Gareth. “I adopt a different persona, which is something which helps me with my stammer.

“It’s always a little nerve-racking when I meet new people because of my stammer but the cast have been fabulous. With everything I do I always raise the question of my stammer before anyone else does as I have had so much feedback from fellow stammerers that I have inspired them. I just have worked hard and I hope I have shown you should not let it stop you achieving your goals.”

Legally Blonde is a wonderfully light-hearted show which has received rave reviews.

“It’s one of those shows that makes people smile,” said Gareth. “I have been in Les Miserables, which is much more full-on as shows go, but this is equally entertaining and huge fun to be part of.”

As well as touring with Legally Blonde, Gareth has also just been announced as part the cast in a revival of the disco musical Boogie Nights next year. So does that mean he’s moved from live concerts?

“I love doing both,” he said. “I’m currently working with my band on some new songs and I hope to have an album out next year. I work with them when I get time off from theshow.

“My professional life now is all about juggling concerts and shows which is a great position to be in.”

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dorral Collaborator

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I went to see LB in Manchester last night,it was a show of 2 halves the second slightly better than the first.It was a show of constant screeching girls who we couldn't understand a word of what they were singing or saying.

As a lot of reviews have stated Gareth was very good and totally believable as Warner,he was so under used though,half the time he was stood on stage like a spare part,what a waste of his talent.

Jennifer was good as Paulette,though she didn't have much to do either.

The girl that was playing Elle was miming to most of her songs,not very well in some cases,to be fair though she was on stage all the time throughout the whole show.

I went with ValR,we were both dis-appointed with LB,would not pay to see it again,Loserville was so much better.

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eternal Veteran

eternal

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Looked forward to your report Dorral.

I do think it is a great show but the draw for us is Gareth and it is a dissapointment for him not to be singing more.

There are another couple of recent reviews here:

http://www.burnleyex...sical-1-4927158

By Rebecca Cohen

Published on Friday 14 September 2012 15:00

STEREOTYPICALLY speaking, blondes are considered to be kooky, dizzy and a little vanity mad.
Website after website is filled with jokes about their confusion and lack of intelligence, and the concept of a “dumb blonde” has even been the topic of academic research.

Initially, it may seem that Elle Woods fits into that category perfectly — she’s pretty, she’s obsessed with pink, and her outfit choice is perhaps one of the most important decisions of her day.

Made famous by American actress Reese Wetherspoon, Miss Woods is of course the leading lady of Legally Blonde, the woman who proves that style doesn’t always have to come without substance. And once again, her story is brought to the stage in musical form, but this time round it’s bigger and better than ever.

Legally Blonde The Musical has made a triumphant return to Manchester, bringing with it all the elements that worked before, and a lot more besides.

While this production undoubtedly made me smile in its previous visit to the Opera House, there were definite factors that were in need of improvement. The opening got off to a slow start, some of the musical numbers lacked “oomph”, and sometimes the cheesy Americanisation just didn’t lie right.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this show should still be taken at face value. The plot is hardly a Shakespearian tragedy, and the characters and songs can at times border on the ridiculous — and yet somehow it absolutely works.

It is difficult to believe that Faye Brookes played the protagonist throughout the last tour, but wonderful to see just how much she has developed and grown in the part. Her comedic timing is second to none, her voice at times breathtaking, and her facial expressions an absolute treat. There is no doubt that this young actress is a star, and it is almost guaranteed that she has a very fruitful West End, if not Broadway, career ahead of her.

Also adding to the production are new cast members Gareth Gates and Jennifer Ellison, who do a fantastic job in their roles of Warner Huntington the Third and Paulette Buonufonte. Guildford graduate Iwan Lewis is equally impressive as Elle’s love interest Emmett Forrest, and Tracey Penn is particularly engaging as the snobby Vivienne Kensington.

On the whole, the ensemble deliver an array of uplifting and feel-good numbers, namely “So Much Better”, “Bend and Snap” and “There! Right There!”, thoroughly deserving the standing ovation that they received.

A fun and frivolous production that will have you bending and snapping in no time. “Ohmigod you guys”, you have like sooo totally got to go.

and one which praises Gareth's acting and his American accent :thumbsup: , which I think for him would be a real compliment

http://www.cheshire-...ter-opera-house

Fri, 14/09/2012 - 11:09

Legally Blonde the Musical is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the popular film of the same name and it doesn’t disappoint.

This production, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, captures all the fun of the film and while it follows the same plot, as you would expect there are some scenes which are unique to the stage version.

