The Cabot High School Theatre Department will present Legally Blonde The Musical at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Cabot High School Theatre.
Tickets are $7 for general admission.
The musical, based on the book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, is presented through Music Theater International.
Reminiscent of the 2001 movie Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, this musical follows Elle Woods, a sorority girl at UCLA who moves on from heartache in California to success at Harvard Law School. Legally Blonde The Musical premiered on Broadway in 2007.
“This is our annual spring musical,” said Ashley Tarvin, director and choreographer of the show, who has taught theater and dance at Cabot High School for 20 years. Assisting Tarvin are Deanna Carpenter, technical director; Logan Smith, sound/light engineer; Ben Brockinton, assistant director; Gwen Brooks, theater consultant; and Caleigh Pickard and Madison Coffer, student directors.
“This is a large production,” Tarvin said. “More than 150 actors, backstage technicians and costume and makeup crew help Harvard’s beloved blonde — Elle — take the stage by pink storm in this fun, upbeat story of self-discovery.
“[The production] encompasses students in the stagecraft class, who built the sets, to those in the costume and makeup classes, who sewed and organized the costumes, to those in the theater and dance classes,” said Tarvin, who has a degree in theater and communications from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.
“There is a lot of dancing in this show,” she said. “There are 16 musical numbers that also include dancing.”
Tarvin said the students, who are all in grades 10 through 12, auditioned in November.
“We’ve been practicing ever since,” she said.
Tarvin said Legally Blonde The Musical “is the most difficult show that I’ve ever directed because of the amount of large-group musical numbers.
“There are 16 big numbers,” she reiterated.
Tarvin said she chooses the productions that are presented at the high school.
“We also present a children’s show in the fall,” she said.
Tarvin said she selected Legally Blonde The Musical as this year’s spring musical “because [the theater department is] female and dance heavy.
“But our guys are making fabulous appearances,” she said, laughing. “It may surprise the audience to see a lot of our football players dancing.”
Tarvin said the character Elle is in 20 scenes.
“It just made sense to double-cast this lead character,” she said.
Senior Greer King will appear as Elle on Friday and Sunday, and junior Kaylie Tuttle will appear as Elle in Saturday’s performance. Elle, who almost always wears pink, appears in many scenes with Bruiser, her Chihuahua, played by Rudy.
Among the other principal characters in the musical are the following:
• Emmett Forrester, a law student who befriends Elle after she arrives at Harvard, is played by Jordan Pogue.
• Paulette Bonatonte, owner of the local salon, Hair Affair, who also befriends Elle, is portrayed by Skyler Ward. Paulette also has a dog, a bulldog named Rufus, played by Dungey.
• Warner Huntington III, Elle’s former boyfriend who breaks up with her to attend Harvard Law School, is played by Brittin Sullivan.
• Brooke Wyndham, an exercise video star and former Delta Nu sorority girl who is accused of murder and defended by Elle, is played by Avery Bruce.
• Professor Callahan, the manipulative law professor, is portrayed by Sam Gibson.
• Vivienne Kensington, Warner’s new girlfriend who feels threatened by Elle, is played by Elizabeth Ring.
Appearing as Elle’s Delta Nu sorority sisters, also known as her Greek chorus, are Brooklyn Jennings, who appears as Margot; Natalie Way as Serena; Sarah Mitchell and Kelsey Drees, double-cast as Pilar; Nicole Vincent as Kate; Bailey Weathers as Gaelen; Rainey Ross as Tiffany; Mikee Olegario as Courtney; Payton King as Sandi; and Lizzie Schaefer as Angel.
Other cast members include the following:
• Lauren Black as Enid;
• David Nichols as Mr. Woods;
• Emily Freeman as Mrs. Woods;
• Bethie Butera as Chutney Wyndham;
• Harris Sutton as Kyle;
• Lane Burchfield as Winthrop;
• Autumne Kendricks as the judge;
• Seth Carter and Ayden Shurley, double-cast as Grandmaster Chad;
• Easton Seidl and Dylan Smith, double-cast as Dewey;
• Hope Henry as Whitney;
• Allyson Chandler as the dress-boutique store manager;
• Caleigh Pickard and Ambrynne Ward, double-cast as Kiki the colorist;
• Allison Snodgrass and Emma Carpenter, double-cast as Padamadan;
• Spencer Thompson as Aaron;
• Austin Morse as Frat Tony;
• Cody Nabors as Frat Marcus;
• Seth Carter as Frat Vince;
• Wyatt McMahan as the Jet Blue pilot;
• Dylan Shumate as Lowell;
• Justin Ballard as Pforzheimer;
• Kaitlyn Follett as the salon cat lady;
• Alivia Butler as the Oak Valley salesgirl;
• Klara McElroy as president of the Harvard Feminist Society;
• Lauren Devlin as TV reporter No. 1;
• Morrigane Jones as TV reporter No. 2;
• Autumn Klein as Dana, the prison inmate;
• Olivia Gardner as the courtroom stenographer;
• Haley Cohea, Dana Sackwar and Tayler Stewart as salesgirls;
• Spencer Snow as the bailiff;
• Luke Falcinelli as the prison guard;
• David Nichols as the understudy for Emmett; and
• Harris Sutton as the understudy for Callahan.
• Appearing as Delta Nu Sisters in the opening number, “Omigosh You Guys,” are Madi Schumacher, Autumn Klein, Carly Jones, Anna Sinclair, Braylin Powers, Gracie Morris, Amber Thomas, Gabbie Ware, Caroline Latturen and Haley Cohea.
