Musical Lyrical Lingo
We're Musical Lyrical Lingo!
Join Tim and Lj who delve deep into the wonderful world of musical theatre and more importantly the lessons they have learned from different musicals.
Join them as they explore some of the greatest musicals ever created, from the classics to the new and exciting shows that continue to teach us something new.
So whether you're a seasoned fan of the stage or a newcomer, this podcast is for you.
So sit back, relax and get ready to immerse yourself in the world of musical theatre.
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Musical Lyrical Lingo
Legally Blonde: The Elle Woods Effect.
What makes a pink-powered musical about a sorority girl resonate so deeply with audiences worldwide? That's what we're unpacking as we dive into Legally Blonde: The Musical, the show that taught us to embrace our authentic selves while defying expectations.
The journey of Legally Blonde from novel to film to stage is as surprising as Elle Woods herself. Few know that Amanda Brown's original book was based on her real-life experiences as a sorority girl at Stanford Law, told through humorous letters she wrote home. When the musical adaptation hit Broadway in 2007 with music by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, it faced an unexpected challenge – lukewarm reviews and disappointing ticket sales. Yet across the Atlantic, the show would become a sensation with UK audiences embracing Elle's story with open arms.
We explore the fascinating contrast between the Broadway and West End productions, with Sheridan Smith's star-making performance helping the show secure three Olivier Awards. From the cultural significance of sororities and Greek life to the clever construction of numbers like "Gay or European" and "Bend and Snap," we unpack how this seemingly bubblegum musical delivers substantial messages about female empowerment, authenticity, and the power of believing in yourself. The show's brilliant bookending of Act One with "So Much Better" and Act Two with "Legally Blonde Remix" creates a perfect theatrical experience that continues to inspire audiences today.
Have you seen Legally Blonde on stage? Share your favorite moment with us and let us know which musical you'd like us to explore next!
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Hello and welcome to Musical Erika Lingo. We're your hosts.
LJ:Tim and LJ. Today and every week, we will be discussing musicals. But specifically what they taught us? Do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do. I don't know why that came right there.
Tim:Is this our new like theme tune thing Jingle?
LJ:No, I don't know. It just felt like. It just felt like a wee song and a dance. Yeah, wanted a wee song and a dance. It is a musical theatre podcast. Yeah, wanted a wee tap break there, a wee tap break.
Tim:You should do that some week for our listeners. Okay, just get them out. Get out your tap shoes. Frances LJ's doing a show.
LJ:A one-woman show. Could you imagine a one-woman show put on by me?
Tim:A one-woman show. Could you imagine a one-woman show put on by me? A one-woman show put on by you? Oh my gosh, that would be amazing. That's quite interesting. In my musical theatre news today I've got a wee bit of information about one-woman shows Not yours though. You didn't tell me that you're planning on a one-woman show.
LJ:It's quite a spur of the moment.
Tim:I know because I was going to make a joke about you. Know, if I was to do a one-man show, like the tickets would fly out. But now we're on to the subject of you and your one-woman show. I think that's much more important to get out there to the listeners.
LJ:Do you think the tickets would fly out with me?
Tim:Yeah, I absolutely think so, and would it be an evening of musical theatre or would it be a mixture of, because you know the way you like your?
LJ:Like a wee bit of drama.
Tim:A wee bit of drama and a wee bit of, you know like speech and drama. You know talking properly and all that. I mean, would it be a mixture of that or I haven't really thought it through. To be honest, it just you could do a nice wee evening of, like poetry and song. You know where you like actually do a bit of prose and then you, yeah, you go into a song yeah, sure, and a wee story behind it, yeah, yeah now that you've put it out there, I think you need to put a wee bit more thought into it.
Tim:Okay, this should happen, okay, well, well, do you know who else is doing a one-moment show? Probably much better than I would, and I have to say it was supposed to be a one-night-only affair and then the tickets sold in less than an hour, so she's doing a second performance Rachel Ziegler I know what about Rachel? Yeah, so she's closing soon in Evita, isn't she in the Palladium? And then she's returning to the Palladium. She can't stay away. She's returned on the 5th of October for your Solar concert.
LJ:I'm intrigued about it because yeah.
Tim:I think it'll be a good evening. I do think the girl's talented Like here's me saying I think I mean she's pretty much proven it. Do you know what I did watch, though, the other night when I was doing schoolwork, and it was just on the background, but I actually was a wee bit interested. I know she got a lot of hate and stuff around the time of it, but I liked that remake of Snow White.
LJ:I haven't watched it yet no, my niece likes it.
Tim:Do watch it because, genuinely, I was quite surprised, because I was, I was ready to watch it and go. Well, the reason I put it on in the background, when I was actually doing work and I wasn't like sitting down to watch something, was because I was like it's probably not going to be great. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I have to say, and she was really good in it. So, yes, so she's performing her solo concert in the London Palladium on the 5th of October and then she has had to add a 2.30 show because the first show sold out in less than one.
LJ:I definitely would like to hear her singing more musical theatre songs.
Tim:Yeah absolutely, and I think something that's obviously.
LJ:We've heard West Side and we've heard Evita. I think she has sang a couple of other songs in some other shows or maybe on social media or something yeah. But I would be intrigued to see a different. Her yes, and musical theatre of her.
