Upstage Productions at Ecole St Mary High School is presenting a musical extravaganza based on a film for their musical production this year
Legally Blonde: The Musical, which opens on Wednesday, features both veterans of past productions and one newcomer in leading roles.
Leigha Dunn, who plays Elle Woods, is in Grade 12 and Mia Bisson, who plays Paulette, is in Grade 11. Mishael Adepoju, who plays Emmett Forest, is in Grade 12.
All three said rehearsals have been going well ahead of opening night.
“The production has been so good,” Dunn said. “I personally enjoy it. It’s so much fun. There’s so much dancing and there’s so much to do. (It’s) not chaotic but it’s everywhere and it’s all in your face and it’s pink and I love pink. That’s my favourite thing.”
“The sets are beautiful,” Bisson added. “Our tech crew has done really good at making the sets and our choreographer (Brooke Fetch) she’s amazing. She always works really well with us. It’s been going really smooth.”
Adepoju said he has opened a new world for himself being in an Upstage production in Grade 12.
“This is my first theatrical production so I’m very grateful I got this opportunity,” Adepoju said. “I’ve discovered a part of myself I probably didn’t know existed because you’re with people comfortable around.
Legally Blonde is a 2007 musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. It is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name.
The show tells the story of Ella Woods, a sorority girl from UCLA who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and she successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial.
Dunn said Woods is a character who grows through the course of the play.
“She goes through a lot of obstacles and challenges that make her have to change who she is, essentially,” Dunn said. “At the end she will discover who she is, so it’s super cool to see her growth throughout the show.”
Dunn added that Woods is one of her heroes
“I love Elle Woods. Legally Blonde was my favourite show when I was younger, so to be Elle Woods is insane. It’s so cool,” she said.
Bisson is playing one of Woods allies, beautician and Hair Affair owner Paulette Buonufonte.
“Paulette is a hairstylist that helps Elle try to discover her way,” Bisson explained. “She is an outgoing, out there type of personality, and she’s a sucker for guys and stuff like that. She’s just a whole lot of fun.”
Adepoju plays teaching assistant Emmett Forrest, Woods eventual love interest.
“I think Emmett Forrest is a very interesting character,” Adepoju said. “But as he gets to meet Elle and as the show progresses, he also learns a part of himself that he probably didn’t know was buried somewhere underneath.”
The musical has a heavy musical and ensemble features which all three enjoy about the production.
Dunn and Bisson both agreed that the musical itself is larger conceptually than past productions.
“It’s heavy on ensemble,” Dunn said. “The ensemble does a lot. It’s not like it is just solo songs for certain characters. The ensemble is a part of basically every song throughout the entire show, whether it’s dancing, singing. just being on stage, they’re all included, very big in the show.”
Bisson said the ensemble has more opportunity in this production.
“It will help them grow for future years where they can maybe grow into bigger parts,” Bisson said.
Adepoju said that he decided to try out because he also joined the choir and was surprised to get a lead role.
“I also joined the choir this year and I was just like, you know what? I think … this would be a fun thing. Even if I was ensemble, I’d be happy with it. I just wanted to be in the musical,” Adepoju said.
Legally Blonde starts 30 cast members, which contributes from 28 crews members, eight of which are in the costume department.
The cast of Legally Blonde perform “What You Want” during a recent rehearsal with the band at the Ecole St. Mary Lecture Theatre. Upstage Productions presentation of Legally Blonde plays from May 6 until May 9 at the EA Rawlinson Centre.
Dunn said that along with director Jason Van Otterloo there is a bunch of people who deserve credit for making such a large production work.
“There’s a bunch of behind-the-scenes people that go into making this possible and we would not be able to do it without them. It’s not just the students that make this,” she said.
The behind-the-scenes people included Van Otterloo, Fetch, musical director Shannon Fehr and band teacher Julie Abbs. Bisson also gave credit to all the work done by costume designers.
Dunn said that throughout the production she wears approximately 11 different costumes. Bisson said that they would not be able to do a production without the costume crew, choreographers and others.
The interview was done while the stage crew was loading in at the EA Rawlinson Centre.
“Because the stage crew is mostly students, Mr. Van (Otterloo) does help out a lot. All the teachers aid us in getting to where we need to be, but the students do majorly put on the production and work all together,” Bisson said.
Bisson said that the cast and crew has put it a lot of work over many months to get the
“Yeah, well, we’ve put like months into this whole entire musical, and we’ve gotten many musicians that have all come together, many adults. And A lot of work from everybody has really made this show amazing and very worthy of seeing. Like I think it’s definitely going to be one of our best productions we’ve had.
Dunn was excited from when the cast list came out.
“I think it’s so good. I’m so excited for everybody to see it just because I’m excited to be in it,” Dunn said.
Adepoju said it was a great way to make a debut in a show as one last thing before graduation.
Showtimes at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre is at 7:30 p.m. from Wednesday, May 6 until Saturday, May 9. Tickets cost $24.00 for adults (ages 19 and over) and $18.00 for students (ages 18 years and under) and are available at the E.A. Rawlinson Box Office, online or by phoning 306-765-1270.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
