After months of hard work, the East Lyme Middle School Drama Club is finally ready to take the stage with “Legally Blonde Junior: The Musical.” Hours of rehearsals, costume designs, and set creation have now joined together to create this stellar performance.
“Legally Blonde,” originally released in movie form in 2001, then moved to Broadway in 2007. It was a smash hit, and quickly became a Broadway favorite.
After being on Broadway for almost 16years, ELMS has decided to take this legal comedy on for themselves. The story follows Elle Woods finding her true self throughout her college career, winning a big legal trial and becoming a successful lawyer.
Both directors of the musical agreed that the timing was perfect to put on this production. “We have such an amazing cast. A lot of our actors are going to be in the high school’s production this year, and we’re so incredibly proud of them,” director and orchestra teacher Laura Beth Wendelin said. Ms. Wendelin, who has directed the ELMS Drama Club for five years, directed previous productions, “Matilda,” “Shrek The Musical Junior,” and “Mary Poppins Junior.”
“We also wanted a different feeling. The last two shows were very emotional, and silly. We wanted something with a little more meaning,” vocal director Emily Renski said. Creating a stellar performance such as this takes a Herculean amount of time and patience, starting when they held auditions, where up to 70 fifth through eighth graders auditioned.
Then the cast list was decided, and students started to prepare for their roles. From there, it was non-stop rehearsals and preparation, right up to the moment when the curtains are drawn for opening night Jan. 12.
“It’s a lot of work, but personally I think we’re all doing a great job, and it’s been such an amazing experience for me,” sixth grader Moriah Olawale said. Moriah is one of the over 90 cast members. She works in the ensemble and stage crew.
Bringing a production such as “Legally Blonde Jr.” to life is a team effort, and from tech, to stage management, to the directors, and to the actors, it takes a village to create an unforgettable experience.
“I’m just so proud of them. They really put their all into this. They sound amazing, I’m really excited for everyone to see what we’ve been working so hard on,” Ms. Wendelin said.