Tim:Or do you know what intrigues me and you kind of mentioned it when you were talking about your One Woman show Like just how she puts it together, like the flow of it. Because, interestingly, talking about One Woman shows, marisha Wallace, my good friend, her recent album came out and it's the live recording of her one woman show in the Adelphi and I was really interested in how she pieced that together and she, what she chose, was like basically she told the story of her life but then linked the songs to the story. Do you know what I mean? And it it was really. I thought it was really clever. I love, I almost for concerts, especially musical theatre concerts. I almost love that more than hearing what they're singing. Like how do they put it together? What do they do in between the songs? Rachel Tucker's, another brilliant one, like she just has such funny stories. Do you know what I mean? And she's a talker, yeah, and like I loved her concert for that reason.
LJ:Carrie Hook Fletcher does something similar whenever she goes on her tours and I think hers are slightly different, where she I think is it her end song or one of her songs is always going to be different because she lets the audience choose it which is so lovely, which is really lovely as well, and keeps it nice and fresh.
Tim:And I think she writes letters.
LJ:You know, I think there's a whole big thing. Obviously it's in Clamoray at the minute so she doesn't have that going on. But always was really intrigued by her. I think one-woman shows are great. Maybe there is something there for me.
Tim:Listen, I wasn't jesting when I suggested you think about it. Do you know what is annoying me at the moment about Rachel Ziegler? And it's not really her fault, but you see this releasing one song at a time one song at a time.
Tim:Andrew Lloyd Webber cut it out. Yes, we know this is something you've done in the past, but they released what was it? Don't Cry For Me, argentina, obviously as a single, and I think in the next couple of days they're releasing Rainbow High. Will you just have they done a cast recording To see if they've done these singles? And they're not actually going to release the cast recording of this. I am going to be raging.
LJ:They will release. Do you reckon? Yeah, they will.
Tim:Even though it was a limited engagement.
LJ:Yeah, I think so.
Tim:Oh well, here's hoping. Also interestingly, lion King, did you see this video? So there's a video doing the socials at the moment and it's really cute and emotional because Lion King's CD Manier took her historical final boy as Rafiki in Disney's Lion King in Broadway after, when you hear this, over 9,000 performances. What being part of that production in Broadway for 25 years and they believe she has played to an estimate of 15 million people. What an achievement. That is mental, isn't that amazing? Yeah, but could you imagine doing that for 25 years?
LJ:That's crazy, but I think the guys that play with Vassar and Scar in West End have been doing it with something crazy. Yeah, almost a full run too, but that is unbelievable. That is commitment. Isn't it commitment, but it's also well done, job security for that length of time in musical theatre.
Tim:Well, I know, but she must be so sick of those opening notes, wah, swing Like she will never want to hear that ever again. True, but yeah, and then the last piece of information I have for you today, kind of links in what we're going to talk about. Oh, because it's a bit of Broadway news. So Laura Bell Bundy, and that might give you a clue as to what we might do. Laura Bell Bundy and Cara Lindsay of Frozen fame. They will be leading an upcoming off-Broadway production of Romy and Michelle, the musical. Now, I picked this as my musical theatre news because I have no flipping idea who Romy and Michelle are, but I was like Lauren is bound to know, because the pair are going to play the lead roles of Romy White and Michelle Weinberger. Yes, respectively based on the cult film classic Ronnie and Michelle's High School Reunion. I've never heard of that, but I was like I am sure Lauren will know, I have never heard of it.
LJ:It's like a classic movie.
Tim:See, I knew I was like I'm going to put that in my theatre news because those are two big Broadway names first of all, and I was like I guarantee you Lauren will know that cult film which I've never heard of.
LJ:Oh, my goodness, it's so good and I can't even remember the girl that plays Phoebe in Friends. She's in at least a one of them, and they. You need to watch it like I don't want to spoil it for you. You need to watch it Like I don't want to spoil it for you.
Tim:You need to watch it, but do you think because obviously there are so many musicals now like saturating the market because of cult film status is that a good choice of a cult film to turn into a musical?
LJ:It's an interesting one. Oh, interesting, I'll put it out there. I think it's interesting, I think it'll work. I think it'll be very similar to, maybe, the musical that we're talking about today. Okay, I think it's going to have, it'll have an audience. Do you know what it's exactly like? Clueless? Yeah, it's going to have that sort of okay, there's going to be cult moments. There's got to be lines which need to be said.
Tim:Yeah, it might not be a long run well, I was going to say why do you think it's off broadway? Is it off broadway almost to like workshop it before moving into broadway, or is it not cult enough to fill a broadway house?
LJ:no, it's not cult enough to fill a broadway. Uh yeah, broadway house okay like definitely definitely not. And also it was one of those films that, like, maybe very few people would have watched, and then it kind of grew with popularity and now that us millennials are kind of taking over the world, it's one of those that people don't actually do.
LJ:That's a really good film okay um and just another one of those cult films, yeah, and like it's a bit like how death becomes her became a real big cult film, yeah, yeah, where it wasn't necessarily amazing at the very beginning, but over time people loved it. There you go. So that's great Watch that.
Tim:Well, we've referenced it a couple of times, so with Laura Bell Bundy and it, and it having similarities to Romy and Michelle's the musical. So what are we talking about today?
LJ:Just let me be legally blonde that was beautiful.
Tim:Oh my God, oh my God, you guys Legally blonde, legally blonde One that has been on the list for a while. Yeah, we've talked about it for a long time, haven't we? Yeah yeah 2007 musical with music and lyrics by Lawrence O'Keefe, who we know from Heather's fame, and also Bat Boy, which we haven't done? Yet and Nell Benjamin, who is Mean Girls. Yes, that's right, and the book is by Heller Hatch.
