Legally Blonde, The Musical

 

Legally Blonde, the Musical

Opens at the Ice House Theatre

March 11, 2022

Out of the throes of the pandemic, Legally Blonde, rises like a beacon of light. Many of those involved in the show have been waiting for it to come to fruition for months. The original auditions for the show were held in the fall of 2020 for an opening in the spring of 2021. Now in the spring of 2022, it is finally happening. Excitement and enthusiasm abound!

I am probably one of the few people who has never seen the movie, and thus, I am intrigued by the delight shown by members of the cast and crew to be involved with the production. Typical comments include: “fun show”, “good for all ages”, “high energy”, and “positive experience.” What more could one hope for in an evening of entertainment?

The plot line revolves around a jilted Elle Woods. Considered “unserious” by her Harvard bound, blue-blood, boyfriend Warner, she follows him to Harvard Law School where she makes a name for herself and proves she doesn’t need him to be a worthwhile person.

Elle’s growth during the story is a character arc treasured by her portrayer Becca Coffey-Godfrey. “She is a positive person, who sets out to win back her man and prove herself. Her first act finale So Much Better is a pivotal point when she realizes she is good enough. At the end of the song, she is in a good place.”

Coffey-Godfrey loves the big dance numbers choreographed by Kaylee Hernandez. “They are intense and I love getting to dance. What You Want and Bend and Snap are just a couple of the fun ones.”

Warner is a role that Huston Hoellwarth relishes although he came to the role through a rather unusual route. Hoellwarth’s day job is owning a pest control company, despite his interest in anything to do with the arts. One day while talking to a customer, she asked if he might be interested in auditioning for the show. He went home, watched the movie, and thought that Warner was the role for him. He claims that Serious, the number when he breaks up with Elle, is a fun one, “I love playing the villain.”

Jason Bionda, cast as Emmett, is a very busy young man. In addition to his role in Legally Blonde, he is in Fresno State’s production of Rent, which opens in May. Bionda is excited for Legally Blonde to finally open. He has been involved with the production since the initial auditions in the fall of 2020.  In the meantime, he was in the Players’ production of Bright Lights of Broadway, in which he had a number of roles, most notably “Ursula.”

The cast lauds Kelly Ventura as a collaborative, creative director, and he returns the compliments. “I love it when a cast comes together to work on a scene or solve a problem. And that collaboration happens almost every night during rehearsals. It’s great.”

Legally Blonde requires a large cast and crew and provides opportunities for over 25 individuals, both veteran actors and technicians as well as new comers to enjoy the comradery of community theatre. It is heartwarming to hear those involved with the production talk about the fun they are having and the closeness they feel to other cast and crew members.

The purpose of the Visalia Players is, of course, to bring entertainment to our community; the audience is our financial life-blood. However, beyond that, a community theatre is a place where people work and play together. The Visalia Players have been that organization almost 65 years. 

Legally Blonde opens at the Ice House Theatre at Race and Santa Fe in Visalia at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11 and runs for five weekends with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on 3/11, 3/12, 3/18, 3/19, 3/25, 3/26, 4/1, 4/2, 4/8, and 4/9, and matinees at 2:00 p.m. on 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, and 4/10.

To purchase tickets, visit our website at www.visaliaplayers.org, visit our Facebook page “Visalia Community Players”, or call 559-734-3900.

If you have managed to read this far, you are entitled to a reward! To purchase two tickets for the price of one, enter BLGLBL in the Have a code? box on the Buy/Redeem Tickets Reservation page via the Players website Ticketing information page, or mention the code when calling our reservation line 559-734-3900, or purchasing your tickets at the theatre.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!