It tells the story of ditzy, bubbly, blonde sorority girl Elle Woods (Faye Brookes ),who after being dumped by her boyfriend Warner Huntington the third (Gareth Gates) because she is not serious enough enrols at Harvard Law School in a bid to win him back.

Decked out in her signature pink Elle doesn’t make the best first impression on her Harvard classmates but can she prove that there is more to her than meets the eye?

Former Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison plays the role of hairdresser Paulette. Admittedly I was unsure whether Jennifer was right for the role, thinking that she would be better suited as Elle, but her performance was fantastically funny and she has a beautiful voice.

I was equally impressed with Gareth’s acting ability and his convincing American accent but for me the performance of the night was from Faye who positively shone as the heroine of the piece.

And let’s not forget Lewis Griffiths’ hilarious performance as the hot UPS delivery guy who has Paulette all of a dither.

Legally Blonde is cheesy as a big tub of gorgonzola but you can’t help but smile as you watch it with a laugh-out loud script and catchy songs . It was just the tonic after a hard day in the office.

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Val4Gareth Newbie

Val4Gareth

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Thanks for telling us your thoughts Doris. I agree Gareth was very much underused, but I did think it was a good show. Sorry for you that you had lots of screaming girls, but I'm sure Gareth will have loved it.

Thanks for the links to the reviews Chris. I've posted them to Twitter.

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ValR Proficient

ValR

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Thanks for telling us your thoughts Doris. I agree Gareth was very much underused, but I did think it was a good show. Sorry for you that you had lots of screaming girls, but I'm sure Gareth will have loved it.

Thanks for the links to the reviews Chris. I've posted them to Twitter.

Val, the screaming girls that Doris mentioned were the ones on stage! :mobile: We really couldn't tell a word they were saying and as we were on the front row of the circle I don'y know what it must have been like for anyone else! Having said that the full house audience seemed to like it though no standing ovation at the end which we're used to for Gareth's shows.

Very pleased I'd only booked to see it once - not a patch on Loserville which I loved.

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Guest NicolaJayne

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I agree with you both Doris and Val , I was also pleased that I had only booked to see it once as it wasn't a patch on Loserville, and pleased that someone else couldn't tell what the screaming girls were talking and singing about, I had wondered if it was just Linda and I as we were in the circle.

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eternal Veteran

eternal

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Look forward to seeing what you think of the show Maria.

How lovely that is in your home town too and you don't have to do all that travelling.

Another review here who is agreeing with the majority that Gareth should have been on more. He writes with great support for Gareth. http://showbizshel.com/legally-blonde

Omigod you guys Legally Blonde is back in Manchester painting the city a vivid shade of pink as it holds court at the Opera House.

The Olivier award winning musical based on the 2001 hit comedy starring Reese Witherspoon transfers to the stage – jampacked with high energy numbers and dance routines.

Taking the lead role of Elle is Flixton born Faye Brookes who toured with this production last year and 12 months on still manages to play the part with a freshness and energy that has you transfixed.

I’ll let you into a secret…Brookes is not actually blonde (I know this as I have interviewed her and discovered her hair is as dark as my roots…and trust me that’s dark!) that aside once the wig is on she embodies Elle for all her girliness and sorority madness.

Cast as Elle’s ex boyfriend Warner is former pop star Gareth Gates who has managed to carve himself a successful career in musical theatre previously putting on the dreamcoat to play Joseph and more recently proving to be a worthy Marius in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Miserables. Gates belts out some great vocals as you might expect from the former choir boy and ‘Pop Idol’ finalist-it’s a shame the part does not allow him to do more but for the time he is on stage he’s definitely an audience pleaser prompting many a whoop and a wolf whistle.

Celeb spotters will also enjoy seeing Jennifer Ellison in the supporting role of unlucky in love beautician Paulette. Fresh from starring in Calendar Girls Ellison uses her acting background to draw out a character performance which has the audience in stitches, especially as she practices the ‘Bend and Snap’ move to snare her man!

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Khelda Community Regular

Khelda

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Cast as Elle’s ex boyfriend Warner is former pop star Gareth Gates who has managed to carve himself a successful career in musical theatre previously putting on the dreamcoat to play Joseph and more recently proving to be a worthy Marius in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Miserables. Gates belts out some great vocals as you might expect from the former choir boy and ‘Pop Idol’ finalist-it’s a shame the part does not allow him to do more but for the time he is on stage he’s definitely an audience pleaser prompting many a whoop and a wolf whistle.

:thumbsup:

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