The color pink, the country of Ireland, and perms.
What do you they all have in common, you may ask?
Well, this past week the FTHS Drama Club, also known as Patriot Productions, put on a production of Legally Blonde the Musical, a show based off the iconic movie released in 2001. The show contained dazzling dance moves, lots of laughs, and an overall outstanding message that girls can do whatever guys can, and look better doing it.
The show starred senior Veronica Girandola as the infamous Elle Woods. But before we can meet her, the audience is introduced to the girls of Delta Nu, Elle’s sorority at the University of California Los Angeles, who sing and dance about Elle’s expected marriage proposal from her boyfriend Warner, played by junior Emil Korchiyev.
But, when Warner breaks up with her rather than asking for her hand, Elle decides to follow him
to Harvard Law school to get him back. But, doing so is no easy feat. She has to spend the rest of her senior year at UCLA studying to ace the LSAT, which she does, and submits her application to Harvard. We then see the schools’ admissions counselors, one which is hesitant to admit her. As they reveal that she “didn’t care to submit a personal essay”, a Delta Nu appears from behind the curtains and exclaims, “How’s this for a personal essay!”, transitioning into a very intricate and dynamic dance number with shaking pom poms, splits and kicks, and adorable cheerleading uniforms; Elles’ being pink, of course.
Right after the counselors welcome her to Harvard, we are transported into Harvard with the help of the crews’ great set work. The main aspect of the set was a Barbie Dreamhouse-esque construction, designed and built by Mr. Hybal and the students of the crew. Not only that, but the costumes truly showed the contrast of Elle’s bright and fun persona and the serious students of Harvard University. Elle’s introduction to the school is where she also meets a teacher’s assistant, Emmett, played by junior Danny Lanza, who turns out to be Elle’s love interest in our musical tale.
The plot of the show aside, one of the best parts of the production is arguably the amount of energy put into each and every one of the songs performed. The choreography, put together by Miss Centamore, as well as the music, played by the FTHS Pit Orchestra led by Mr. Gattsek, definitely played a role (get it?) in each tune. Namely, at the end of the First Act the whole cast comes out to perform “So Much Better”, a song highlighting how Elle’s acceptance onto her professor’s exclusive legal team overshadows any memory of her and Warner, despite him proposing to his “preppy” new girlfriend Vivian; a true ‘girl power’ anthem.
Speaking of girl power, the second act of Legally Blonde began with the song “Whipped Into Shape” led by sophomore Natalie Briggs in the role of Brooke Wyndham, a wealthy fitness mogul who is accused of killing her husband. She is also the convict Professor Callahan, Elle, Emmett, Warner, Vivian, and fellow student Enid Hoops are hoping to set free. Vivian, a serious and put-together peer is played by senior Ashley Lonseth, and Enid, a little wackier than the average Harvard student, is played by junior Adelaide Bertrand. As Brooke sings about getting, well, whipped into shape, she jubilantly jumps rope center-stage, causing the audience each night to erupt into applause.
Another arguable fan-favorite of the show is Paulette Bonafonte, a sassy cosmetologist played by Kate Probst, and Kyle, a spunky UPS delivery man, played by freshman Joe Landolfi. Paulette is a hilarious character who shows the audience through her solo song called Ireland, in which she reveals that she dreams of being in the place where the “Irish bagpipes drone”. We also discover that Paulette was dumped by a man she lived with for 10 years, who took both her home and her beloved dog Rufus.
But, things take a turn for the better when Kyle, the UPS delivery man portrayed by freshman Joe Landolfi, enters Paulette’s beauty parlor on his “new route” and “first delivery of the day”. Their dynamic is hysterical, as Kyle’s entrance brings Paulette into a trance. When he leaves, one of the most well-known aspects of the Legally Blonde film is referenced in the song “Bend and Snap”. Here, the Elle and her
“Greek Chorus” of the Delta Nus, primarily Pular, Serena, and Margot, portrayed by senior Olivia Zettell, junior Lilly Anderson, and sophomore Gabby Levine, teach Paulette how to be “catnip to the guys” and get her Kyle through the bend and snap. Aside from this being a great part of the show, the “Greek Chorus” that follow Elle throughout the story as a figment of her imagination are a very fun and funny aspect to the musical and allowed the ensemble to really shine. This scene ends as Kyle returns to the salon to get his stylus, and Paulette “bends and snaps” to pick it up for him; throwing Kyle to the floor.
A further highlight of Legally Blonde the Musical occurs when we transition to day three of the trial, where Brooke’s pool boy is on the stand. He dramatically claims that “Brooke and I…were lovers!”, sending the people in the courtroom into a frenzy. However, Elle realizes that she might be able to prove him wrong. She proceeds to “Bend and Snap” thrice, and when he doesn’t notice her, she figures he might be gay. Callahan states that accusing him of such could make them look “desperate and homophobic”, leading into a song called “Gay or European”. This part of the show never failed to send the audience into a fit of laughter, and was possibly one of the most memorable moments of the entire production.
Humor aside, this show also touches on more serious topics, specifically those that might be relevant to many women. Namely, after Callahan and his team celebrate Elle’s accurate “gaydar”, the professor kisses Elle and makes it clear that the only reason he put her on the team was because he wanted to be with her; causing her to be dejected from the team. This was a much more grave scene in comparison to the rest of the show, but definitely makes a statement because of its intensity.
Finally, Elle cracks the case as she discovers that Chutney Wyndham, Brooke’s stepdaughter, was the true murderer. This scene is also very empowering, as Elle exposes Chutney for lying about getting a perm, given her knowledge about hair; proving that you be both the beauty and the brains of an operation. This ultimately means that Brooke is free and that Elle achieves a big legal victory. Afterward, we jump in time to Elle’s graduation from Harvard, where Paulette plays “where are they now” and reveals the outcome of each main character in the show. Once she is done, Elle finishes her speech as valedictorian and brings the story to a close by proposing to Emmett, truly giving the show a happily ever after.
To conclude, the Legally Blonde the Musical was truly a performance to see. From the sets to the songs to the overall energy that was evidently put into this show, there is no doubt that each person that walked into the FTHS auditorium got a laugh, a lesson, and above all, a new appreciation all shades of pink.