LJ:Hatch, I think it is yeah. And she did the screenplay for 2003. Freaky Friday, oh okay. Which is one of the best Freaky Fridays?
Tim:Really, which is?
LJ:all out at the minute because it's the freakier Friday. The sequel is out in the cinemas at the minute.
Tim:Oh, there you go. So there you go, very good. Well, it is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and, obviously, the 2001 film. I didn't know it was a book before it was a film.
LJ:That was my first musical lyrical income.
Tim:There you go. So the story is now. I struggle with the word that we're going to probably mention a couple of times. Okay, Okay, it's sorority.
LJ:Sorority, you did it Sorority.
Tim:Maybe, if you like, did an American accent is easier, sorority.
LJ:Sorority.
Tim:Yeah, so the story is sorority girls. Improbable progress to Harvard Law School makes for a screamingly funny comedy of manners and a strikingly serious journey of self-discovery. It is a bit bubblegum musical, but bubblegum with heart.
LJ:Oh 100%.
Tim:Yeah, yeah 100%.
LJ:First of all, what did you think of the film? Did you like the film whenever it came out in 2001? Have you watched the film?
Tim:I've watched the film, but I don't. I don't recall. Now, I might be wrong, I don't recall, no, like having seen the film before I saw the musical. I think I saw the musical and went oh, it's based on a film, I must watch the film. And then I watched the film and I enjoyed the film.
LJ:But I think it was that order, not vice versa okay, because I do feel like there was a period of time, and I suppose I suppose this is really funny because obviously you and me grew up together, yeah, and we were in to the same things, but I feel like there was because you didn't watch Mean Girls either. No, and these are, mean Girls was 2004, but this is 2001, like in all these films which I would have been out watching and fallen in love with you were there, and then I'm like why?
Tim:Because she didn't invite me. No, no, no, hold on a wee minute You're going. Why were you not there when I was watching all these films? I didn't get invited.
LJ:No, that's not true.
Tim:It's true, no that's not true.
LJ:That's not true. I do feel like maybe there was that like male-female divide.
Tim:I think being a boy had a lot to do with this. Yes, well that's what I'm, but I'm kind of like in my head where I'm going Life was tough enough for you know young little Tim, without going and seeing films like Legally Blonde and Mean Girls. Do you know what I mean Like?
LJ:let's while we're ahead. No, I know, but I guess isn't it weird how your mind plays tricks when you're around? Just I'm like oh, we just did everything together.
Tim:I know, I know we didn't go and see those movies together, that's for sure. So Elle Woods, a sorority girl, enrolls in Harvard Law to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. He's a prat but but she discovers her knowledge of law can help others and she successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Windham there's something about that name that's just really. I think it's a class-sounding name. Oh, do you like it? Brooke Windham? It's a class name in a murder trial.
Tim:Throughout the show very few have faith in Elle, but she manages to surprise them, defying expectations, while staying true to herself, she does indeed and the lyricist heather hatch summed it up perfectly when she once stated um, I've always been a blonde and I've always been underestimated yeah, absolutely, and had their first tryouts in san francisco, and that was back in in April 2007, and then it moved to Broadway.
LJ:It moved to Broadway with mixed reviews and very slow sales, which always surprises me, because the film was a big hit, because we have Legally Blonde and then we have Legally Blonde 2. It's so big and obviously a big, massive following of it, that right now they're making Pre-Legally Blonde. It's a TV series.
Tim:Oh, really yeah. Oh well, done Right okay.
LJ:And Reese Witherspoon is involved in that. She's producing that and everything. So I'm surprised that American audiences didn't love it when UK audiences adored it. Oh, my goodness, absolutely ad love it. Yeah, when UK audiences adored it.
Tim:Oh, my goodness, absolutely adored it. Yeah, and like as a musical, like it's good as well.
LJ:Yeah, it's a great musical. Do you know what I mean?
Tim:It's got the perfect makeup of a good night at the theatre. Do you know what I mean? So that, yeah, it is quite shocking actually.
LJ:It's strange for me just looking at like correlations whenever we do because we do this podcast there is another musical by Lawrence O'Keefe that took off in the UK rather than Heathers. It's exactly the same. Heathers has much of a bigger following in the UK.
Tim:But then I also think that is partly to do with because audiences here knew about it because of Broadway. Yeah, and it's almost like you know when you want something so much that you know when it eventually did come across the pond like there was a want for it, you know people were waiting to see it because they had seen bits and pieces from the Broadway productions. Do you know what I mean? Or they'd heard about it in Broadway. So I don't know if that might have played a part. Also, there was an awful lot that happened with the Broadway, like Leel Brawn, that we might get into in a minute about. You know they recorded it and that we might get into in a minute about. You know they recorded it and it was put out on. Was it put on YouTube?
LJ:or MTV did a series called Searching for Elle that's right, which wasn't which wasn't too long after it had premiered. So we had Laura Bell Bundy and you had Christian Borle and you had oh he played. Richard H Blake. He played Warren, didn't he and you? So you had these big musical theatre names in it.
Tim:And then they did this MTV Searching for Elwood to cast the replacement El when Laura Bell Bundy was leaving yeah, so then.
LJ:So then that kind of gave a wee bit of hype and then that was the very first pro shot of a musical when the musical was still on.
Tim:Yeah.
LJ:So there was kind of that like a cult following kind of came from it. Or actually sorry fans who it was not accessible to them.
Tim:That's it.
LJ:Became and then I would say, UK fans were able to watch that. And then by the time it came over here and it was boy.
