I don't know how I've managed it but I've never actually seen the movie Legally Blonde so I was really looking forward to seeing the musical at the Liverpool Empire last night.
In contrast, my 17-year-old daughter is a huge fan of the movie so she had high expectations and hoped the stage show would live up to the film... she was not disappointed.
The show based on the 2001 hit film is an all singing, all dancing fun-filled pink fest and is a musical in the truest sense. Not just a play with songs. There is minimal dialogue between songs and there is plenty of singing, dancing and witty one-liners.
Directed and choreographed by Anthony Williams, it tells the story of Elle Woods who is a popular and fun-loving girl from Malibu who suffers heartbreak when her boyfriend Warner decides to end their relationship for someone more serious.
Packing up her trusty pooch, Bruiser, who is played by the very cute (and well-behaved) Bruisey Williams-Dodd, Elle attempts to win Warner back by following him to the prestigious Harvard Law School. Facing many challenges along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself, never goes out of style.
Elle is played by Lucie Jones who was a finalist in the 2009 series of The X Factor and also represented the UK in last year's Eurovision Song Contest and she certainly knows how to belt out a song or two.
Rita Simons, who is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in BBC’s EastEnders stars as hairdresser Paulette Bonafonte and another ex soap star Bill Ward, who has just finished three years in Emmerdale playing farmer James Barton and was previously builder Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street takes the role of Professor Callahan.
I'll be honest, I was surprised at how good Rita was in her first musical theatre role, she made the character of Paulette her own and was outrageously funny. She had the audience laughing on plenty of occasions and the 'Bend & Snap' scene with Kyle was certainly one of my favourites.
David Barrett is an absolute delight in the role of Emmett Richmond, the geeky guy who falls for Elle.
One of the most impressive scenes for me was where jailed Brooke Wyndham (Helen Petrovna) performs a skipping exercise routine while belting out an impressive rendition of the Whipped Into Shape where she barely breaks a sweat and doesn't appear in the slightest bit breathless - I was in awe.
The finale saw the whole audience up on their feet to clap, sing and dance along to the musical medley and the cast rightly deserved their standing ovation.
Packed full of fast paced dancing, catchy songs and positivity, Legally Blonde the Musical is an undeniable crowd-pleaser, that offers something for everyone.
Legally Blonde the Musical runs at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday, June 9.
Tickets from £12 are available from: Liverpool Empire Box Office on 0844 971 3017 or online at atgtickets.com
