Feeling in the Pink

On Sunday, I went to see a matinee of "Legally Blonde, the Musical" at Ordway Center in St. Paul. (And, yes, I went alone -- no point in dragging Christopher to a musical which I know he had no interest in seeing, right?) 

I admit that I went in with a list of preconceived notions. I've seen the Reese Witherspoon movies (the original and the sequel). I saw the Broadway production when MTV broadcast it and then did the search for a new Elle Woods. I know the Cast Album backwards and forwards. I once upon a time even knew the guy who played "Kyle, the sexy (his first words on stage are "I've got a package... for you" as he thrusts himself forward) UPS guy" on Broadway. 

So, Sunday, when I went to the theater, I was fully expecting to see the place awash in pink. And I was expecting to be completely let down by the production. But when the lights came down and the overture swelled up... Well... I started to let the preconceptions go and let the ephemerality of it all wash over me. 

** Sidenote** I fully admit that I'm expecting to get extra points for using the word "ephemerality." I remember learning it in an Intro to Theater class during my freshman year at South Dakota State University. "The quality of being transient - lasting for only a short time." It's one of the things that makes live theater live theater. ** End Sidenote **

For the next 2 1/2 hours, I let all of the pink fluffiness of it wash over me. I got sucked in by Elle and her co-horts. I found myself enjoying the side characters more than I would have expected from the Cast Album. And I found myself laughing at jokes I should have already known. 

I also found myself getting mildly depressed by the amount of gorgeousness displayed by the men on the stage. That was a strange mix of envy, lust, and a reminder that I never could have become a professional musical theater performer because I didn't have the drive for it at the time in my life when the decision would have mattered. But that's a whole different story...

More than one of the pieces which I loved on the MTV broadcast, and which I've enjoyed to some degree on the CD, became a laugh-out-loud moment when I saw it in person. Watching Elle's mentor try to "dance funky" made him even more endearing. Seeing the entire cast "Riverdance" was a trip which... well... doesn't translate to the CD. 

And there is a scene late in the show which was totally stolen by two relatively minor characters. The two minor -- yet pivotal -- gay characters are given more time than you might expect since they are such a small portion of the show. The whole scene, as well as what leads up to it, is filled with stereotypes, but the upshot turns into a really sweet "gay pride" moment (even the light bars bordering the stage become rainbow-colored). And, well, it did end up making me proud and happy for them. (And, again, more than a little amazed at a few of the dance moves...)

That, in a weird way, is what yesterday's performance did for me. It gave me all of what I was expecting, but also went to places which made me so very happy and proud to be there in person. 

If you have a chance to see the tour of "Legally Blonde, the Musical" I'd recommend it. It may be as pink and fluffy as cotton candy, but when was the last time you were depressed eating cotton candy?