by Bonnie Collings
Grab your law books, find your sorority sisters and don your most fabulous pink outfits because Warragul Theatre Company is bringing "Legally Blonde the Musical" to the West Gippsland Arts Centre.
Set to take to the stage from Friday, May 17, the show will take audiences on a colourful and inspiring adventure through the Delta Nu sorority house and the hallowed halls of Harvard Law.
The Legally Blonde musical plot is very similar to the adored 2001 Reese Witherspoon movie. With the addition of spectacular song and dance numbers, the show follows Elle Woods' heart warming and empowering journey through Harvard Law School.
Returning to rehearsals in January after a Christmas hiatus, director Liam Charleston said everyone had been going "gung-ho" in preparation for curtain up, particularly in the dance numbers.
"This is a massive dance show, there's 32 musical numbers," Liam said.
"Some of them are small but a lot of them are full cast numbers which are really challenging to get together because there are a lot of people and a lot of long dance breaks, which is something we haven't done in a show in a while. Our choreographer and our team have pulled it all together and it's going to be really good."
Liam said a highlight of the rehearsal process was watching the teamwork and comradery of the cast and crew develop.
"We've lost some cast members along the way and have had to do some reshuffling which has been really challenging, but I want to commend the cast on their adjustments," Liam said.
"We only welcomed a cast member a week ago, meaning she had two weeks to prepare before curtain. The show must go on, they're all doing such an amazing job."
Legally Blonde is the fourth show Liam has directed for Warragul Theatre Company, and is a production close to his heart.
"Legally Blonde is sort of a special show to me, it was about the third show I actually did onstage," he said.
"I was in the ensemble and now I'm directing it which is really cool."
Liam said one of the key themes explored throughout the musical was the idea of women supporting women.
"In the show we explore a lot of different themes but love and relationships and female empowerment is the main one," Liam said.
"In the past couple of years we've done a lot of male heavy shows so moving on to a 'gal-centric' show has been really good, and seeing those people shine in the rehearsal room has been awesome."
Audiences can expect all the fun fashion and colours of the early 2000s as well as lots of energy and dazzling dance numbers.
"We're throwing it back to the early 2000s, similar to when the movie was set," he said.
"We juggled with either making the show modern or setting it 'back in the day' as we say now 24 years ago! But it's really fun because we look into a bit of nostalgia. We have a really high energy cast, lots of dance numbers and a great band who we've been rehearsing with."
You can't have a production of Legally Blonde without Elle's best friend Bruiser and Paulette's darling dog Rufus. WTC will showcase the talents of two loveable dogs throughout the production, something Liam described as one of the show's highlights.
"Everyone is going to love the dogs for sure," he said.
As well as dogs, Liam said showcasing talented local performers on stage is a major highlight of the production.
"It's really cool to see local talent," he said.
"In (Legally Blonde) we haven't had as many people travelling from different areas, everyone is really local and putting on world class performances. That might sound silly, because when you think Legally Blonde you think of pink and fun, but it's a really hard show and I think that (aspect) often gets overlooked."
Donning a blonde wig and all number of stylish outfits for this production is young Gippsland performer Melody Paulet.
Performing as an ensemble member in previous WTC productions, Melody's strong vocal talent and incredible dance technique make her the perfect person to play Elle Woods.
This is the first time Melody has taken on a lead role in a WTC production, but it's not the first time she's portrayed Elle Woods. As a high school student, Melody starred as Elle in her school production of Legally Blonde Jr. Based on this experience, as well as her love for the Reese Witherspoon character, Melody said she felt a strong connection to Elle Woods.
"The first time I ever watched Legally Blonde, I was only about 10 and I just fell in love with the character (of Elle)," Melody said.
"She's so much fun and bubbly, she reminded me a bit of myself even though I'm a brunette. I was so drawn to the character, and when my school announced they were doing (Legally Blonde Jr) I was so excited, and then when WTC announced they were doing the show, I was over the moon."
An iconic character both in the film and on Broadway, Elle Woods is easily recognisable. Melody said she has tapped into a deeper side of Elle to make the character her own.
"There's some heartfelt parts of Elle that are more than just being bright and bubbly," Melody said.
"She gets taken advantage of, she gets her heartbroken. Understanding the deeper side of Elle is what I've tried to do to make the character my own."
Melody said her past experiences in theatre and dance had shaped the way she had taken on her first lead role.
"I've always looked up to other lead performers, I've just always admired what they do, their drive and their passion," she said.
"That's really driven me to try and be the best lead character I can be. Everyone in the cast is so supportive, I was very scared to step up into a lead role. But everyone has helped me so much, they are the reason I think I'm doing a good job."
Melody said audiences would struggle to leave the theatre without a smile on their face.
"You can't sit in the audience and not smile!" she said. "I can't wipe the smile off my face the entire show, I hope the audience will have the biggest smiles on their faces too."
The two Legally Blonde performances on Saturday May 18 will be "going pink" in support of cancer research, a cause very close to the WTC production team.
"We decided (to "go pink") pretty early on," Liam said.
"I've had some really close family and friends who have gone through breast cancer or have passed away in the last year, so we decided to do a fundraiser for breast cancer research. (Legally Blonde) is sort of the perfect show to celebrate it with the pink and themes of womanhood throughout the show."
Liam said the show was a great opportunity to come together in support of cancer awareness and also to celebrate the life of those who passed away from cancer.
"This is a show that's really fun and upbeat so if you need a smile on your face it's definitely one to come to," he said.
Pink sunglasses will be available to purchase before both shows on May 18 and donation buckets will be available. Audiences members are also encouraged to dress in pink in support of the cause.
Tickets for WTC's production of "Legally Blonde the Musical" are on sale now at https://sales.wgac.com.au/event/379:2363/
The show will perform at the West Gippsland Arts Centre from Friday May 17 to Saturday May 25.