Legally Blonde: The Musical (Original Australian Cast)

Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell

Cast: Luck Durack (Elle Woods), Rob Mills (Warner Huntington III), David Harris (Emmett Forrest), Helen Dallimore (Paulette Bonafonte), Cameron Daddo (Professor Callahan), and Erika Heynatz (Brooke Wyndham)

My favourite songs - Omigod You Guys, Ireland, Chip On My Shoulder, So Much Better, Take It Like A Man, Legally Blonde (Remix), & Find My Way/Finale.


Have you ever done anything drastic for love? Or even changed your hair colour or hairstyle because of love? It's funny cos one of my recent posts The Wedding Planner was about how failures in love have made me who I am today. 

I recently caught Legally Blonde: The Musical in Brisbane Australia. It's on at the Lyric Theatre until 21 April and it'll be showing in Melbourne from May 2013 at the Princess Theatre. If you haven't gone to see it, you MUST GO! I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think it's even better than the LEGALLY blonde film! As you can tell I throughly enjoyed the musical. Why you might ask?

I feel that the musical did a great job with the character building. There are of course rather significant differences between the film and the musical. Some characters have been combined with others for the stage, which is totally understandable. But the changes applied to the characters made the story work better. Also, I love the fact that the musical expanded on the backstory of two well-loved characters in the film - Emmett and Paulette. Paulette even has her own solo song titled Ireland. And for Emmett, through the song Chip On My Shoulder, we find out more about what drives him to be a lawyer and his backstory makes us fall for him more than we do in the film. 

The musical is also hilarious! If you thought LEGALLY blonde is funny, you will love the musical even more. Yes, as with most stage productions, the actions and acting is more dramatised and over the top. But in the case of this musical, it works for it and not against it. The witty dialogue between songs adds flavour to the musical so that it becomes a great stand alone performance from the film, and without taking away what we love about LEGALLY blonde. 

While I feel that Resse Witherspoon's Elle Woods gives the audience more to chew on with regards to Elle's lovely nuances, Lucy Durack is a wonderful more comedic version to the film's Elle Woods. Reese Witherspoon's emotional performance is not seen as much in the musical, but due to the nature of stage performances, I think giving the musical's Elle a more lighthearted (read: Blonde) personality suits it perfectly. 

I first heard Rob Mills perform in Sydney, when he was playing the role of Fiyero in the musical Wicked. Maybe it was an off day for him when I saw him perform in Sydney, cos he went off key and was pitchy during the performance. While it didn't ruin my entire Wicked experience, it did make me take note of who he was, just in case I see him name come up again at any other musicals. Hearing him in Legally Blonde: The Musical, I have to applaud him for his performance. It was flawless and I really wanted to slap him, well not him but Warner, for being such an ass. And comparing to the film version of Warner, I think that the character is evenly matched. 

Cool bar eh?

When the Australian and Asian tour of Wicked came to Singapore I went to watch the musical again. But before I watched the show, I had bought the tickets of course, I was a little worried knowing that it was the Australian production because of Rob Mills' performance as Fiyero. I was thrilled to find out that Fiyero was played by another actor. A fact I only realised on the day of the musical. The performer for Fiyero in Singapore was none other than David Harris. He plays the beefed up role of Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde: The Musical, and he did a fantastic job. 

Emmett Forrest gets a backstory in the musical, something lacking in the film. And I enjoyed the fact that he has a bigger role in pushing Elle to be a better person. Legally Blonde: The Musical's Emmett also more outwardly (at least to the audience) believes in Elle's abilities and I think that was a very smart move. This also enabled the audience to actually see Elle and Emmett gradually fall in love with each other. 

Professor Callahan's nasty personality shines right through from the first time we see him on stage and I think this version of the character, though stereotypical, is more credible and less of a surprise. Props to Cameron Daddo for playing a wonderfully mean and utterly heartless Professor Callahan. 

I love Selma Blair's Vivienne to bits. Even though she was such a b***h almost all throughout the film. She played in well. Ali Calder's Vivienne was more aggressive so I find her change from foe to friend rather abrupt. But I suppose it had to be someone within the team of lawyers to remind Elle of the right she has to be legally blonde. 

