By George Basler
Legally Blonde has been described as a pink cotton candy of a show that glories in its feel-good attitude. The musical uses a peppy score and high-energy dance numbers to satirize gender stereotypes, class snobbery and cliché “dumb blonde” jokes.
“It’s like a chick flick and a musical romcom. And it is super fun,” said Khala Hurd, who is playing the lead role in a production being presented July 25-28 by the Endicott Performing Arts Center (EPAC) Repertory Company.
The 2007 musical is based on the hit 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a Southern California “Valley Girl, who finagles her way into Harvard Law School to win back the boyfriend who has just dumped her. She ends up realizing her full potential and becoming a top-notch lawyer. She also dumps the boyfriend.
“I think Elle is the most relatable and admirable character. She does everything people say she can’t and proves everyone wrong,” Hurd said.
The show, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach, ran on Broadway and received a big boost in popularity by airing on MTV in October 2007. The 2010 London production won three Laurence Olivier Awards, including the Best New Musical Award.
EPAC is staging Legally Blonde in response to popular demand, said Pat Foti, EPAC’s artistic director, who is directing the production. “It’s very lighthearted and comedic, and the music is phenomenal,” Foti said.
The EPAC production is featuring a cast of nearly 30 performers. The show is “dance heavy” with a series of ensemble numbers being choreographed by Andy Bailey, Foti said.
The cast has “been right on top of things” during rehearsals, he added, noting the main challenged of doing the show are technical ones. There are nine scenes, requiring set changes, in the first act, and eight scenes in the second act. There are also scenes within scenes.
As the lead, Hurd will be in every scene and make 11 costume changes during the show. She joked that she is preparing for the role by having a cup of espresso before every performance: “You have to be energetic and bubbly, and the whole time she (the character) doesn’t get a break.”
Hurd was last seen at EPAC playing Maria in The Sound of Music last season. Her credits include performing in annual Christmas Carol productions at the Cider Mill Stage, formerly the Cider Mill Playhouse.
Hurd credits Legally Blonde’s continuing popularity to the fact that it’s funny, and people like to laugh. The show also features a powerful female character at its center, and that attracts people, especially women, she said.
The show is “upbeat and energetic,” and “there is never a dry moment,” Hurd added.
IF YOU GO: The musical Legally Blonde will be performed July 25-28 at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Ave., Endicott. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. Reserved seating tickets at $25 ($23 for seniors and students) are available at the EPAC box office and at www.EndicottArts.com.
