The Kelly Critics is a joint program of the Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh CLO's Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musicals, in which students at Kelly schools review musicals at other Kelly schools. Reviews are edited by PG senior theater critic Christopher Rawson. For the full schedule of spring high school musicals, go to post-gazette.com/ae.
When prompted on the most quintessential comedy work of the early 2000s, almost anyone will reply “Legally Blonde.” Its campy and over-the-top storyline and characters instantly launch viewers into that same mess of tacky garb, new tech and exaggerated slang.
This feeling is often a hard one to capture, but “Legally Blonde” has done it again and again, different forms of the initial book each amassing widespread success, whether it be in movie, musical or TV. Perhaps what has made the work so easily transferable is its own very exaggeration of these so familiar lost trends — a trait of the musical boldly portrayed through Thomas Jefferson High School’s production.
“Legally Blonde” follows sorority girl and fashion merchandising major Elle Woods (Rachael Parsons) as she reels from a breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (Joseph Wodarek), bringing her to the obvious conclusion that she would simply follow him to Harvard Law School, proving to Warner that she is “Serious” and worthy of his love.
Along the way, Elle realizes her potential as a lawyer, rising to the top of her class despite initial struggles and misconceptions about her intelligence, but she never loses her air-headed nature along the way, pushing the point of individuality seen throughout the plot.
The Thomas Jefferson cast impressed, with Rachael Parsons’ Elle prancing across the stage in perfectly pink pantsuits and 6-inch heels, effortlessly embodying the beloved character, and Kayleigh Johnson’s Vivienne stealing the spotlight with her stunning vocals.
▪ Legally Blonde, Thomas Jefferson
▪ Legally Blonde No. 2, Thomas Jefferson
One of the more impressive moments was Professor Callahan’s (Hayden Krupp) performance of “Blood in the Water,” a number that truly displayed Krupp’s acting and singing chops and the too-serious nature of the character.
The hilarious chemistry between Paulette Bonafonté (Sabrina Reed) and Kyle B. O’Boyle (Aiden Oeler) certainly kept the audience entertained and engaged. Each punchline met with a roar of laughter and the way the pair fed off of one another’s sense of humor resulted in a perfectly exaggerated performance.
Continuing in the category of comedy, the dicey jokes of “Gay or European?” had the crowd in pandemonium, the laughs getting louder and louder with each and every joke. This is not to say the song began and ended with comedy; the coordination of the set and large cast in the song was some of the most impressive technical work in the show.
Technically, Thomas Jefferson’s production jumped off the stage – literally. The lights of the auditorium flashed in sync with the loud crack of the orchestra’s whip in “Bend and Snap,” met by various impressed “wows” in the audience.
The sets of the show were varied in complexity; while the courtroom/bathroom set was undoubtedly grand, sets such as the restaurant in the show’s first scene left a little too much up to the imagination.
All in all, Thomas Jefferson High School’s “Legally Blonde” perfectly captured the same nostalgic details that have made the show so prominent, allowing for the audience to escape their issues and enjoy the most ridiculous aspects of the early 2000s.
“Legally Blonde” ran March 17-20 at Thomas Jefferson High School.
First Published: April 12, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
