A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

OMIGOD YOU GUYS: The good news about Legally Blonde: The Musical is that it's already (with 3 weeks of previews to go) a pretty good show (and will certainly sell a lot of merchandise, if today's crowd is any indication). The even better news is that they have some time to work out the kinks in the next few weeks before officially opening. On the off chance someone associated with the production looks at this, a few pointers:

• The biggest problem is in Act II--the two ballads "Legally Blonde" and "Find My Way" stop the show, and not in the good way. The former in particular is one of those Songs That Goes Like This, and I understand the narrative purpose and all, but it needs to be more upbeat. "Find My Way" is better, but it suffers from being the finale--given that the show is all about pep and joy, it's kind of odd to close on a low point. There' s an easy fix to that one by tacking a reprise of "What You Want" in at the end.
• The sets are a tad minimalistic, especially in part of the "Legally Blonde" number--a fair amount of barren stage and such. You can get away with this for a small show in a small house (e.g., The Apple Tree) or when the show itself calls for it (A Chorus Line), but in a big house for a big show?
• The sound mixing needs to be fixed. I found it hard to hear a number of the lyrics.
• Michael Rupert is fine as Professor Callahan (the Victor Garber part, and I'd love to see Garber take a crack at it), but needs a bit more venom to him, especially in "Blood In The Water."
• There are still a few minor choreography and lighting snafus, particularly in the Act II opener. Iron these out ASAP, and this should be a contender for best choreography--the jump rope number and, yes, "Bend And Snap" are spectacular.
• Overall, the show and its performers are at about a 7 on the energy scale. I was in the (half-empty) balcony, and for the show to truly take off, I think the energy needs to be amped up a bit. I might have had a different read from the orchestra, though, and that's a tough balancing act. In particular, Laura Bell Bundy (as Elle) needs to just push it a little harder, since she has to carry the show.

I'm sure several of those (the mixing and the tech issues at least) will be fixed by the end of previews, and I think the show can look forward to decent notices and a decent run. ALOTT5MAites who are fans of theatre and legal stuff will be well served.