Elle Woods (Alina Wiley) and her faithful companion Bruiser (Pepper Sanchez) are ready to take on Harvard Law School in the Fredonia Department of Theatre and Dance production of “Legally Blonde.”
The adjectives come fast and furious when Dr. Jessica Hillman-McCord of the Department of Theatre and Dance describes the upcoming production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”
“It’s a big, contemporary, super fun, upbeat musical,” the director said.
“Legally Blonde” opens the 2024-25 Walter Gloor Mainstage Series with six performances from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2 in the Robert W. Marvel Theatre at SUNY Fredonia.
Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25, 26, 31 and Nov. 1 and 2, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 27.
Tickets are available online 24/7. Tickets may also be purchased on Monday, Wednesday or Friday by phone at (716) 673-3501 or in person at the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center during the same hours.
“At its heart, there is a message of female empowerment,” Hillman-McCord said. “There are a lot of great female presenting roles. It was written prior to the ‘Me Too Movement,’ yet it rings true in its story of a woman fighting to be respected for being uniquely herself.”
Based on the 2001 film of the same name, the musical follows heroine Elle Woods as she takes on Harvard Law School. The stage version is described as “an upbeat celebration of self-discovery and female empowerment” and had a successful Broadway run in 2007.
“It’s very cinematic. You have a lot of set changes and a lot of costume changes,” Hillman-McCord said. “To do something on this scale is a great learning experience for the students.”
More than 100 students are involved in the production, including a cast of more than 30 and a live band under the direction of Dr. Rob Deemer, who is head of Composition and chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. There are also plenty of high energy, exciting dance numbers – and two dogs, one in the role of Elle’s companion, Bruiser, and the other, as Paulette's dog, Rufus.
“It’s big in every sense of the word,” Hillman-McCord said. “It’s a logistical challenge, the choreography backstage is as complex as it is onstage with all the set and costume changes.”
According to the director, it was the students who pushed for the chance to do “Legally Blonde.”
“The students really wanted to do this show,” she said. “They grew up with the musical and loved it.”
Design team meetings for the production began last March and Fredonia alumnus Donnie Woodard (’22, B.F.A. Theatrical Production and Design) has returned to serve as scenic designer. Casting took place during the first week of the semester in August.
“There are a lot of great roles, which is nice because we have so many exceptional student performers in the department,” Hillman-McCord said.
The director hopes audiences will leave feeling “truly entertained” and in a great mood with a sense of empowerment. She also hopes they will be impressed by the scale and professionalism of the work done by all areas of the Fredonia Department of Theatre and Dance.
