MMT's 'Legally Blonde' Perky and Lively

Mill Mountain Theatre's lively production of the musical version of "Legally Blonde" picks up a slow-ish pace in the second act and becomes a good evening's entertainment on the Trinkle Main Stage.

The movie version launched the career of Reese Witherspoon 20 years ago and this is generally the same story with a few added touches to accommodate the musical emphasis. In fact, the real love story in this version becomes interracial (though without a kiss at the end to seal the deal, it becomes awkward).

Through the first act, much of the dialogue/lyric was difficult to decipher, but it seems to have worked itself out by the second half and created a fun evening of song and dance ... especially dance, which was lively, athletic, and enthusiastic.

Director and choreographer Kristen Brooks Sandler ("Mama Mia" and "A Chorus Line") handles a wealth of theatrical talent deftly. The production calls for a large group of actors, but partly because of Covid, the MMT production does quite well with a dozen, several of them playing multiple parts in the production.

Mill Mountain Theatre's Producing Artistic Director is the producer, a task well-suited for her.

The familiar plot involves a young, bright, seemingly empty-head young UCLA student (majoring in fashion merchandising) who decided she has to follow her boyfriend to Harvard Law and in an unlikely turn of events, she not only follows him but outshines him. 

"Legally Blonde" runs through Oct. 17 and you can buy tickets by calling 540-342-5740.