Tim:People were obsessed with it and I what blows my mind of? How could it not open to like roaring success or to have these lukewarm reactions when the production was directed and choreographed by the absolute legend that is Jerry Mitchell? You know he's one of my like. He's right up there with the best of them. The show was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Leading Actress, but walked away empty-handed Another one of those. The same thing happened, sadly, with the Drama Desk Awards. Yep, having been nominated for an impressive ten awards. The same thing happened, sadly, with the Drama Desk Awards, having been nominated for an impressive 10 awards, also won Nada, I know. Very bizarre, um so yeah. So the Broadway production closed in October 2008 after playing 30 previews and 595 regular performances, and the run was considered a financial disappointment as well and failed to fully recoup its investments.
LJ:Yeah, and we should mention that the winner of that Searching for Elle was called Bailey Hanks. Yeah, that's right, just because it was a whole, because they even had like Heather Hatch on as a judge and everything, so it was, oh, like it was proper big to remember them because I did watch that time.
Tim:Oh, I couldn't, I couldn't remember properly watching it, but I remember watching it to remember them having to sing what you want whilst on the treadmills. Oh, yes, I do remember that Because they were all like if you want to be in a Broadway show, you've got to have like stamina. And they put them on the treadmills and they were. God bless them.
LJ:They were like what do you want? What do you want? And I suppose as well, this was like pre-2025, obviously, where if you go back and watch reality shows, they were brutal like the. Biggest Loser, do you remember? The one in Dirty Dancing that's right yeah where they were at the Dirty Dancing night.
Tim:Dirty Dancing. It's your Story, or something like that, yeah.
LJ:Tyra Banks' show like all these things were brutal and brutal to contestants and they weren't looked after in the best I know.
Tim:But watching them running and singing on were a load of contestants and they weren't looked after in the past, I know, but watching them running and singing on a treadmill was funny, but I mean like no, you couldn't have people running and singing on a treadmill, why not Stamina If?
Tim:you want to be in a Broadway musical, you've got to have stamina. Anyway, london was a different story. So the original London Clap Smith as Elle Woods, duncan James, randomly of Blue fame, as Warner Huntington III another really good name and Jill Halfpenny as Paulette. It opened in the Savoy Theatre on the 13th of January 2010, following December previews. Interestingly, legally Blonde you were saying Legally Blonde in America was the first to have a pro shot whilst the show was still on. Interestingly, legally Blonde you were saying Legally Blonde in America was the first to have a pro shot whilst the show was still on. Interestingly, legally Blonde in the West End was the first West End show to offer a ticket lottery.
LJ:Was it.
Tim:Yes, oh, and so the trend was popular on Broadway but had never been used for a West End production. And Legally Blonde was the first there you go that's exciting or interesting it also took 2 million in advance sales before it officially opened. So the want was there, like people wanted to see it and I think Charlotte Smith was an amazing, amazing cast choice you know, when you go to certain shows and certain moments or certain productions will always live on in your memory.
Tim:Like I remember going to the Savoy to see Legally Blonde and the show was brilliant. But what I will remember about the show was her yeah, and just how incredible. Like she was incredible and it was the first time I'd seen her on stage, right, okay.
Tim:And I was like oh my, like she is so good. And then she's been amazing on stage in everything she's done since. Do you know what I mean? The West End show won three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, sheridan Smith winning for Best Actress in a Musical and Jill Halfpenny for Best Supporting Actress as Paulette the Beautician. The show closed in April 2012 after 974 performances, significantly more than Broadway, yeah, yeah.
Tim:Like it goes without saying. It's one of those shows where there's been endless national tours and you know regional tours and it's out there.
LJ:Yeah, and it's coming back.
Tim:And it's coming back.
LJ:Which is interesting because Mean Girls is going out on a UK tour. Yeah, it's kind of the same market, isn't it? And Legally Blonde is going out on a UK tour. That's a good point.
Tim:Yeah well, you may save up your pennies, folks. So shall we talk about what it's taught us?
LJ:Yeah, musical lyrical lingo said was I didn't know that it was a novel um by Amanda Brown, and it was actually based on her own experiences as a sorority girl um, from California she ended up going to Stanford Law. Um, it's a real fish out of water. And the novel was a compilation of the funny letters that she ended up writing back home. Yeah, um, so I I didn't know that. Obviously, one of the big things the film and the musical taught me was Deltanew and sororities.
Tim:So I didn't know anything about college fraternities or sororities, and it's such an American thing, isn't it? Yeah, like it's even in like Pitch Perfect and it's in like.
LJ:Bad Neighbours? There's like loads and loads of films where there are sororities, yeah. Neighbours there's like loads and loads of films where there are sororities, yeah, but like I think it was that sisterhood more that I learned from.
Tim:Legally Blonde, yeah. And also that they're sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life, yes, or Greek letter organisations. And I didn't. I didn't understand that either, and it so makes sense with you know, the hand gestures that they do, for, like you know, they're death and you, you, you, death and you, and also the fact there's that Greek chorus that follow Elle throughout, you know, it all makes much more sense.
LJ:Yes, the girls are from the sorority follow Elle and I think the writer said that they are like the post-modern Greek chorus, yeah, and they sort of explain what is going on in her head and her feelings and everything. But it's done so well because you can imagine that those girls doing that anyway, whether or not they were part of a sorority, yeah.
Tim:And like it is one of the five common elements to sorority, so obviously one being secrecy. Two is that single sex membership. Three, the selection of new members being based on a two-part sorry, two-part vetting and probationary process. It all sounds flipping horrific to me to be honest.
