Like Wicked, this show is a girl-friendly extravaganza; the main difference--and it's a big one--is that the score of Legally Blonde is better. Based on the hit Reese Witherspoon movie, the zippy, frothy show tells the story of SoCal, pink-loving sorority girl Elle Woods, who enrolls at Harvard Law and goes on to prove that appearances can be deceiving. The opening number, "Omigod You Guys," gives an idea of what the Broadway-pop score by Laurence O'Keefe (Bat Boy--The Musical) and Nell Benjamin is up to, embracing its over-the-top cheer with goofily infectious energy. Sure, a couple of numbers feel a bit derivative (the show with the witches has "Popular," this one has "Positive"), and the Celtic detour ("Ireland") is rather puzzling, but overall the songs are firing on all cylinders. Just check out the use of a marching band on "What You Want" for instance. Laura Bell Bundy (Amber von Tussle in Hairspray) is a charming Elle, and she delivers numbers such as "So Much Better" with the requisite elan. But this is not a one-woman show, and Bundy is surrounded by a crack team, including the endearing Christian Borle as Elle's love interest Emmett, power-piped Orfeh as hairdresser Paulette and up-and-comer Leslie Kritzer as Delta Nu's Serena. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
