Choreographing Legally Blonde has been an adventure to say the least. Going in I thought “it’s just a little show about a sorority girl following her love to law school.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. This show is anything but little. The music doesn’t stop so there was a lot more choreography than I expected. The more I worked on it, the more I realized how charming and clever the show really is. It has so much energy and that is one of the things I love most about it. Elle’s admission essay into Harvard was not only my favorite to choreograph but it’s also what I get most excited for the audience to see every night. There are so many things going on at once, in this almost 10 minute long number, between band members and the men of Harvard admissions to cheerleaders and frat boys and they are all doing something different. This cast really had their work cut out for them and the result went beyond my expectations. It’s one of those numbers where there are so many things to look at and you can feel the excitement and energy each night. It makes me want to jump on that stage and root for Elle too.
The most challenging part of the show for me may be the most impressive. Enter “Whipped Into Shape.” Working with jump ropes is not only a lot harder than you’d think but there are about a thousand things that can go wrong. From hitting yourself in the face with your rope to getting tangled with the rope next to you, it can throw the whole number off. If it can happen, it happened in rehearsal. When the number came together though, it was nothing short of amazing. I love seeing the audience reaction to this because it’s so impressive to see the stamina and coordination that these actors have. I’m so proud of how far everyone has come.
I never thought Legally Blonde would be my favorite show thus far to work on but it really has been. I still really enjoy watching it every night and I’m genuinely happy every time I leave the theater. I’m so thankful to have worked with this cast and of course Marybeth, Sam and Chet. I’ll cherish the memories I made in this show for the rest of my life.
