Suffolk’s Performing Arts Office successfully captured audiences even better than the “bend and snap” at the opening night of “Legally Blonde” Feb. 19. The predominantly female-presenting cast took the stage with plenty of pink, wigs and Y2K flair in its rendition of the cult classic.
Though a natural brunette, freshman Maddie Palombo stunned as Elle Woods. Their vocals were perfectly characteristic of the diva law student that was first brought to life by Reese Witherspoon in 2001. The iconic character was even accompanied by her beloved dog, Bruiser, who took the stage as a marionette puppet operated by freshman Emelia West.
Freshman Julia Groover quickly won over attendees with her portrayal of Warner Huntington III. Her delivery of lines, whether jerky or humorous, was spot on. It’s amazing what a good wig, a sharp suit and a talented Suffolk student can do with such an unbearable yet funny character.
Another clear standout was junior Julia Valanzola’s role as fitness mogul Brooke Wyndham. She opened Act II with the energetic number “Whipped into Shape,” effortlessly hitting every note despite the fact that she was jumping rope at the same time.
Also deserving of a shoutout, sophomore Isabel Guiomar stepped into the role of Margot, one of Elle’s best friends, about a week before opening night. Guiomar was originally cast as Kate, but took on the role of Margot at the last minute. Sophomore Bridget Berry assumed the role of Kate. The two delivered such successful portrayals that the audience wouldn’t have known the change happened just a week earlier.
The set was simple, but effective. The backdrop served as a versatile establishing piece, switching from magazines, which represented Elle’s glamorous life in Los Angeles, to law books, which represented the demanding studies of Harvard Law School. The transitions between scenes were done efficiently despite the crew having just joined the production a week prior.
The costumes embodied the iconic fashion of the Y2K, adding a pop of color to Modern Theatre’s stage. The cast’s makeup was just as sparkly as the characters they brought to life, many of them sporting glitter-adorned cheeks and eyelids. Wigs also enhanced the male characters, who were all played by women.
Some of the cast referenced the importance of the wigs in the talk-around that took place after the show. Sophomore Addison Caster, who assumed the role of Professor Callahan, found the wig particularly significant for her character.
“I guess, without the wig, how would you be able to tell that I was an old guy? And also not just an old guy, but a creepy old guy,” Caster said.
The cast also talked about how they navigated such a stereotype-heavy show and established their goal of truly making the production their own. Ian McKissick, who played Nikos, mentioned the problematic nature of the song “There! Right There!” also known as “Gay or European.” McKissick touched on how the song reinforces the stereotype that all gay men are feminine and that the punchline of the song is simply that a character is gay. To better deal with this, the cast decided to include pride flags at the end of the song.
Sophomore Ruby Colwell, who played Enid Hoops, also talked about the thought she put into portraying a stereotypically written queer character. She emphasized the importance of finding a person within the cliches.
“I didn’t want to go on stage and be like ‘Oh look, I’m a lesbian and I love women and boobs!’ but that’s just kind of just how the character was written. But you have to find these real personalities and reasons and motivations why these characters are who they are,” Colwell said.
Senior Lily Hutchins was tasked with bringing Emmett Forrestt, Elle’s love interest, to the stage. She used her own experiences as a law major to empathize with the underlying themes of the show.
“For me it was more tapping into the issues that I have experienced, especially as a woman in the legal field, tapping into that and kind of thinking about ‘if I’m playing a character that’s supposed to be supportive, what’s the type of support that I would want to see if I was in the same situation as Elle,’” Hutchins said.
Suffolk PAO’s production of “Legally Blonde” is one for the books, not only because they maintained vital parts of the long-time favorite story, but also because they managed to make it their own.
