‘Legally Blonde’ the musical
Presented by the Sequim High School Operetta Club
Sequim High School Auditorium, 533 N. Sequim Ave.
Showtimes: 7 p.m. May 3-4, 10-11 and 17;
2 p.m. May 12, 18 and 19
Tickets: $12-$18 with $12 opening night special on May 3.
Advance tickets: www.shsoperetta.ludus.com
Questions, email shsoperettaboxoffice@gmail.com or call Sequim High School at 360-582-3600.
Preparing for her first dress rehearsal backstage, 15-year-old Maddy Dietzman says she’s ready to become a blonde.
The Sequim High sophomore takes the lead as sorority sister Elle Woods in the SHS Operetta Club’s “Legally Blonde” set for May 3-19 at the high school auditorium.
“I’m excited to get into character as this really bubbly person that I’m really not,” Dietzman said.
“I have a lot of different sides to me but I’m excited to go on stage and be a different person.”
“Legally Blonde” the comedic musical follows the 2001 movie based on Amanda Brown’s novel of the same name fairly closely, directors say.
“It’s the movie with dance numbers,” said assistant director Maggie Bulkley.
For those familiar or not, “Legally Blonde” follows Elle (Dietzman) as she seeks to win back her boyfriend Warner (Jonathan Heintz) by enrolling at Harvard Law School.
During her time in school, she faces adversaries like Warner’s new love interest Vivienne (Maggie van Dyken), her first murder trial as a lawyer-in-training, and helps new friends like hairdresser/manicurist Paulette (Erin Gordon) find confidence.
Bulkley said the musical relates well to the students because it shows Elle going through a major change in her life.
“She starts her journey because of a breakup and the inciting incident is she has heartbreak and goes on this crazy path through Harvard Law School,” she said. “Throughout the musical you discover it’s no longer about her getting the guy. It’s about discovering who she truly is and what she wants to do with her life.”
Dietzman said she wasn’t familiar with the movie prior to its announcement for the operetta but since has watched it and the musical online, and she likes its message.
“It’s meaningful and hopeful,” she said. “It’s newer, but it’s funny. I think that if you give it a chance, you’ll fall in love with it.”
Students’ pick
Operetta Club president Maggie van Dyken and vice president Damon Little said interest was definitely high when “Legally Blonde” was announced.
“A lot of students came to auditions who had never been involved in theater or the operetta before because it’s such a popular name,” van Dyken said.
“I hope it brings in a new demographic,” said Little, who plays five different roles in the musical. “The City of Sequim and other groups have been trying to incorporate more young people in events. There’s been a big push to get families more involved.”
“And I think this show is really going to do it,” van Dyken said.
Brought in to direct was Brendan Chambers, artistic associate with Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend, along with Bulkley, audience associate coordinator for Key City, and Linda Dowdell, a Key City contributor, as music director.
Chambers said Dowdell recruited them to apply, leading them to an interview with Operetta Club members. Little and van Dyken said they chose the trio from a competitive field of applicants.
The push for Chambers to work in Sequim, he said, came from his desire to work with students more after earning his Master of Arts in Educational Theatre from New York University.
Since he and Bulkley were new to the students, they held pre-auditions first to get an understanding of the students and gauge their interest.
“We had a good number of guys, but had triple the number of females so we realized we needed to pick a show that was female-heavy but also had guys,” Chamber said. “That is extremely rare in musical theater. Typically, it’s heavy on guys and light on the female side.”
So the directors went through dozens of musicals online before choosing “Legally Blonde.”
“We wanted a contemporary piece that also highlighted all the female voices we have,” Chambers said.
“It’s also relevant to what’s going on in the world with the movements for empowerment of women. That message is super strong in this show.”
Official auditions were held soon after the play was announced and every student who auditioned was cast, directors said.
“(Audiences of all-ages) are going to love it,” Bulkley said. “We told the students if it’s good, people will love it. It’s upbeat. It moves quickly. The content is relatable to everyone. Ultimately, it’s really good show.”
Tickets for the show are available at the auditorium, 533 N. Sequim Ave., and online at www.shsoperetta.ludus.com.
Show dates are: 7 p.m. May 3-4, 10-11 and 17, and 2 p.m. May 12, 18 and 19, in the Sequim High School Auditorium, 533 N. Sequim Ave.
Tickets for opening night are $12 on May 3, and cost up to $18 for premium seats on other nights. For more information, email shsoperettaboxoffice@gmail.com or call Sequim High School at 360-582-3600.
The operetta is part of the 124th Sequim Irrigation Festival running May 3-12. For more information, visit www.irrigationfestival.com.
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
In “Legally Blonde,” Sequim High School Operetta Club’s spring musical, Elle (Maddy Dietzman, in pink) pursues her ex-boyfriend Warner (Jonathan Heintz) who is now seeing Vivienne (Maggie van Dyken). Dietzman said she looks forward to playing the role and finds the musical “meaningful and hopeful.” Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
On her quest to win back Warner (Jonathan Heintz, second from left) from Vivienne (Maggie van Dyken, on left,) Elle (Maddy Dietzman) enrolls in Harvard Law School and must help at an integral time of a murder trial for Professor Callahan (Mikhail Ostrovsky) and Emmett Forrest (Caleb DeMott). Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Paulette, played by Erin Gordon, looks to win the affection of the UPS man, Ryan Chen, in “Legally Blonde” with help from Elle Woods (Maddy Dietzman) and take back her dog Rufus (Jeannie) from her ex-boyfriend. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