Tim:The fact of, like you know, ownership and occupancy of a residential property where they all, like, kind of live together. And then this fifth, you know common element was the set of complex identification symbols that may be Greek letters or hand signals and colours, and the musical really cleverly, subtly too, incorporates all of that. Yeah, Like all of those wee you know, you know complex identification, you know symbols.
LJ:And I think it's funny because that's obviously a real indication that you are not part of a secret club.
Tim:Thank you.
LJ:Yeah, because I'm raging. I'd love to be part of a secret club. I know that like if there's people that are maybe involved in like scouts or involved in like masons or involved in other little I don't want to say little clubs, but you know I mean, the masons are not a little club.
Tim:No, the scouts are everywhere.
LJ:There's a certain little handshake that little people will do. What do scouts do?
Tim:I know about the.
LJ:Mason one. I can't tell you, do you?
Tim:know what they do. Were you a scout.
LJ:No.
Tim:Well then, how do you know if you weren't a scout? Infiltrated the scouts.
LJ:I wasn't a direct scout, so, yeah, like all these things. And you have like these little hand movements, hand gestures, right, these things, and you have like these little hand movements, hand gestures, right little rings, all of those things.
Tim:And, yes, a different world that I'm not part of, a completely different world.
LJ:What do we have in the musical theatre world?
Tim:jazz hands, just jazz hands you know a musical theatre kid if they've got a decent jazz hand or a shimmy or can you know, walk around the room and be not bumping into people's visual awareness. Yeah, or like jump into action any time they hear five, six, seven, eight, yeah, that's going.
LJ:It's funny actually the way you say that. Do you, whenever you're counting something, do you do the one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight? Because I still do this. So if I need to count like I'll go, instead of going I'll just go one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, two, no, oh yeah, do you know what I mean?
Tim:Yes, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. So do you know how we change the first Sets of eight? Yeah your own? Yeah, but would you not just be easier counting up, Because then you're going to have to do the maths and work out right? So I? Had three, eights. So how many is that all together?
LJ:I kind of go one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Tim:Two, two, three, four five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. You counted tens rather than eights, because I can't do maths. Oh my. God you learned. What did you learn, although I still don't really understand it? Okay, that you can't use a half-loop stitch in Chinese silk. It'll pucker, yeah, yeah. With her undergrad in fashion merchandising, elle knows her stuff. I, however, haven't a clue what a half-loop stitch is, don't know what Chinese silk is. And pucker is that when it like, like, like thingies up together. Yes, like claws up together, yeah.
LJ:So I'm pretty sure it's just a stitch type on China silk. It's just a softer silk.
Tim:Okay.
LJ:And yeah, like you said, it was pucker.
Tim:There we go. I mean, I wear China silk often, mostly at the weekends.
LJ:Of course you do yes in. I call it. Oh my gosh guys.
Tim:Because you don't't. You're a good girl, I'm a good girl, okay so, oh, my gosh guys oh my gosh, it just sounds like perfect. I know, oh my gosh, you guys, I even sing it that way a lot, I love it.
Tim:Do you know what I love like when, like youth theatre or like schools decide do you know what we're going to do Legally Blonde? And then they change the oh my god to oh my gosh. I'm like what's the point? I understand and I respect why you do it, but I do think it's hilarious when like schools are like okay, we're going to do like Legally Blonde, but we'll change the opening number.
LJ:It's okay for me. My personal opinion is that whenever I'm singing it, I just sing in the background. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.
Tim:Oh my gosh, you guys yeah.
LJ:Who's singing that? Who's putting it on an SH?
Tim:Nobody.
LJ:Nobody. Anyway, serena says light candles in a single file. Don't forget to smile, okay, so this could be a metaphorical phrase from a Buddha quote, which is thousands of candles can be lighted lit from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Oh wow, isn't that so lovely. And also this means knowledge, joy. Anything positive can be shared without being depleted. Sharing a good idea with others doesn't make it less valuable to you, it just spreads. And like those girls are so happy that she's about to get engaged. Doesn't work out that way, but I just thought that like that's a really clever line where she said like candles in a single file, but actually talking about how they're so happy for Elle, and it doesn't diminish anything they've achieved in their life.
Tim:Yeah, and here I was thinking they were just in a line holding a candle. Do you know what I mean? But the depth of it, yeah, makes fun of the podcast's, not really.
LJ:I also know that it'll. Whenever Bruiser's talking yeah, she's trapped in the Old Valley mail. I mean Old Valley mail, that's what you like, you know, throw back to last day.
Tim:I love. Lose the gum, kate. You'll look like the maid rude any others in. Oh.
LJ:My Gosh. No, no, oh my Gosh what you want.
Tim:What you want is right in front of me. In front of me.
LJ:In front of you, actually, yeah, in front of you.
Tim:They sing first, you'll need an LSAT score of more than 174. So now more parties for you. So this whole idea of LSAT? What on earth? So LSAT is short for Law School Admission Test and it's a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension and logical reasoning. So an LSAT score range sorry, lsat scores range from 120 to 180. So she's going to need a pretty high score if it's 174. In 2001, when the original film was set at 174, would have put the test taker in the 19th percentile.
LJ:Well, I think that that was a creative choice, as in a reason for them making it so high, because if the score was 120, 180, and if they say we'll get 120, then she's just scraping by. But I'd go in for that 174 because she mentions I have a 4.0 and our great sister fashion merchandising our great sister works very differently, so that would be the same as a first class woman okay, got it so she is a clever girl yeah, no listen.
