I know you’ve read this from me before, but it bears repeating: I’m not a fan of movies on stage. Sigh, they just keep coming. The latest is Legally Blonde The Musical, on stage at MusicalFare Theatre to December 10.

While I dislike the trend, It’s not the fault of this immensely talented cast or crew. There is a lot to like about this production, starting with Michael Oliver-Walline’s choreography (he’s also the director). Every dance sequence is energetic and joyous and makes you just want to jump up to join in.

Chris Cavanagh uses pink (our heroine Elle Wood’s “signature color”) on the set to set the tone for this tale of a blonde and bouncy California girl who wants to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School (“like that’s hard,” she chirps) to win him back.

Gretchen Didio is Elle and she is perfectly perky as she naively dances her way into the Harvard Law admissions team’s hearts.  What’s a college girl without her sorority sisters and Anna Fernandez, Sabrina Kahwaty, Kristen-Marie Lopez, Kayla McSorley, and Alexandria Watts shriek, squeal, and selfie like a loyal Delta Nu. 

Elle quickly discovers that life at Harvard doesn’t have the warmth of Malibu sunshine. Classmates like Vivienne (Amanda Funicello) – who is also her ex’s new love interest – outshine her in class and humiliate her socially.  Even her CA beau Warner (Alex Anthony Garcia) is different here. She forms new connections with fledgling attorney Emmett (wonderfully played by Sean Ryan) and manicurist Paulette (Nicole Cimato) and begins to see herself in a new light. She also finds her strength dealing with sleazeball Professor Callahan (Marc Sacco).

The breakthrough moment is when Elle is part of a trial team and her observations contribute to a verdict on the right side of the law. The stage version (again, no fault of this cast/crew) doesn’t have the punch of the movie. Instead there’s an ensemble song which may have sounded witty to songwriters Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin a few years back, but I found rather….unappealing.

It’s fitness instructor/wife of a dead rich guy Brooke (Gabriella Jean McKinley) who’s on trial and don’tchaknowit, she’s a Delta Nu like Elle. McKinley rocks this role and her Act II “Whipped Into Shape” song is a tribute to her vocal and fitness training as she jumps rope and sings…perfectly, on pitch, and in step. She is amazing.

The stage version tries to make the most out of some of the movie’s funniest scenes, like when Paulette is trying to catch the eye of delivery man Kyle (Bobby Cooke) and Elle teaches her to “bend and snap.” This scene is pure gold and Cimato and especially Cooke make the most of it.

My ears detected some opening night troubles with the sound, music, and some singers which I’m sure are well ironed out.

All told, it’s a fun night of theatre. It’s hard not to compare it with the film which is ubiquitous on most cable movie channels so go in with an open mind. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the little doggo with the duel role of Bruiser (Elle’s pet) and Dewey (Paulette’s pooch). What a good pup!

Legally Blonde The Musical runs under two hours with an intermission to December 10. It’s a fun girl’s night out. Find tickets and info at www.musicalfare.com.