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Hairspray, The Producers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Wedding Singer, and now Legally Blonde. Broadway has seen a rash of movie-turned-musical entries in recent years, apparently banking on the success of the Hollywood formula, or perhaps hoping that audiences will go see anything as long as it?s familiar. Before this latest movie adaptation tests those theories on New York?s Great White Way this April, local audiences can check out Legally Blonde in San Francisco through February 24.

The SF stint is an opportunity to work out the kinks, and [tag]Legally Blonde[/tag] has plenty. Fortunately, there are some kicks, too. The first act is mostly a blast. The story closely mirrors that of the film with rich, blonde sorority girl Elle Woods following her boyfriend to Harvard Law. Laura Bell Bundy (Hairspray, Wicked) inhabits the role originated by Reese Witherspoon with plenty of pep, and her Delta Nu sorority sisters are so sweet our teeth hurt. Once Elle gets to Boston, she meets soon-to-be love interest Emmett (embodied by Christian Borle with charm and the need of a good coif) and new girlfriend Paulette.

Orfeh (Footloose) as Paulette is a standout dynamo. Her first act solo ?Ireland? is laugh-til-you-cry funny while showcasing her strong vocals. The lyrics by husband-and-wife team Laurence O?Keefe (Bat Boy: The Musical) and Nell Benjamin peak in Paulette?s number, but range from strained to inane much of the rest of the show. Thankfully they don?t take themselves too seriously, which makes lyrical transgressions easier to forgive.

The score is more problematic. Bundy?s vocals don?t quite dazzle, which can as easily be credited to the O?Keefe/Benjamin score as to the leading lady?s pipes. She gamely if nasally croons one forgettable pop tune after another. The only exception is the much-marketed opening number ?Omigod You Guys.? If only the catchy opener could be forgotten, as its admittedly hummable refrain is drummed into our noggins no less than three times during the show. Omigod!

Heather Hach?s stage adaptation strays from its source with uneven success. Beginning with lots of laughs, Hach eventually drains the sole bit of substance from the frothy script even before her one-liner well dries up. Instead of Elle coming into her own at Harvard, she relies on Emmett as her mentor. Spunky Elle needs a man and a goofy yet sometimes amusing Greek chorus of Delta Nus (Leslie Kritzer, Annaleigh Ahsford, and DeQuina Moore) to find her way.

Major disappointments include the dreadful ?Bend and Snap? number, numerous borderline offensive gay jokes, and the under-use of talented cast members including former Miss America Kate Shindle (as Elle?s rival, Vivienne) and Michael Rupert (as sleazy law professor, Callahan). Much of the second act is in need of tweaking before moving to New York, including serious work on the title song.

Some of Legally Blonde ain?t broke, however, and hopefully won?t get ?fixed? between now and Broadway. Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell?s choreography is energetic and entertaining. (How exactly does Nikki Snelson as fitness guru Brooke sing so well while jumping rope?) Costumes by Gregg Barnes are vibrant and perfectly evocative of both LA and Harvard styles. And who could forget the pooches who play Bruiser and Rufus? Adorable!

So, what do you get when you take a light and mildly enjoyable movie and make it into a musical? A fluffy and sporadically entertaining night at the theatre. The only trouble is, you?re paying a heck of a lot more for that Broadway show. Some of us expect a little more. For tickets or info on Legally Blonde?s SF run, visit www.bestofbroadway-sf.com.

[tags]Legally Blonde musical review[/tags]

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