Tim:It's certainly setting an extremely high bar. No comment tend to see what it did bar lol, bar an extremely high bar. No pun intended, steve would have dipped it out.
LJ:Bar lol, bar, so funny. Yeah, that's what I learned too, just that the phone ring doer was the first class owner from what the house stats were.
Tim:Now you might know this well, you obviously do, because it's not in your musical lyrical lingos. But obviously she then goes to her parents and is like this is what I want to do, will, will you help me like finance it. And the mum goes how about a nice Birkin bag? What on earth is a Birkin bag?
LJ:one of the most expensive bags ever, and the reason why I need a Birkin bag is because of Gilmore Girls oh, flip, do you know what we've done?
Tim:quite well in that. We've gone through quite a lot of episodes and you haven't mentioned Gilmore Girls for a while. Here you'll be proud of me. What On season three of Gilded Age?
LJ:I am proud of you. It's great, isn't it? It's so good. It's just amazing. It's so good and it's just really good that there's a little Zoomies for theatre stars in it.
Tim:But this is it. Who's who of American theatre?
LJ:And I do love it.
Tim:Yeah, me too, but we're digressing. So, birkin Bag, very fancy Very expensive.
LJ:You can almost you can't just walk in and purchase a Birkin Bag. However, it needs to be on order.
Tim:That being said, it's probably important to note that, although a Birkin Bag is expensive, it's probably nowhere near as expensive as going to Harvard.
LJ:No no. So, it's all relative, yeah, exactly.
Tim:And then they all. I love it when they burst into Harvard Law and they're in their like. They're like cheerleading and band gear.
LJ:Oh shame she hasn't written a personal essay. How Is this personal?
Tim:This is a personal essay, an essay so boring and so much does not fit. It is one of those musicals I think I could sing word for word yeah okay, they then all go.
Tim:we all through here on JetBlue, thank you. So JetBlue is overall a good airline to fly, especially to destinations within the us. But according to google, only jet blue gives you the most leg room in coach, free high-speed wi-fi for all, free snacks and drinks and live tv movies and more at every seat. But according to goingcom, it doesn't meet the high standards required for a five-star rating. It's typically rated as like three-star airline by sky tracks. Right. I did my research into jet blue right, thank you very good.
LJ:No, the thing is here we go.
Tim:Have you seen jet blue?
LJ:no internal flights in america is almost like our. Yeah, they're so often and frequent like, especially like LA and Vegas, you know like you know like 45 minutes in Iraq.
Tim:So what you're saying? I'm okay that it's not going to be like five star because so what you're saying is Elle Woods didn't have to put too much effort into you know getting them all on. You know getting them all on. You know the costumes and the band gear and the.
LJ:That's why they were given all being their band gear and costumes.
Tim:Thank you, I love that song, it's a fantastic number.
LJ:It's great. I like the songs because they do bring out that fun element to the story.
Tim:Absolutely.
LJ:What is?
Tim:Blood in the Water is what I have next. Well, I have Harvard Variations. Go for that, just because. So, harvard Variations. She's arrived at Harvard Law. She got in much to the disdain of some of the professors, but they couldn't say no to that headshot, could they? And she? You know, you're in the like square or like the court, whatever.
Tim:That wee bit in the middle is Fancy outdoor area and there's loads of different students and it's the start of being introduced to some of the very secondary characters and they go through their story one by one. So one of the students sings I want a Fulbright and a Rhodes. Did you know that was really good? I could play that? A Fulbright is a prestigious scholarship program granted to students on a merit-based system, and a Rhodes is also a prestigious scholarship which is awarded annually for studying at Oxford universities to students of certain Commonwealth countries. Oh, Established in 1902 by Cecil Rhodes, it is the oldest international graduate scholarship program. Yeah, then another one sings In my country my word was law, but then I flee because of stupid coup d'etat. Yeah, a coup d'etat, originally from France, is an illegal overthrow of state by military or other entities within the state. Did you know that? Yeah, I knew that, oh, you're clever. Blood in the water.
LJ:Blood in the water.
Tim:Look for the blood Suck the water, blood in the water. Look for the blood.
LJ:Sorry, I'm a terrible Callahan.
Tim:In the water.
LJ:I think you have to have somebody that can sing to make that song.
Tim:Oh, I like that song.
LJ:You're a nothing until I do like that song, but I think if you've got somebody that isn't you know, of course you can play. That's what I'm saying. Great, yeah, yeah. It would be a difficult song.
Tim:I'm getting to the age now where I need to look at parts like that.
LJ:Okay, I'll help you.
Tim:Yeah.
LJ:Look at those parts. So he mentions Thomas Hobbes.
Tim:Yeah, look for the blood on the water. Read your Thomas Hobbes.
LJ:So I was like well, who is Thomas Hobbes?
Tim:Me too Born 1588 to 1679.
LJ:He was a major English philosopher and author of Levithan. Is that right? No idea. So it was the social contract theory, where people can consent to be governed by a sovereign in exchange for protection and security.
Tim:Yeah, and he was also of the opinion that everybody was constantly at war with everybody else and all were inherently selfish.
LJ:Yes, yeah, so can we put a little writing in there? Yeah, and he certainly Callaghan.
Tim:Yes, fits that perfectly doesn't he?
LJ:Yeah, he also says your scribbles are a flaw.
Tim:Your scribbles are a flaw.
LJ:I don't think you've found your part already. I have.