I have to do a shout out for Erika Heynatz and stage debut as Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical. She has great stamina! In the musical, she is introduced through a very funny and well staged video workout, but in it, she has to sing and skip at the same time. Then, to make things more interesting and harder for her, she has to 'pause' while the lawyers talk about her case while she's halfway through her routine (she was doing a pelvic lift). Omigod you guys! A-mazing! 

Runaway Jury (2003)

Directed by Gary Fleder (1)

Cast: John Cusack (2), Gene Hackman (3), Dustin Hoffman (4), Rachel Weisz (5), Jeremy Piven (6), Marguerite Moreau (7), Dylan McDermott (8), Bruce McGill (9), and Cliff Curtis (10)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "I didn't swing anybody. I just stopped you from stealing the thing. I let them vote with their hearts."

Did You Know? - This film is an adaptation of John Grisham's book The Runaway Jury. It is his 7th novel and the 9th book adapted into a film. Other films based on his books include The Firm (1993), The Pelican Brief (1993), The Client (1994), A Time To Kill (1996), The Chamber (1996), The Rainmaker (1997), The Gingerbread Man (1998), A Painted House (2001), Christmas With The Kranks (2004), and The Last Juror (2013). The Client and The Firm have also been adapted into television series. The film is about the gun industry while the book is about the tobacco industry.


I don't claim to know much or anything at all about American laws or the constitution. Jury duty is something that is very alien to me. I am a Singaporean, and in Singapore, we don't have jury trials anymore, not since it was abolished in 1969. So my feelings about the film Runaway Jury are based purely on what little I do know and what I understand of the jury system through films. 

Runaway Jury is an awesome film. It's thrilling, it's got an interesting concept, the entire cast did an outstanding job, but what I love about it is that it's got a lot of heart. I know the outcome of the film because I've watched it many many times. But I still love watching the film over and over again. Why? Because it's well written. 

A good film is timeless. Whether you're watching it for the first time or watching it for the nth time, a good film will keep you engaged and invested in the characters and the plot. Runaway Jury seems to be a film is about gun massacres and gun control. But it is more than that, I think it is also about jury duty, about law, and the human condition. 

First, let's talk about character set ups in the opening minutes of the film. 

Nick: You know what it is? Jury duty. Got the summons in the mail. Just trying to pray my way out of it.
Marlee: Where's your sense of civic duty.
Nick: Err... I flunk civics.

This sets up the premise of the film right off the bat. Nick comes across as a normal citizen whose problem is that he wants to get out of jury duty. And he uses humour to connect with people. But that is all we know about him. Which is quite apt because later we realise that there is more to him that you think. And well, Marlee is definitely all about mystery and intrigues. She is the character that makes you wonder if she's one of the key players or just a passing character, but that is what makes us watch on. 

Rankin: How's your mother?
Taxi Driver: Excuse me?
Rankin: She feeling better?
Taxi Driver: How you know about my mother?
Rankin: She was in the hospital, but now you're taking care of her at home. 
Taxi Driver: She had a stroke.
Rankin: Your wife wants you to put her in a home but you're feeling guilty about that. You checked out a few of them and it doesn't feel like the Christian thing to do. My advice, reconsider the home. Better an unhappy mother than an unfriendly wife. 

Rankin knows how to read people. That is well established in the exchange he has with the taxi driver. His ability to put two and two together from a person's belongings really remind me of Simon Baker's Jane Patrick in the television series The Mentalist. And later in the film, we see the way he's able to read people from the way they act and talk makes me think of Tim Roth's Dr Cal Lightman from the series Lie To Me. And from his advice, we can tell he has a very practical view of the world and the relationships people have. Right off the bat, we have this feeling that he's bad news.   

Wendall: I got 35 years experience in courtrooms and my instincts for picking juries have served me quite nicely so far... I want to thank you for your time. 
Lawrence: Mr Rohr, I flew down here on my own dime.
Wendall: Why?
Lawrence: Because I, I... Because I believe in this case.
Wendall: Why?
Lawrence: I believe in a world without guns.
Wendall: That's very sweet but a little naive. (Lawrence walks away) 30%
Lawrence: Sorry. Excuse me?
Wendall: 30% of your usual fee. You're hired. Strictly probationary status. 
Lawrence: You didn't want to check out my resume? 
Wendall: Already did. It's impressive.

