Legally Blonde: The Musical
Book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Directed by: Ruth Mandsager
Music Direction by: Jim Martinez
Vision Statement
A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde: The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances - this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal!
Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.
This musical gives us a redefinition of femininity; Elle endeavors to retain her femininity and prove her smarts. Proving girls and women can now be—and should be—both sexy and strong, pretty and successful, Legally Blonde encourages women to be proud of who they are and to stay true to themselves, even if it means going against the grain.
Legally Blonde proves that one’s happiness does not lie in another person but in self-accomplishment and striving for goals, no matter what people around may say is possible. Elle Woods will go down in feminist icon history, changing the game and catapulting women of all ages into a future of hope and fulfillment through empathy and self-reliance. My hope is that this musical will give strength and recognition to women of all ages.
Legally Blonde: The Musical is perfect for community theatre, featuring a large ensemble and several big song-and-dance numbers and amazing music.
This is a show that fits very nicely into the talent pool available at the Majestic. The dance requirement can easily be suited to the talent. As seen in recent Majestic musicals we have a large population of actors who appear to be in their twenties, which is perfect for the characters representing the Harvard/UCLA student body. But this shows popularity guarantees that we will see many new faces auditioning. The trend in musical theater is often shows with heavy male-presenting leads. Although Legally Blonde has its male leads there are many more opportunities for female presenting actors and plenty of characters whose identity is not defined. The “Harvard/UCLA student body” leaves the casting wide open for diversity of all kinds.
Legally Blonde does have its challenges. There are many different scenes throughout the show. I have pondered for years how to bring this musical to the Majestic stage within budget. I have always prided my productions on being able to tell a story with a minimal set. Careful use of lighting (ie creating spaces with pools of light) can do wonders. My set design will revolve around a static set with several "doorways" and small wagons that can be reversed to portray different spaces. Also, I'd like to incorporate a sliding/rolling platform within the static set that moves between backstage and onstage to facilitate re-dressing it for each scene as needed to smooth transitions. There are a few specific costuming needs but, thanks to the contemporary setting, many of the costumes should be able to be "pulled" rather than "built".
The show’s popularity will attract newcomers and current audience members alike. New members may be attracted to the people cast as the youngish age of the student bodies will likely bring in actors from local college campuses as well as high school students. The lead roles in this show are highly coveted and are on the "bucket list" of many actors, as well as the notoriety of the fun dance numbers (..."O.M.G.!", "Bend and Snap" etc.) being attractive to dancers – the turnout for auditions should be amazing!