With the recent success of Mean Girls, I think the original protagonist clad in mostly pink deserves a chance to shine. Yes, I am talking once again about Legally Blonde The Musical, easily one of my favorite musicals and I would say my favorite musical based on a movie that was not a musical before. I was thinking about how some musicals, though based on movies could work as musical movie adaptations, and this was at the top of my list. I of course would also want the pro shot to get a physical or digital release, remastered and made available for purchase because it is fantastic, well shot, well performed, and deserves to be preserved, but I think a movie could work as well. In a perfect world, we would get both but I do think a movie is more likely, if this idea were to come to fruition.
The music is high energy, the story is packed with jokes, and there are plenty of moments that use the whole ensemble in a way that makes for big and grand moments. From marching bands to big jump rope dance numbers, there are plenty of moments that would look good in a trailer. There are plenty of big solos, and quiet moments as well, the pacing of this show between big and fun moments and quiet, strong character development would fit into the world of movies like a glove. I feel that the energy of this show would fit a movie very well, I know this because the Mean Girls 2024 movie did just that.
Adding some visual flare and maybe cutting some song "Harvard Variations" being one of them as you show a story with a very timeless message. Being your own person and finding your own way, not falling so head over heels for someone that you lose yourself. There are some smaller morals about working hard or accepting others that also fit very well, and a movie could give it a chance to change some of the more dated material.
This musical is one of my all-time favorites and will always be but I am not going to act like every little part of this show has aged like fine wine, from a couple of characters to some lines as well. But the 2024 Mean Girls movie took some of the dated humor of the original and added some new jokes, so why not this show. You could add a social media element as well and modernize it, but I think setting it in the time it took place would be cool as well, showing how relevant and relatable all of the subject material still is. The songs have a good variety of high-energy group numbers, and quiet character-building moments, even a couple slow ballads.
The song variety is one of the strong suits because it has many good comedic, and even heartwarming musical pieces that help make major moments stand out. I know some songs would be cut but I think with a two-hour run time not that many would have to be and make for a good musical experience. Some of the characters would need to be changed or cut, but I think all the major players and their stories wouldn't need many if any changes to their story arcs, songs, and even some of their jokes.
In terms of who would play them, I would love a couple Broadway and film albums from the originals to make cameos, while new Broadway talent played the main cast. I would use up-and-comers and especially theatrically trained actors to pull off the songs and the choreography. There are plenty of large-scale dance numbers and big sweeping songs that I feel would serve the film best.
Mean Girls 2024 really opened up a whole new world to the idea of musical movies that are akin to reboots of films. It takes the place of the reboot but offers something completely different at the same time, and I think if done well, would not do any harm, even bring some musicals back into the limelight that deserve it.
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