Legally Blonde @ PlayhouseSquare 11/11 Yes, it's fluff -- but OMG! what delicious, lively, and engaging fluff. Legally Blonde's energetic cast shows why director Jerry Mitchell knows what makes musicals tick. Now that LB is closed on Broadway (as of Oct. 19), the touring show, with its clever songs and sets, amazing trick dogs, nimble choreography, and top-notch tiny orchestra offers the only way to see the fun when Elle Woods leaves her Southern California sorority to track down her man at Harvard Law School.

West meets East and East never quite recovers as the relentlessly cheerful and upbeat Elle, played to perfectly pink perfection by bubbly Elle Becky Gulsvig, charms, studies, cheers, and brings justice and happiness to all (except her ex-boyfriend the snobby Warner Huntington III ably played by Jeff McLean). Highlights include a vibrant Coleen Sexton as Brooke Wyndham, an exercise video star who sings and jumps rope in a prison routine that leaves one breathless just watching. There's really not a weak link in this strong cast. Odds are you'll leave the Palace Theatre with a grin on your face and a spring in your step. Legally Blonde runs through Sunday (Nov. 23): strongly recommended.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com
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