That's what you get for stealing from the New York Times

Apparently no one could see the photo of Michael Cerveris yesterday, so here is the link to the article. Click on "Expand this photo" for full effect.

I worry that someday Michael Cerveris is going to google his own name (as you do sometimes) and stumble across my blog and then I won't even have to MEET him to add him to my list of "Actors I Have Embarassed Myself In Front Of." Michael, if you're reading this, you're awesome. If you ever need a dog walker, let me know.

So after a very long day of work yesterday, I arrived home, took a shower, put on my trackies and curled up on the couch for a brief spell o'TV before bed. Then I realised it was six o'clock and that with the time change, I actually had like four hours to kill before bed. Oops. Should have gone for a walk or done something productive. Luckily for me, MTV was showing "Legally Blonde on Broadway" so I had something to distract me.

I am so ashamed. All of my loyal readers know that I am a huge fan of musicals, with huge reservations about movies turned into musicals, that I seek out little-known musicals to listen to and enjoy over and over again, that I actually have very little faith in Broadway ever since "Spamalot" won the Tony for best musical. I am therefore ashamed to say that I enjoyed the hell out of "Legally Blonde."

I know! I know! Oh, the shame! I was equally annoyed by the assumptions the characters made and buoyed up by the message of the show. I'm sure you're all familiar with the movie--well, the musical is that cranked up to eleven. The most annoying song was the one (I can't remember what it was called, they all sounded the same) where the Delta Nu girls were urging Elle to maim her ex's new girlfriend, and then, when Elle said violence wasn't the answer, urging her to turn on her inner skank and win her man back. I was thinking "musical theatre is supposed to be about empowering women, how can this show claim to be women-friendly when the tricks these women use are the sort of deceptive tricks that are shallow and mean?"

But then Elle turned around and proved to be not the bubble-head we all thought she was when she said "No, I will go to Harvard and prove I am smart--exactly the girl he wants!" After she realised that Winning Her Man wasn't the most important thing in her life--becoming a lawyer was--I was totally cheering for her. I especially appreciated the songs about having a chip on your shoulder about being smart and the one about getting what's important. Maybe it's just because I am hoping to embark on highest education myself, but I found the message of being smart and still being yourself to be really heartening. Also, the fact that whenever Kyle the UPS guy walked in the music turned into 70's porn-video. I think I might have to get the script and pick it apart from a feminist viewpoint--I appreciate the chance to oogle the hot UPS guy, but doesn't that just make women no better than the drooling men we're supposed to be hodling to a higher standard? Okay--I'm reading too much in to this, but, but for sheer funness and laugh out loud humor (not to mention two dogs!) "Legally Blonde" gets the thumbs-up. I am embarassed to say.

Now as long as I steer clear of the Disney Channel and one of their endless repeats of "High School Musical" maybe I have a hope to retain some of my musical theatre street-cred.

Elle goes to Harvard, Nicki hides her head in embarassment.