LEGALLY BLONDE the Musical Jr. Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin; Book by Heather Hach; Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture. Director: Jenna Finnigan; Assistant director: Ben Mather-Dodd; Musical Director: Beatrice Dorsch; Choreographer: Lizzie Edwards; Cochoreographer: Jenna Finnigan Mid Cheshire Youth Theatre (MCYT) Under the direction of Jenna Finnigan and assistant director Ben Mather-Dodd, Mid Cheshire Youth Theatre brought the peppy, pink world of Elle Woods to vibrant life in their production of Legally Blonde Junior. With musical direction by Beatrice Dorsch and choreography by Lizzie Edwards and Jenna Finnigan, this youthful adaptation maintained the heart and humour of the original while showcasing impressive emerging talent. We arrived at Legally Blonde as soon as we entered the theatre - pink heartshaped sunglasses, pink boxes for the raffle prizes, an Instagram-worthy wall of pink show posters, ready for that pink selfie! We felt properly immersed in the world of Elle Woods. Once in the auditorium, the stage was clear and surrounded on three sides by the outside of a house. This was to be used to great effect throughout the show as the walls opened up with alternative scenes painted on the other side. Clever use of space. On to the performances - Alice McCall shone as Elle Woods, bringing both strong vocals and nuanced characterisation to the role. McCall effectively portrayed Elle's evolution from sorority president to law student, maintaining the character's essential perkiness while showing genuine growth. A standout moment was after she realised that Callahan was after only one thing. The following song was so full of emotion and real feeling - Alice was spot on in that moment. I have to mention the
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