Feb. 11, 2024
By Dana Treier
Webmaster
Most associate February with pink because of Valentine’s Day. However, for the cast of LHS’ musical, “Legally Blonde” by Heather Hach, pink signifies the favorite color of the whimsical yet sharp protagonist Elle Woods.
Since Nov. 27, students have been rehearsing to bring to the stage the story of Elle’s transformation from a spirited University of California, Los Angeles Delta Nu sorority sister to a flourishing Harvard Law School student.
The production, which includes a cast of 52 LHS students and features music written by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe, will take place at Lyndhurst Middle School on Feb. 15, 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are available for purchase at the door or on the ShowTix4U website.
Junior Angelina Brennen said she will always remember Nov. 20, which is the day she received the news via Google Classroom that she was cast as Elle.
“I was elated when I found out I got this role,” Brennen said. “The role is so difficult both physically and vocally, but it is so much fun.”
The show begins when Elle’s boyfriend Warner Huntington III (sophomore Joseph Brennen) breaks up with her to date someone more serious. Elle applies to Harvard Law School to prove to Warner that she is intelligent enough to deserve his love, but after enrolling as a student, she realizes she does not need Warner to add meaning to her life.
Brennen conveys Elle’s epiphany in the ballad “So Much Better,” her favorite song in the show, which ends Act I.
Brennen said the production is bound to be a success because of the dedication of directors Mrs. Ruiz and Ms. Wise and Music Department faculty Mr. Cardone and Mr. Chwalyk.
“We are in this together. This is a group effort, and everyone shines in their way since we are a family.”
“Without them, none of this could be possible,” Brennen said. “I have seen them give up so much of their personal time to stay in [at] lunch for vocal rehearsal and leave school super late to make sure our performance is the best that it can be.”
Ruiz, who has been overseeing LHS’ musicals for two decades, said this is the most challenging production she has directed.
“The music is so difficult, the vocals are challenging, the choreography is a lot and the cast is the largest I’ve ever had,” Ruiz said. “There are no blackouts, and the scenes are flowing into one another. It’s not like anything we have ever done before.”
Despite the challenges, Ruiz said she and Wise selected “Legally Blonde” because students involved in LHS’ musicals requested it and have the talent to deliver a quality performance as a united cast.
“Even though everyone has their lines, individual songs and individual dance moves, if we are not together on stage, the show is nothing,” Ruiz said. “We are in this together. This is a group effort, and everyone shines in their way since we are a family.”
Ruiz said the most rewarding aspect of rehearsals is witnessing the camaraderie among the cast.
“I watch castmates helping out each other when they need something, helping with choreography and lines. Watching how they interact, watching them become their characters, these breakout moments, these are mini-rewards that I get along the way before seeing the success of the show itself,” Ruiz said.
Junior Savio Nguyen, who plays the authoritative and manipulative Professor Callahan, said he is glad Ruiz and Wise selected “Legally Blonde” as this year’s musical.
“The music is amazing and so funny,” Nguyen said. “When I first watched [the musical on YouTube], I laughed the whole time.”
In Nguyen’s signature song, “Blood in the Water,” Professor Callahan instructs his students about how to be perfect lawyers.
“I review [the song] almost every day, and I just love singing it. I am very excited to perform it on stage,” Nguyen said.
Senior Faith Arroyo, who plays the feminist law student Enid Hoopes, said she enjoys rehearsing because she likes identifying new ways to deliver her lines.
“It is always really fun to explore a comedic and outspoken character,” Arroyo said.
In addition to her acting role, Arroyo is one of three dance captains alongside junior Nancy Attia and senior Evelyn Notice.
With after-school practices sometimes exceeding five hours, Arroyo said the cast is dedicated to delivering a great performance.
“I just want the [audience] to see the amount of time and thought that was put into the production,” Arroyo said. “It’s funny, lighthearted and filled with so much talent.”