Now this not the very first thing Wendall says but I can't quote every single line. They're all good! And writing it all down here for you would just take the fun out of watching these fantastic actors breathe life into Runaway Jury's awesome script. So what can we tell about Wendall from the dialogue above as well as the first few minutes of the film? He's an organised mess. He comes off as messy and unpredictable, but his heart is in the right place. He goes with his gut feeling and he's not afraid to be stand up for what he believes in. He is a good mix of practicality and idealism. 

Now we know our main characters, let's think about something Rankin says early in the film, "Trials are too important to be left up to juries." Rankin doesn't have a positive view of the jury system and for jurors. "You think your average juror is King Solomon? No, he's a roofer with a mortgage. He wants to go home and sit in his Barcalounger and let the cable TV wash over him. And this man doesn't give a single, solitary droplet of shit about truth, justice or your American way." Do you agree with him? Do you think that's true?

We know what Rankin thinks about juries, let's take a look at what the judge says. "The jury system was originated, Mr Easter, because for thousands of years before that, an individual judge had the power to hang, for example, anyone young man he simply did not like." Hmm, since he put it that way, I think I'm leaning towards the idea of having a jury system. 

Now this conflict of ideals pretty much sums up the problem addressed in the film. Does the average American care that their vote has a direct impact on another person's life? Let's talk specifically about America because Runaway Jury is set in America. I am not living in America so I don't have an answer to that question. But if you're an American citizen, do share your thoughts with us and pardon my ignorance of your judicial system. 

The concept that a jury can be bought and that one man can influence the outcome of a verdict is explored in the film. And it's a very interesting idea. A very scary thought of course, but still very compelling idea. Is the film realistic? I'm not so sure if it is. But still the idea and exploration of that idea makes an exciting film.

This is my favourite scene in the film. Although Runaway Jury is about the law and there are plenty of courtroom scenes, I think the following scene was the most exciting and powerful "courtroom" argument of the film. And this scene sums up the gist of the film very nicely. 

Frank: She doesn't deserve that money.

Nick: Well maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. But she deserves a few hours of our time.

Frank: Can we vote please?

Everyone: Yes. Yeah.

Millie: Ya, I'd like to vote.

Nick: Tell me why! Tell me why!

Frank: I want to vote anyone, anybody else what to vote? Come on I want to vote. 

Nick: Tell me why! Tell me why!

Frank: Well I want to vote, does anybody else want to vote?

Nick: Tell me why!

Lonnie: Let's vote.

Nick: How does it work Frank?

Lonnie: Pipe down Easter.

Nick: Tell me why!

Frank: We all got problems here don't we? All of us. But we don't get paid for it.

Nick: She suffered.

Frank: Hell I suffered. I worked my ass off 12 years of crummy jobs for shit pay, I have never asked anybody for a handout. 

Nick: She's not asking for a handout.

Frank: That is bullshit and you know it. 

Mrs. Brandt: She was with Jeff, it's Gabby's boyfriend. He kept telling me that my girl, she froze, she just stood there. It took seconds. Jeff just kept saying 'I couldn't reach her. I couldn't pull her down'. He always thought there was something that he could have done.

Nick: So what are we going to tell Celeste Wood? 

Frank: I don't know. I don't know what we're going to tell her. It's just that I'm not going to sit around...

Nick: Life isn't fair, we write that on a postcard, is that the best we've got?

Frank: I tell you what else, that lawyer can show me all the home movies he wants, I deserve a hell of a lot more for what I've been through than that woman out there. I mean forget her.

Nick: What about the law?

Frank: F**k the law. I don't care if the gun company gave that guy an M16 with his morning donut. I'm not giving her a cent.

Jerry: That's bullshit Frank. Bullshit.

Nick: Who's with Frank? (Marlee reports a robbery to the police) Maybe some of you are afraid or intimidated. Maybe some of you are just out for yourselves. Frank is right about me. I'm the worst offender here. I made up my mind about this case before I stepped through that door. But this trial is not about me, it's not about you. Hell, we owe it to Celeste Wood to sit in this room and deliberate the facts of the case, for as long as it takes. Now if you don't mind there's some testimony I'd like to review.

We must remember that in a trial, the most important thing to do is to listen and follow your heart. Look at all the facts, then ask yourself, what does your conscience say?

