This May, Shorewood Drama ended the year with its production of the musical Legally Blonde. With shows from May 9–11, they performed their final show with the musical based on the 2001 movie of the same name. 

The musical centers on Elle Woods, a UCLA sorority girl, as she follows her ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, to Harvard Law School. However, the story eventually evolves into Elle’s journey to prove herself as more than just a ‘dumb blonde.’

Unlike previous performances this year, such as Government Inspector and Pippin, Legally Blonde is a contemporary show. 

“Legally Blonde is not even 20 years old, at this point, as a musical,” said Adam Sheaffer, director and theater teacher. “I also did want to pick something that would be fun, kind of like a party in the theater, which is what it felt like.”

In addition to the differences in setting and energy, Legally Blonde comes with a distinct dance and musical style. Senior Sam Snyder, who played Warner Huntington III, says the moderness of the show made it more enjoyable. 

“It’s really different doing a modern show than doing something old, as [with] all the other shows we’ve done,” Snyder said. ”It’s a lot more exciting and I feel like we relate to it a lot more.”

  Freshman Dimitri Fortier, who played Nikos Argitakos and a Harvard admissions officer, agrees, stating that the difference in dance style added another exciting aspect to the rehearsal and performance process. 

“I love the dance style… it’s been so energetic,” Fortier said. “That makes it more fun to do…[it’s different] than any other show I’ve done.”

In addition to the energetic style, Snyder describes performing for a live audience for the first time after months of rehearsal as a highlight of the musical. 

“It’s just really exciting to see reactions from audience members to a show you’ve been doing for around three months at that point… and [to hear] people laugh at your jokes for the first time,” Snyder said.

Although cast and crew members describe the show as rewarding, they also faced challenges in the production process.

“This was the first show…where kids were still learning music the fourth week in,” Sheaffer said. “Usually you get the choral stuff out of the way so that when you choreograph, the kids already know the music…It made things a little tough in the fourth or fifth week, which was a bit stressful.”

Fortier said an additional challenge was the time limit, as the participants had less time to prepare compared to past shows, due to another play being added to Shorewood Drama’s lineup.

“It just takes up so much of your time, especially during tech week and dress rehearsals,” Fortier said. 

Along with time-related challenges, the difficulty level of several musical numbers tested many cast members physically. 

“It’s very aerobic…[it’s] a workout and memorizing lines at the same time, which is gratifying and exhausting,” Sheaffer said.

Despite its challenges, cast and crew describe the show as enjoyable, but also sad due to the graduating seniors. Like past final Shorewood productions, all seniors lined up at the end of the last show to kiss the stage as a tribute to their time in Shorewood Drama. 

As a senior, Snyder describes this tradition as bittersweet. 

“It’s been a lot of fun to be in all the shows,” Snyder said. “You really get to know everyone really well, but it’s really sad to leave [everyone] behind.”