by ANDERS GUSTAFSON and TOMMY LI
This month at Chadwick, it’s go blonde!
The annual spring musical, the first under new director Andi Dëma, is an adaptation of the popular 2001 film Legally Blonde.
The original movie, starring Reese Witherspoon in her breakout role, was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2007.
The coming-of-age story revolves around Elle Woods, a sorority girl who follows her ex-boyfriend into Harvard Law School.
In the process of winning him back, she discovers that her value goes beyond her looks and bubbly personality.
Similarly to last fall’s play, She Kills Monsters, the crew will act out a story with many ent moving parts.
A musical, however, provides new challenges as cast members navigate singing and dancing.
“Part of the reason why I kind of prefer musicals over plays is because I love singing and I like dancing,” says senior Caleb Kim, who plays Elle’s Warner Huntington III.
“It adds a nice new dimension to the production process. I think a lot of my fun and exciting moments have been during dancing or singing.”
The production switched from Urinetown to Legally Blonde, last fall, a change received positively by the cast.
“More people seem to be excited about Legally Blonde, so I think it was a good choice to switch the musical,” says sophomore Emma Gorrell, assistant director of the show.
What the audience sees on stage is only a fraction of the work that goes into a production.
Backstage work, including microphone and lighting management, along with set building, are equally as important as the final product on stage.
Because Legally Blonde is a musical adaptation of the film, it has plenty of challenges.
Technical director Grant Gorrell touched on some of the intricacies involved.
“In a film, you can shoot a scene in a dorm room, and then shoot a scene in a coffee shop, and then shoot a scene in a classroom,” he said.
“In live theater, we have to physically establish that in front of an audience.”
Thanks to the efforts of committed students in Stagecraft, the musical’s sets have been built, paving the way for a dynamic musical.
There are also people all over the theater ensuring everything runs smoothly. They help behind the scenes in hopes of bringing the scenes to life.
Senior Mia Nishita, stage manager for the musical, is one of these hard-working members. She acts as a bridge between the director and the cast.
Managing the soundboard isn’t Nishita’s only duty: she also blocks notes and creates prop lists.
While lots of work goes on backstage, we can’t forget about the face of the show: the actors.
Since November, the actors have been rehearsing diligently for hours at a time.
It’s not all work and no play, however. The actors have a lot of fun portraying their roles.
Freshman Parker Leshney plays Nikos, a pool boy witness in a murder trial, and is part of the ensemble; he believes acting on stage is thrilling.
“It’s like … a constant adrenaline, like that adrenaline feeling when you play sports,” he says.
Senior Renny Flanigan, feels similarly. “I get so focused, I’m kind of in a different headspace.”
The actors have a genuine passion for their roles. Acting is a big part of their lives, and the opportunity to be someone else is a magical experience.
“People act how they want to be perceived by other people, but you’re acting usually with the intention of being some version of yourself, but the difficulty with performing on stage is that you’re trying to show other people you’re not you. You’re a different person right now,” Kim said.
With the combination of creative set building and incredible acting, Legally Blonde is showcasing all the signs of an exciting musical.
Performances will take place at Laverty Theater, Feb. 22-24, 7 p.m., with a matinee showing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 24.
The Mainsheet 