Legally Blonde: Show Review
Published on 19/07/23
Thank you to Year 10 student, Zaineh Anabtawi, who has written a review of July's fantastic production of 'Legally Blonde - The Musical'. Read on for Zaineh's review of the show:
Yet again, Silverdale School has put on another outstanding and incredibly entertaining show.
This year's musical was Legally Blonde, with a grand total of 117 students acting, singing dancing, designing, playing in the band and working backstage as well as 6 teachers helping put the show together. Everyone involved has worked ridiculously hard, many students rehearsed 18 hours a week for months, but it was most definitely worth it. they all had embodied their characters so well that you almost forget that they're acting while you are watching the show.
Specifically, we saw an amazing portrayal of Elle Woods by two different actresses who both presented slightly different but equally perfect versions of the character, both with their own attitudes, quirks and even styles of singing. One of the Elles is in fact the youngest lead Silverdale school has ever had, she is only in year 7 but her voice is very mature and she hits every note without hesitation. The year 12 who also played Elle. never failed to present the emotions of the character she played she practically became Elle Woods while she was on stage. taking on her dramatic, emotional demeanor and also her determined, powerful manner.
As well as this, we saw an exceptional performance by a Year 10 actress, who played Wamer, Elle's ex boyfriend, she had so much chemistry with all the other actors on stage and also a beautiful singing voice. Her amazing performance was so believable that, despite having met her in person many times. I could have been convinced that she really was a boy named Warner. Everything was on point, even the most minor details such as Warner's deep voice when he sings.
But the actor that stood out the most to me was the year 12 student who played Professor Callahan. His singing voice was great and he acted like a real teacher the whole time, from the way he paced around to the way he spoke, his performance was probably one of, if not the most realistic one I saw on stage.
Callahan was also perfectly casted as another brilliant young actor, who, despite being in year 9, and therefore younger than most of the main cast, nailed the Professor's fearful and powerful presence. He was presented more experienced and arrogant than the other characters, which is exactly how Callahan is expected to appear in comparison to everyone else on stage. His performance also felt very natural.
Shockingly, the show had around 15 catchy songs, and every single one was choreographed and rehearsed to perfection, every dancer had so much energy and every singer's voice perfectly harmonised with the rest. The band was like a professional orchestra, you could've easily believed it was pre-recorded from the original track, the only thing that gave it away was that the music felt so alive, the same way it would feel in a live concert with loud speakers and your favorite band on stage. As soon as I left the hall, after watching the show for the first time, I have most of the songs stuck in my head all at the same time, and I've been singing them non-stop for days. It's not just me though, as I walk through the corridors hear everyone from young year 7s to teachers humming and singing along to "The Bend and Snap" or "Positive".
In addition, the show didn't fail to entertain for even a second. It was filled to the brim with hilarious jokes and funny moments that caught me off guard every single time. The entire hall was laughing uncontrollably when a student suddenly appeared from a trailer, dressed as a dog named Rufus, and when Carlos exposed his boyfriend in a rage, during "There Right There. And that's not even a significant fraction of the comical moments in this play.
"Legally Blonde The Musical" has also raised a whopping £6,900 that will be used to fund Silverdale's next show which will likely be even bigger and better, knowing the staff that are in charge of the show and how greatly committed they are to the dramatic arts and the students involved. Furthermore, the show also raised £913 in tuckshop for Cavendish Cancer Care, thanks to the wonderful family of one of the students, which will help greatly improve the lives of many people.
I can honestly say that every single year, you think there is no chance it could get any better, but somehow, the next year, they always manage to shock you by showing you what the students and teachers at Silverdale are truly capable of.
But that's not really what makes this play so great, the most amazing and important thing about plays like these is how important they are to the people involved. They are tremendously rewarding and fun and they allow students to form connections with people they wouldn't have ever been able to meet otherwise. But even more important than that is the memories they form and the experience they gain that could last them a lifestime, and that is very much reflected on stage, every year you watch these actors become more skilled and confident in front of a crowd. And that is truly what makes theatre so beautiful.