• Appearing as Delta Nu sorority sisters in the finale of “Omigosh, Daughter of Delta Nu” are Dana Sackwar, Jordan Spinks, Kaycie Merrill, Karaline Faught, Abigail Gaddis, Halee Sanders, Averie Jensen, Kaelyn Parker, Ginaley Rogers, Haley Morris, Jayden Shelton, Ashley Reider, Savannah Miller, Carly Woods, Tayler Stewart, Ashley Osburn, Lauren Ballard, Madison Ransom, Mollie Jarnagin, Elizabeth Peebles, Hannah Scogin, Morgan Logue, Cambrie Wade, Alivia Butler, Cheyenne Cozad, Ashlee Hankins, Haley Cohea, Morrigane Jones, Chandler Smith and Gracie Cox.
• Members of the “What You Want” dance team include Gracie Morris, Hannah Jones, Ashley Osburn, Carley Jones, Madi Schumacher, Mollie Jarnigan, Kesley Drees, Sarah Mitchell, Payton King, Lizzie Schaefer and Pamela Powell.
• Members of the “What You Want” cheer squad include Autumn Klein, Savannah Miller, Karaline Faught, Chandler Smith, Haley Morris and Brooklyn Jennings.
• Vocalists in “What You Want” include Natalie Way, Rainey Ross, Nicole Vincent and Mikee Olegario.
• Featured dancers in “Positive” are Autumn Klein, Bailey Weathers, Mollie Jarnigan, Gracie Morris, Pamela Powell, Madison Schumacher and Maddie Coffer.
• Appearing as the UCLA Spring Break Frat Boys are Austin Morse, Cody Nabors, Easton Seidl, Dylan Smith, Jarrod Barnes, Kale Eddington, CJ Long, Justin Nabors, Wyatt McMahan, Ryan Travis, Noah Sorrell, Landon Hagar, Conley Hillegas, Luke Falcinelli and Ayden Shurley.
• “Find My Way” Harvard students and Harvard partygoers include Trinity Mize, Lauren Devlin, Allyson Chandler, D.J. Boswell, Meghan Hauritz, Nina Kramer, Emma Carpenter, Alex Bowles, Alexis Baker, Spencer Snow, Dylan Handy, Concera Davis, Kaitlyn Follett and Olivia Gardner.
• UCLA Spring Break sorority girls include Alivia Butler, Cambrie Wade, Kaelyn Parker, Gracie Cox, Mallory Kinsey, Morgan Logue, Ginaley Rogers and Averie Jensen.
• “Bend and Snap” Laker Girls include Abigail Gaddis, Hannah Jones, Pamela Powell, Jayden Shelton, Ashley Reider, Carly Woods, Cheyenne Cozad, Caroline Latture, Anna Sinclair, Gabbie Ware, Carley Jones, Amber Thomas, Ashlee Hankins and Madi Schumacher.
• “Whipped Into Shape” workout girls include Kelsey Drees, Sarah Mitchell, Bailey Weathers, Rainey Ross, Payton King, Lizzie Schaefer, Haley Morris, Kelsey Ivory, Autumn Klein, Pamela Powell, Mollie Jarnigan, Lauren Ballard and Ashley Osburn, with Austin Moore as the featured male dancer.
• Members of the prosecution team are Cadie Bailey, Ayden Shurley and Mallory Kinsley.
• Jurors include Mackenzie Runsick, Carter Reaves, Cerron Davis, Emily Tripp, McKenzie King and Jerry Matella.
• Restaurant patrons include Justin Nabors, Ayden Shurley, Halee Sanders, Emily Tripp, Madison Ransom, Kaycie Merrell and McKenzie Runsick.
• “Take It Like a Man” salespeople are Hannah Scogin and Elizabeth Peeples, with Noah Sorrell and Kale Eddington as shoppers.
• Courtroom trial observers include David Nichols, Harris Sutton, Madison Ransom, Kaycie Merrell, Cambrie Wade, Ashlee Hankins, Halee Sanders, Landon Hagar, Jordan Spinks, Emily Freeman, CJ Long, Justin Nabors, Alivia Butler, Braylin Powers and Conley Hillegas.
• “Legally Blonde Remix” Irish dancers are Mollie Jarnigan, Cheyenne Cozad, Maddie Coffer, Caleigh Pickard, Gracie Morris, Carly Woods and Pamela Powell.
• Members of the band are Hayden Plummer, Kayli Lumpkins, Travis Socia, Blake Shahan, Brayden Holland and Josh Imhoff.
Members of the technical crew include the following:
• Stage managers: Seth Trostel, Ashley Glover and Courtney Thompson;
• Costume student directors: McKenzie Cummings and Dallas Gibson;
• Costume crew co-heads: McCall Mayhair and Chloe Dailey;
• Costume crew members: Carly Rogers, Trinity Ogelvie, Concera Davis, Rachel Provose, Cescily Pojar, Hannah Hoover, Cadie Bailey, Hannah Grove and Olivia Wheeler;
• Running crew co-heads: Nikki Stricklin and Joseph Martin;
• Running crew: Baylee Beavers, Sam Robertson, Brianna Evans, Asher Hargrove, Shannah Gardner, Madison Taylor, Makiya Davis, Haylee Kilgore, Joey Taylor, Cerron Davis, Olivia Henderson, Garrett Yovanovich, Alexsis Byrd and Carson Reaves;
• Props crew heads: Lizzie Ray and Hailey Vidimos;
• Props crew: Mary Lilly, Ivy Westmoreland and Alexsis Byrd;
• Light-crew head: Christie Waterman;
• Lights: Alex Calhoun and Collin Messec;
• Sound-crew head: Robert Kingston; and
• Sound crew: Peyton Burkett, Kris Belknap, Justin Evans and Kylie Ogden.
For more information, call the box office at (501) 259-1305.
Information on the musical can also be found on the school’s website, cabotschools.org, or Facebook page.