Tim:I honestly like I don't say it often, but I can play Professor Cullan really well Okay, You're nothing until the thrill of the kill becomes your only love. Perfect, miss Hoops.
LJ:Yay, we're getting a one-month show.
Tim:No, as I say, I know every word Carry on.
LJ:So your script was your moral principle or ethical beliefs that prevent somebody from doing something they consider to be wrong.
Tim:There you go.
LJ:So he maybe doesn't have beliefs there. He just does whatever he wants. Callaghan.
Tim:He does, I do know that name Callaghan. I do love that name Callaghan as well honestly, the names, the character names in this film or book. I wonder are they the same in the book or were these names the names for the film?
LJ:definitely the names of the film.
Tim:Yeah, definitely let's let's make it a wee bit more light and cheery again than the blood on the water, because obviously that song's about being a shark. Yes, if you want to be a lawyer, you've got to be a shark. And look for that blood on the water. Let's go for some bend and snap.
LJ:Yeah, bend and snap. Bend and snap. Oh, my goodness, this cracked me up whenever I was looking at research for this podcast. Somebody Google searched does the end on Snap actually work? Stop it, it's like one of it's, not like just one person. It is a regular search. I would say, if you do it well enough, it might. So what? What I came back was, though many people have searched this, it doesn't work, but it might get you a partner. Sorry, it might not get you a partner, but it will get you attention.
Tim:Whether that's for a good or a bad reason. Yeah, fair enough, She'll use it whatever way you wish. I'm going to say a bad word here, but she sings. Look at my ass, look at my thighs. I'm catnip to the guys catnip. Do you know what catnip is?
LJ:yeah, it's like a drug for cats, but see, I didn't know that but why would?
Tim:I know that there's a drug for cats called catnip like. Why so catnip for anybody like me out? There is a drug for cats and it tends to make them crazy and excitable. Why would you give a cat a drug that makes them crazy and excitable? Cats can be crazy enough. I've seen the film.
LJ:Yeah, I think cats are a bit strange.
Tim:I don't trust a cat. I'm going to get lots of hate, but I don't.
LJ:I don't like cats. I'm not a cat lover.
Tim:Oh, I love a dog. Wow, I love a dog. They also sing. Nowadays I do dye jobs and curls, but here's how we did it in the Laker girls Dum dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum Wah, so you can even do the dance break music. It's all female national basketball association cheerleading squad. I knew that, but they perform and they perform and support the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team in every whole match. I didn't realise they do it in every match.
LJ:that's a commitment have you watched the one about the Dallas Cowboys?
Tim:No, I can't, I can't do it. You're talking about reality TV shows back in the day, yeah, Like. I've seen a bit of like. Certainly the first series of that cheerleading one that you're talking about is ruthless.
LJ:I don't know how they get away with that well, they also had a series on MTV beforehand called like Meek and the Team, and it was worse than it is on.
Tim:Netflix, yeah well but, don't underestimate cheerleaders. That's all I'm saying. Yeah.
LJ:I love a wee background behind the scenes what's going on?
Tim:you do one of my favourite things you do one of my favourite things you do.
LJ:What have you got? That is me.
Tim:You don't have any there, right there. No, just turn, just go.
LJ:No, I don't but I adore that scene and that song and you know what. This is such a moment where I was like I'm a musical theatre kid. There was somebody on TikTok or on social media and they were saying something and they were talking and they were explaining a comment on domain. Now, we all know that social media can sometimes be a horrible place, but the person wrote on domain. Are they gay or European?
LJ:And this person thought that they were being really mean about them and I was like no, no, these red birds are a song. These red birds are a song, and it actually turned into this whole big thing. And then the guy had to come on and go I know I wasn't being mean. And then he had to come on and say oh, I just realized that this is actually a song and like from a musical.
Tim:And I was like, well, I got it, I got it, I was there, I was there. This song, for anyone who doesn't know, is set in the courtroom during Brick Wyndham's trial and basically her pool boy is telling the jury one story, but then they're kind of going, but it doesn't make sense. Yes, it doesn't make sense. If he's gay, yeah, and obviously he's lying anyway because he is gay. But, and obviously he's lying anyway because he is gay. But they're all going. But is he gay or European?
LJ:Yeah.
Tim:So that's what the song's all about. So one of the lines says well, is it relevant to assume that a man who wears perfume is automatically radically fae? That wasn't right. I'm really annoyed with myself. I feel like I need to do it again, but the pressure's on and I don't think I can okay that's alright no, I can't do it. Fae F-A-E okay do you know what Fae is?
Tim:so Fae is another word for fairy oh like a slur, a slur, a slur to gay men for a long time, but fae, I didn't realise, like basically saying that, is it relevant to assume that a man who wears perfume is a faerie?
LJ:no, I'm trying to think like is it like old English, like fae or like faerie? It looks like old English F-A-E, doesn't it?
Tim:So Fae or European, yeah, and that's. This is a call to the opinion that European culture for men is very camp and flamboyant. They make reference to Kishi on both cheeks.
LJ:And you know that is very common greeting in many European countries yes, I also love the line about wearing a skirt or a kilt.
Tim:Yes, it's very fun. It is very, but it's tastefully. Do you know what I mean?
LJ:it's so funny, you cannot laugh it is very good, especially if you have an excellent like it's very, very short, but yeah, partner, then where he's like, if you have somebody that does that, they can literally bring the house down because you need to use carlos.
Tim:And is that rico, carlos?