Arrow (2012)

Developed by: Greg Berlanti (1), Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg

Network: The CW

Cast: Stephen Amell (2), Katie Cassidy (3), Colin Donnell, David Ramsey (4), Willa Holland (5), Susanna Thompson (6), and Paul Blackthorne.

Did you know? - Justin Hartley, the actor who played Green Arrow in Smallville, is actually starring in a new series this season as well. A medical drama called Emily Owens, M.D. featuring Mamie Gummer, Michael Rady, and Necar Zadegan.  Oh and Emily Owens, M.D., Arrow, and Beauty And The Beast are all airing on The CW. 

Superheroes. I never had a thing for them. I wasn’t into Batman, Spiderman, or any of the X-Men. If not for my love of television and film, I probably would have never discovered these superheroes. I can’t tell which superhero is under the Marvel universe and which go under the DC Comics banner. As such, my thoughts on the television series Arrow don’t take into consideration the superhero comic world but just, as it is – a television series. 

Everyone knows Batman and Gotham City. So basically in the TV series Arrow, the Batman-like character is in fact the Green Arrow, and instead of Gotham City, we have a very corrupt Starling City. Oliver Queen, played by Stephen Amell, gets stranded on an island for five years and when he is found and returns home to Starling City, he becomes the vigilante Green Arrow by night, and resumes his playboy character by day. Now there’s always a woman involved in things like this. Katie Cassidy plays Laurel Lance, Oliver’s ex girlfriend who is a lawyer. Nope she’s not his sidekick and neither is John Diggle, played by David Ramsey, although Diggle does take up his offer to help him clean house in Sterling City. There’s also Oliver’s sister Thea played by Willa Holland, his mum Moira who seems not quite innocent herself played by Susanna Thompson, and there’s Oliver’s best friend Tommy and Laurel’s father Quentin who is a Detective.

Now, it’s a superhero-themed series, so there’s lots of action, killing, and it’s almost like a case of the week type of thing going on. To be honest, I wonder how long is this hit list that Oliver’s got. Does he have enough to sustain more than one or two seasons? I never took to Smallville, so I can’t say I know how they managed to sustain 10 seasons without compromising the content or if it worked or didn’t work. To be honest, this is the first superhero-themed television series that I have taken an interest to. However, I have a very strong inclination to check out Smallville right now. 

Arrow also kinda reminded me of Kick-Ass. I guess it's because of what Aaron Johnson's character Dave says - "At some point in our lives we all wanna be a superhero" that made me think of the connection between Arrow and Kick-Ass, and I think this is what Oliver Queen thinks every day as the Green Arrow "With no power comes no responsibility. Except that wasn't true". Well, he sort of has power, not super powers, but still he has the means and ability to make a change and he cannot run away from that responsibility.

Now, the list of people Green Arrow is targeting makes the show seem a little procedural. However, I think its necessary and it works for the series. It gives us an insight to the world of the series as well as the various characters in the show. As of now, there have been just 4 episodes just like CW’s other new series Beauty And The Beast, which I love. And I think the network’s got a good thing here with Arrow, and I think they recognise that too and that’s why they’ve given the order for a full season. (Now I wish they’d just give the order for a full season for (Beauty And The Beast and Emily Owens, M.D.).

Let’s talk cast. The lead. Stephen Amell, is a really good actor, well that’s what I think anyway, based on what I’ve seen so far in the series. I think he does a really good job of pretending to be a playboy and when we get the behind the scenes look of him being worn down by living separate lives as Oliver Queen and as the Green Arrow, I can empathize with him. Kind of reminds me of Dexter, where the lead threads a very thin line between what is right and wrong in the eyes of the law and ethically. What he can do physically is also amazing! The stunt work, not the six-pack! Although don’t think I didn’t notice his hot bod too. I guess to have a BIG female fan base, you need a good looking and hot lead. Oh, and if you don’t already know, I am a sucker for all things related to archery, chess, and ice hockey. (PS: I love the bow Oliver Queen owns!)

