Legally Blonde was a surprise box office hit in 2001

The musical sees Laura Bell Bundy take on the role made famous by Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon, as ditzy blonde and wannabe lawyer Elle Woods.

Ben Brantley, of The New York Times, was underwhelmed by "this high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness".

But the Philadelphia Inquirer called it "electric" and "unbridled".

"Even more lightheaded and warmhearted than the movie that spawned it, Legally Blonde hit Broadway last night with a goofy vengeance," wrote the Inquirer's Howard Shapiro.

Variety's David Rooney also approved, saying: "It may not be bulging with subtext or boast a score for the ages, but this pinksapoppin funhouse delivers exactly what it promises."

However, Mr Brantley likened the experience to "eating a jumbo box of Gummi Bears in one sitting".

"Unless you're used to such a diet, you wind up feeling jittery, glazed and determined to swear off sweets for at least a month."

Awards scrabble

This week sees a number of major openings on Broadway, with productions eager to secure eligibility for this year's Tony Awards ahead of the closing date next week.

Legally Blonde, which previewed in San Francisco before heading to New York's Palace Theatre, has made close to $9m (�4.5m) in advance ticket sales, according to producer Hal Luftig.

Despite Newsday critic Linda Winer labelling the show "bubble-gum pop splashed with pink", Mr Luftig insisted the musical carries a more serious message.

Industry paper Variety labelled Sir Elton's Lestat "beyond rescue"

"I don't mean that everyone dies at the end, this is not Medea," he told Reuters news agency. "But it does have a message."

"We were trying to say that 'You know what, you don't have to dumb yourself down'."

Popular films including The Producers, Billy Elliot and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have all made a successful transition from screen to stage in recent years.

But Lestat, based on Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles which inspired 1994's Interview with a Vampire, was a noted failure on Broadway.

The musical closed last spring after just 39 days, despite the musical input of Sir Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.