LJ:and I can't remember, but very funny oh, brilliant, brilliant, just how that all goes on yeah. It's a really, really good song. Yeah, that's kind of all I learned, apart from the whole. Love yourself first. Hard work and determination will always see you on top, and sisterhood and female empowerment there's nothing like that yeah, big time, yeah, absolutely. I like it. It's nothing about it. Yeah, big time. Yeah, Absolutely. I like it. It's a good musical.
Tim:Now and I said this to you before the episode when we were briefly talking to EP, who then left us Like I think as I've got older I wouldn't say my opinions have changed of the music Like I still think it's a brilliant musical, but I just don't think I'm as like wow do you?
Tim:know what I mean, but I think that's just. And also, when you've seen it a couple of times, which I have do you know what I mean. You're like, okay, yeah, I've seen it now, but then I feel the same about Wicked, like the stage since the films. I'm ready to go back to Wicked, like I'd like to say it again here's not long. Anyone know where has that?
LJ:year gone. Where has that year gone?
Tim:we'll have to get our tickets as soon as they come out, we'll be getting those tickets but talking about good things, yeah, what were your stand ovations for Legally Blonde?
LJ:I do love, I do, do, do, do love. Legally Blonde. I love that where she has. She's just been kissed by Callaghan and she thinks like this is not working, nobody's going to believe me. And then Emmett's like, oh, but what do I love? I'm sorry that I left it and I love the melody of that song.
Tim:Yeah, I really like that and in a show where there's not a huge number of ballads, like there's a lot of like upbeat tempo, either funny or like full on huge number of ballads yeah, like there's a lot of like upbeat tempo, either funny or like full-on dance yeah, crazy big numbers. To then have a moment that's so soft and so quiet it is, it is quite touching.
LJ:Yeah, and the only reason I wouldn't say like oh my gosh you guys, is because I feel like it's overplayed. It is a great song and I love how it kind of goes through different stages, but to me I'm like it's either done a lot in Androm like little performances or kids shows or something that I'm like I kind of could put that to bed that song.
Tim:What I would say is it's up there with some of the best opening numbers for musicals, like when you hear that vamp at the beginning dum, dum, dum, you know and then they're all like screaming it in your face. Oh my god, like it's a big opening yeah.
LJ:So yeah, I do like Legally Blonde.
Tim:I think Ireland is a funny song yeah, see I, I think Ireland is a funny song. Yeah, see, I can give and take that now.
LJ:Yes, but like I said, if that's the song that somebody's going to pull out of their truck bag all the time, you're like, oh, they're singing Ireland again. But yeah, I think I'll just go with Legally Blonde. I think that's what I'd call it.
Tim:Sheridan Smith's performance of that literally would have ripped your heart out and smashed it on the floor. Yeah, I, I love the End of Act One so much better because, again, you know, oh my god, it's a brilliant opening. So much better is a fantastic thing to take you out to the interval, to the theatre bar to get a wee, you know and I think yes as well, because it's that perfect.
LJ:Our girl's on top, you know she's yeah, it's great and then that Legally Blonde remix.
Tim:The end act 2 is they've, they've, um bookend. Isn't that what they say? Bookend? That's so perfect. Like, do you know what I mean? Like and even actually whipped into shape which opens, opens actually act two like they. They've got that, those numbers, so right, yeah haven't they actually, yeah, you know they open and they close with a bang yeah, which is why, it's still quite strange that it hasn't made its reviews on Broadway. I don't understand that I can't get how the American audience didn't lap that up.
LJ:Yeah, so strange. Yeah, that was well. I ask you, what do you think Paddy would do?
Tim:Alright, then what would Paddy do?
LJ:What would Paddy do? Okay, no, I couldn't see Paddy in.
Tim:Leg. What would Paddy do? Okay, now, I couldn't see Paddy in Legally Blonde.
LJ:Oh gosh, no, not even as polite.
Tim:Do you know who she'd do? A brilliant Professor Callaghan, oh interesting. Now she would be brilliant at that number and that part and flip it gender, reverse it, although it wouldn't make sense when she well could do.
LJ:Yeah, never know okay, I'm going to ask you, just because this had a movie, crucial TV special yeah would you want to perform in a Mary Poppins?
Tim:oh, no, we're talking, bert, chimch Chim Chimini.
LJ:Chim Chimini Musical or a Pro Shot of Mary Poppins. So a movie musical is going to be very different to the Pro Shot stage version.
Tim:Movie, musical or Pro Shot.
LJ:Yeah. Of Mary Poppins Movie musical you get paid more.
Tim:Yeah, now it happens. Movie, musical you get paid more. Hello if this world, if this world is going to see my birth. I want, I want the cha-chings for it. Do you know what I mean? Okay, I'm told TV and film.
LJ:what will the world money? I want the cha-chings for it. Do you know what I mean? Okay, I'm told TV and film. What will the world money.
Tim:Listen, I am told the TV and film world is big bucks, so I'm going there.
LJ:Okay, all right.
Tim:Cynthia Hu, you just wait till the Mary Poppins film movie, musical, and this is where the producers have decided that Bert is a third class character sorry what you tried being super califragilistic without Bert, alright, see how you get on step in time. What would you do for step in time if he's a third?
LJ:third, a new young sweeper.
Tim:I'll never work, alright, I'm away to sign my contract.
LJ:Alright.
Tim:Who's directing that? Me? Now we're talking. Big bucks here, folks. Alright, if we're talking, now we're talking big bucks here, folks, alright if we're not in Hollywood, we'll be here next week yeah, absolutely see you then bye.
