Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...“Legally Blonde” isn’t a seminal feminist classic. Nor is it trying to be. This is a smart-but-silly show that knows its strengths and doesn’t apologize for its limitations. Like Elle, it finds a way to empower without losing its sense of fun."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...I am here to tell you not to judge a blonde by its cover. The saga of rich, white, pink-clad Elle Woods (Casey Shuler) and her unlikely foray into Harvard Law School actually has both substance and cheek. Directed to amusing impact by Trent Stork, it also embraces the retro-ridiculousness inherent to a plot about a designer-obsessed girl who wants nothing more in life than a boy. As you might expect, the plot shows Elle coming into the realization that she actually wants more than a boy. Despite early indications to the contrary, Elle is a master of far more than the perfect bend-and-snap."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...But don't let the peppy score, MTV- and aerobic dance-inspired choreography, chirpy sorority gal Greek chorus and cheeky sexual innuendo fool you. The savvily self-aware "Legally Blonde" knows what it is. Trent Stork, director and co-choreographer of Paramount Theatre's irrepressible production, and his ebullient cast know it, too."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Casey Shuler absolutely sparkles in Paramount Theatre's exuberant production of "Legally Blonde". Her Elle Woods is fierce, caring and very, very smart as well as drop-dead gorgeous. Harvard Law never saw her coming! "Legally Blonde" is well-written, has clever songs and is downright funny"
WTTW - Recommended
"...But director Trent Stork's elaborately produced Paramount Theatre production of the show, with its score by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and it's book by Heather Hach, does make a strong case for instinctual knowledge and life experience over rote academic learning. And that might just be the best lesson to take away from this "pretty in pink" comedy in which Elle Wood, a blonde, fashion-conscious sorority sister from a wealthy California family learns that there is something better in life than the demeaning pursuit of a status-conscious twit, Warner Huntington III, who she follows to Harvard Law School. (The current issue about Harvard's admission policies just happens to neatly coincide with this revival.)"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Trent Stork opens Paramount Theatre’s 2018-19 season by presenting an entertaining, heartwarming and inspiring story, produced with polish and featuring high-powered choreography, catchy pop tunes with witty lyrics, and played full tilt by a topnotch cast. At a time when we need it most, this show is guaranteed to make you laugh, set your toes a-tapping and put you back in the pink."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Working on his 16th Paramount production, but first as director, Trent Stork treats audiences to a fast-moving, thrilling joy ride of a musical with a lot more depth than might be expected from a show inspired by the 2001 Reese Witherspoon film. It’s intriguing that Stork’s path mirrors that of Legally Blonde‘s Broadway Director Jerry Mitchell. The Tony-winning choreographer made his Broadway directorial debut with this show in 2007, a production garnering seven Tony nominations that year."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Trent Stark with Musical Direction by Kory Danielson, Legally Blonde is the perfect way to start a new season. It is a totally enjoyable party of a musical, and the opening night audience treated it like one, loudly cheering after every number."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...Elle Woods, the fashionista-turned-law-school-student-turned-goddess in "Legally Blonde," is a champion we can believe in to succeed at every turn. One of those turns - a dramatic and inappropriate confrontation with a professor - may jolt you like it did everyone I sat next to in a recent matinee. But Elle (the shimmering Casey Shuler) sends a defiant message to Callahan (James Rank) in that moment, firmly standing her ground. It's powerful stuff and with a mantra like: "Sisterhood. It's Forever!" there is no doubt that the underlying message of this new age edition has crystalized in the hands of Director Trent Stork. For "OMIGOD!" so many reasons, the Paramount Theatre production of "Legally Blonde" is a monster must-see hit!"
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...Those who love the 2001 hit film Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, will certainly recognize the iconic moments, like the introduction of the "Bend and Snap" to help Paulette (Sophie Grimm) win over the new UPS guy, Kyle B. O'Boyle (James Doherty, who brought the audience cheers to an all-time high with his charm). The show originally took the Broadway stage in 2007, and the adaptation successfully carries the original essence of the movie into the heightened sensation of the musical - complete with a catchy score. This writer feels that even those who are unfamiliar with the movie are sure to find a connection to the story and enjoy the experience."