The leading lady Katie Cassidy – there’s something about her that I haven’t warmed up to yet and I also haven’t quite put a finger on why yet. But, she’s a done a decent job as Laurel. Now, leading ladies in any series usually have a dual role as the romantic interest and the on screen sparks between Stephen Amell and Katie Cassidy haven’t really exploded yet for me. I like their characters individually, and I love the way she holds her own but is still vulnerable at times. But, maybe the characters aren’t supposed to really spark together right now, that’s why I’m not really feeling it with regards to Oliver and Laurel. I can feel Oliver’s feelings for Laurel and his dilemma regarding her. I just don’t quite feel like Laurel feels the same way for Oliver. Well not yet I guess.

I love Diggle! He’s great as a moral compass for Oliver and I am so looking forward to more of their relationship in the series. And David Ramsey who plays Diggle does a fantastic job. I think the other two ladies on the series also deserve a mention because they are doing such an awesome job. In fact, considering it’s the Borg Queen herself (from the series Star Trek Voyager), I shouldn’t have been surprised at her role of not-so-innocent mum Moira.

I am looking forward to more of Arrow, and if you haven’t checked it out, please do so. Now the style, we find out more about Oliver’s 5 unexplained 5 years through lots of flashbacks. And it works, I’m glad they are doing it bit by bit. Feeding us enough information for us to follow the story and the current situation. It’s also a good way to keep drawing the audience to stay on for the next episode and the episode after that.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Episode 1: The first episode did a good job of drawing me into the story. Obviously, since I’m still watching it and it’s episode 4 already. I like that it clearly defines most of the characters so we know how the reappearance of Oliver affects all the people crucial to the story. And after this first episode, I am curious to find out how can a mother and wife have the heart to betray her husband and son. It makes me want to know more about this wrong Oliver has to right and how much Moira is involved with.

The book. The hit list.

Raisa: You are different. Not like you to read a book

Oliver: I’ve missed you Raisa.

Raisa: No kitchen on the island?

Oliver: No. No friends either. (takes the tray of food from Raisa) Hey, thank you. Do I really seem different?

Raisa: No, you’re still a good boy.

Oliver: Oh I think we both know I wasn’t.

Raisa: But a good heart.

Oliver: I hope so. I want to be the person you always told me I could be.

The Green Arrow in action. I really quite like
the camera angles and shots used in the series.

Another camera shot I really like.
I have a thing for the way our planet looks. It's so pretty.

Episode 2: “You don’t have to go outside the law to find justice.” Do you believe that? That is the recurring theme of Arrow. The Green Arrow is breaking the law to do good. Is he doing the right thing or wrong thing by doing what he’s doing? I have found the characters and relationships that is going to draw me further into the series. Diggle & Oliver, Oliver & his sister Thea, Oliver & Laurel.  More of Diggle’s personality and background is revealed in this episode and I like the dynamic between Oliver and Diggle. He is someone who ‘gets’ Oliver. And I think Oliver needs that.

"Home is a battlefield. Back home they’re all trying to ‘get you’. Get you to open up, be somebody you’re not sure you are anymore. Or I could be wrong. Maybe after 5 years alone, you’re not as messed up in the head as you have a right to be."
- John Diggle

I always wanted an older brother, someone like Oliver would have been perfect!
 Oh and don't you think Thea, played by Willa Holland, looks a little like Claire Forlani?

"Sometimes when I felt, whatever, I’d come here. About a month after the funeral, mum stopped going out. Pretty soon she stopped talking altogether. The house got so quiet, so I’d come here, to talk to you. I mean stupid stuff, like what I was doing that day, what boy I had a crush on, and then sometimes I’d ask you, beg you to find your way home to me. Now here you are. And the truth is, I felt closer to you when you were dead. Look I know it was hell where you were. But it was hell here too. You got to let me in Oli, you got to let someone in."
- Thea Queen

Okay, I kinda do want them to get back together.
And I love a man who can protect the woman he loves.

Oliver: I’m a jerk. Before the island I was a jerk. And now I’m just a, I’m a damaged jerk.

Laurel: What’s in the bag?

Oliver: I thought about many things on the island, but there was one thing that I thought about everyday. I actually dreamed about it. And I promised myself that if I ever got the chance to do it again, I’d do it with you. Eat ice cream.

I think Kelly Hu is an awesome actress, can't wait to see more of her in Arrow.

My favourite lines: “Oliver, you’re an adult, you can say ‘No’.” & “I didn’t know how painful it would be to keep my secrets.”