ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, April 12, 2013 • tacomaweekly.com • Section B • Page 3
You have been served! ‘Legally Blonde’ holds court at TMP
WHAT IF DR. KING AND MALCOLM X HAD BEEN PALESTINIANS? Special preview of unreleased documentary film in Tacoma
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE
THE DREAM. Ramzi Maqdisi plays Rev.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Georgina Asfour is his wife, Coretta, in “Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine.�
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAT DOLLARHIDE/TMP
COURTING. Bringing its own flavor and style to the stage, TMP’s “Legally Blonde� follows the adventures of Elle Woods (played brilliantly by Leah Wickstrom) who audiences fell in love with in the hit film. By Steve Dunkelberger stevedunkel@tacomaweekly.com
Remakes, particularly musical remakes, are often dicey gambles. People always compare the retooled version with the successful original under the concept that the lightning bolt of success can’t strike twice. It often doesn’t. “Legally Blonde� bucks that trend with this musical retelling of the MGM film of the same name. It is true to the tale but adds a stock of high-energy, albeit largely forgettable, musical numbers and some tight choreography. As the movie, the musical version has Elle Woods heading to Harvard Law to win back her man, who has dumped her because, although she was a fun “college girlfriend,� he needed to find a “society� girlfriend as he climbed the ladder of his political career. He had fun with his “Marilyn Monroe� and now needed a “Jackie Kennedy� type. Woods, played by Leah Wickstrom, seeks to prove him wrong by following him to law school and schooling him in the art of the makeover. Toss in the side stories of a murder trial of a fitness hottie, Brooke Wyndham played by Julia Stockton, charged with offing her aged husband and a love interest found in a down-to-earth teacher’s assistant, and the story has a serving of interesting touches. But what makes this show fun was Wickstrom’s performance. Not only is she a dead ringer for movie star Reese Witherspoon, who played the role in the movie, but her power pipes and energy drive the show. Much like the sto-
ryline of the play where her role is the center of attention, Wickstrom’s performance holds court even if she is just standing around while other actors forward the story. And Wickstrom’s performance seemingly draws from her own life, where she finds herself quickly dismissed as another pretty face. But she is, actually, a bit of a brainiac as a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where she uses her Industrial Systems Engineering degree. But that is a story for another time. The supporting cast held its own to lift Wickstrom to excellence with standout performances by Steve Barnett as Warner Huntington III and from Bruce Haasl as Emmett. Of course, the appearances of two dogs, Baby as Bruiser and Chopper as Rufus, got their share of claps and aahs. What failed in this show could easily be fixed. The microphone quality and balance was simply off. Barnett often sounded like he was singing through a tin can, which made his tricky lyrics all the more distracting. “Legally Blonde� runs at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays through April 28, with extra Saturday matinee performances at 2 p.m. on April 20 and 27. Performances take place at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, 7116 6th Avenue in Tacoma. Ticket prices are $29 for adults; $27 for seniors, students and military; and $20 for children 12 and under. Due to mature content, parental guidance is suggested for those considering bringing children to this show. For tickets or more information, please visit www.tmp.org or call the TMP Box Office at (253) 565-6867.
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church - ELCA -
“Come and see!�
Sunday Worship - 10:45am
story of reconciliation and the power of art and Love. The film’s director, Connie Fields, has been nominated twice for an Oscar for Best Feature Documentary and she is a Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner among her other many awards including Best Documentary Feature, Canadian Film Board; and Best Documentary Feature, Pan-African Film Festival. This film is not yet released, as the music rights still need to be purchased, and the producers need funds to make 1,000 copies. It is being shown in Tacoma with the hope of raising the funds that are needed to finish and distribute it. Andrea Shapiro of Jewish Voice for Peace says, “Once you’ve seen it, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to be a part of this effort.� This special preview is sponsored by the Tacoma Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. For further information, write Tacoma@ Jewishvoiceforpeace.org or visit www.JewishVoiceforPeace.org/Tacoma.
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The film “Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine� will be shown on Tuesday evening, April 16 at 7 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church in Tacoma, located at 1211 S. ‘I’ St. (corner of South 12th and ‘I’). This event is free and open to the public. What’s this film about? An African-American gospel choir travels to Palestine to participate in a play with Palestinian actors about Dr. King and nonviolent resistance. The Americans will be the music of the play, and the Palestinians will act the parts of Dr. and Mrs. King, Malcolm X and others. As Christians, these Americans are excited about going to the Holy Land, but they are unsure about working with Palestinians, as all they know about Palestinians is that they are supposedly terrorists. This is a story of discovering common ground and of being caught off guard by the daily indignities, humiliation and injustice that their new Palestinian friends suffer under Israeli occupation. Nonetheless, it is a
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