A hit, large scale musical, generally emanating from those capitals of entertainment, Broadway or the West End, is a godsend for the live theatre industry.

Producers can take the blueprint, usually under the tutelage of the original director, and send it to satellite countries and give months and often years of steady employment to talented local casts and crews.

It has been over 5 years since the popular LEGALLY BLONDE, adapted from the hit 1991 Hollywood movie, first opened in San Francisco in January 2007. In this time, there have been productions in South Korea, the Netherlands, France, the Phillipines and Finland. Now LEGALLY BLONDE has finally landed on our shores, and it proves to be well worth the wait with what turns out to be an outstanding local production.

The Aussie cast shine in a musical that offers plenty of substantial roles. Three of the stars of WICKED are back in great form, Lucy Durack plays the modern day heroine Elle Woods who can read Vogue and Thomas Hobbes at the same time, and as her two beaus, Rob Mills plays Warner and David Harris is Emmett.

Helen Dallimore as Elle’s kind companion and manicurist, Paulette, international fashion model turned actress Erika Heynatz as the famous fitness instructor accused of murdering her husband, Brooke Wyndham, and Cameron Daddo as pretentious, toff Professor Callahan were also in fine form.

Mike Snell shone out in the supporting cast with his portrayal of Kyle, Paulette’s spunky courier/ delivery man.

This was a show that featured plenty of musical highlights including Cameron Daddo’s and the Company’s delivery of BLOOD ON THE WATER, and POSITIVE with its very tongue in cheek, fun take on the classical theatre making tradition of the Greek chorus, with the chorus all dressed in pure white gowns.

This review is just a snippet, a taste, of what is a fun, uplifting night at the theatre.

The Australian premiere production of LEGALLY BLONDE, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Noel Benjamin with book by Heather Hach, and directed by the show’s original director Jerry Mitchell, opened at the Sydney Lyric at the Star on Thursday 4th October, 2012 and closes on Sunday 27th January, 2013. For more details about this show please visit the Sydney Lyric’s official website at www.sydneylyric.com.au.

(c) David Kary

10th October, 2012

Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- LEGALLY BLONDE, Jerry Mitchell, Sydney Lyric at the Star, Lucy Durack, David Harris, Rob Mills, Helen Dallimore, Erika Heynatz, Cameron Daddo, Mike Snell, Jeff Busby, Sydney Arts Guide.