Drama Club totally breaks stereotypes in ‘Legally Blonde’ musical production
March 14, 2024 at 2:03 a.m.
While stereotyping often leads to discrimination, it’s a human tendency that has been cast on everyone—even the privileged. And the Port Chester High School Drama Club is shouting “I object!” to that affinity while brandishing their inner fashionistas on the big stage.
A heartbroken and grieving Elle Woods (right, played by Michelle Cando) gets inspired after seeing “serious” women in a magazine and decides to strive toward professionalism. She’s encouraged by her sorority sisters Serena (left), Margot and Pilar (played by Esmeralda Sanchez, Katherine Condori and Heyde Salazar).By Sarah Wolpoff
As Christina Baurle, the director and teacher who heads the high school’s theater department, said, putting on “Legally Blonde” has been an experiment of sorts testing the boundaries of the school’s budding program. Though Drama Club had been a long-running activity, the last few years have seen a revitalization of arts programing in general across the district as more funding has allowed for heightened enrichment.
“It’s been a really challenging show. I don’t think, even through our research, we realized just how challenging it would be,” Baurle laughed. “But you know, I think it’s good to have the students taking a challenge. We’re taking risks, getting to explore things and we see how much we can push ourselves. And it’s been really fun.”
Frustrated, Elle Woods (played by Michelle Cando) ignores the fun Greek life parties around her to study for the LSATs with the help of her friend Kate (played by Alexa Aguiriano).By Sarah Wolpoff
Based on the adored 2001 movie of the same name, “Legally Blonde” on the stage is a musical that brings even more flare to the story of Elle Woods finding empowerment at Harvard Law School.
In the production, Elle, a Valley Girl sorority sister, finds herself heartbroken after her boyfriend Warner dumps her for being too simple, “a typical blonde.” Through unique determination, she works to get accepted into Harvard Law School to follow her lost love and win him back, but instead discovers she has a knack for the field. Throughout the show, she faces prejudice based on appearances but defies expectations when ultimately defending a fellow woman in a murder trial—proving to all who doubted her that she’s more than meets the eye.
The Port Chester High School Drama Club’s production of “Legally Blonde” premiered at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 14, and will run through Sunday, Mar. 17. Friday and Saturday’s shows start at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s matinee will begin at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students, and can be purchased at www.onthestage.tickets/show/port-chester-high-school/65a48eccc2b5120e3fe9846e.
“I think there’s two themes to this show,” said senior Michelle Cando, who stars as Elle Woods. “The first is self-empowerment, and the other huge one is: don’t change for anybody. Elle literally tries to dye her hair brunette for a guy who didn’t really see who she was, didn’t look up to her, didn’t see she was an amazing person in general. And throughout the musical, she gets torn up, she breaks down. But eventually meets a dude who shines a light on her that she didn’t have at the beginning from Warner.”
The pompous and wealthy Harvard law student Aaron Schultz (played by Jeferson Arriaza) introduces himself to his classmates during “The Harvard Variations.”By Sarah Wolpoff
“We wanted to teach the students about how much work and thought goes into choosing a musical,” Baurle explained, speaking to their student-led decision in selecting “Legally Blonde” as the spring musical. “So, we gave them a list of possibilities and then they had to go through the discussion process, do research, pro and con all the shows to choose one.”
She’s happy with the choice, because following their fall production of “12 Angry Jurors,” the high school’s theater season is appropriately sticking to a courtroom theme. Though, it has been a lot to take on.
The show is flamboyant. Baurle said the music is dynamic, the costumes are abundant, and they’re navigating through around 30 different scene changes with the limited wing space of a high school theater.
“Elle alone has like eight to 10 costume changes, and most of them are instantaneous. So even up to today, we’re still trying to figure some stuff out,” she said during a rehearsal on Tuesday, Mar. 12. Still, the chaos is worth it—the director thinks the message is worth telling.
“A lot of this show has to do with stereotypes,” said junior Toni Ash, the assistant director and a stage manager. “Working with the characters, we said to over-exaggerate so at the end, when the true personalities come through, the audience is like ‘oh, this is what the message is.’ Especially Elle, at the beginning she’s very peppy, and you’re like, ‘why should we care about a girl who’s going to a school for a guy?’ But then you see her intellect and you see how much she’s grown, and you see her for who she is and not the persona of who you think she is.”
Hair stylist Paulette Bonafonte (right, played by Hilary Buitron) encourages self-pride while singing about her own love ambitions in “Ireland” to her soon-to-be friend Elle Woods (played by Michelle Cando).By Sarah Wolpoff
At the beginning of the show, it’s intended, the audience sees Elle in the same lens Warner does—with little depth or dimension. But the cast and crew hope the lesson about stereotyping is what the audience walks away with, and that they question why that initial perception came to mind in the first place.
Professor Callahan (played by Jordan Rivera) shows the field of law, and his class, will not be an easy pursuit in the song “Blood in the Water” while the empathetic teaching assistant Emmett Forrest (played by Sebastian Gimenez) watches.By Sarah Wolpoff
The theater program also leaned into “Legally Blonde” after seeing success in the 2023 spring production of “High School Musical,” Baurle said. They thought another movie-turned-musical would garner positive attention from the community, and the director is finding it’s even helping them build the program itself.
“What’s really nice is this show has brought in a lot of new students to the theater program,” she said. “I’d say about half, maybe even less than half, of our current cast are people who have done shows before. The rest are new.”
Cando is one of those students—she finds herself starring in the first theatrical production she’s ever been involved in.
A singer, Cando is a student in Jonathan Pereira’s choir class—he also serves as the music director for “Legally Blonde.” And a few months ago, he took her aside to encourage her to audition.
She had never considered trying out for a school play before. Frankly, her perception of being involved in an acting program was not positive. “But then I got pushed by a lot of people saying, ‘you should do it, you should do it,’ so I figured I’d give it a try,” she said. “Like, what’s the worst that can happen. Either I get it, or I don’t get it. And then boom: Elle Woods. I got it, crazy. And then it’s like, my name is Michelle, and Elle is in Michelle. So, for me it’s like, is this meant to be?”
And it worked out well for her. The skeptic turned thespian completely embraced the role.
“I’ve been going to school every day wearing pink just to get into character, and acting more peppy and jolly,” she said. “Honestly, being here actually makes me feel better. I’m less mad, less annoyed. I just feel like smiling every day that I’m here; it’s weird, but cool.”
She’s experiencing what’s kept many students involved in the theater community year after year. Ash, who has been doing productions since her freshman year, has developed lifelong friendships while pursuing her passion for the stage.
“The difference between the (“Legally Blonde”) musical and movie is really that the songs make you see the emotions in a different way,” she said. “And when I hear the songs, because it’s all my friends doing it, it hits in this whole different way.”
Delta Nu sorority sister Margot (Katherine Condori) opens the show, eagerly anticipating congratulating her friend on her engagement.By Sarah Wolpoff
At the dress shop, the Delta Nu sorority sisters huddle to offer input on Elle’s engagement outfit options.By Sarah Wolpoff
Warner Huntington (played by Nicholas Bedoya) waves to a server for the check after blindsiding Elle with a breakup.By Sarah Wolpoff
Kate (played by Alexa Aguiriano), the sorority sister who helps Elle Woods get into Harvard Law School, takes her tutoring responsibilities seriously.By Sarah Wolpoff
With showmanship, Elle Woods (played by Michelle Cando) brings a flamboyant routine with backup cheerleaders to the Harvard Admissions office to make her case for enrollment.By Sarah Wolpoff
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