“Legally Blonde: The Musical” is coming to Southern Lehigh High School this March. This musical was written by Heather Hach and first performed on Broadway in 2007. It soon became a hit, running for 595 performances. The show follows Elle Woods, a bubbly sorority girl, as she enrolls in Harvard Law School to try to win back her ex-boyfriend. At Harvard, she struggles to break free from the stereotype of a “dumb blonde,” ultimately using her intelligence to help solve a major court case. The musical represents themes of empowerment, determination, and self-discovery.
Southern Lehigh’s cast, pit, dancers, and stage and tech crew have all dedicated their time to the performance, practicing and singing multiple times a week. The cast is made up of 30 people, each hand-picked for their role by director Mrs. Lisa Foley.
“We’re all very disciplined and we all work very hard,” said senior Jenna Seasholtz, who plays the role of Elle Woods.
“Legally Blonde” requires practice and preparation from everyone involved in the show. This is one of the first productions at SLHS featuring a larger group of dancers, all members of the Southern Lehigh dance team. The cast is thrilled that the seven dancers are committing their time to liven up this performance. Dancing in a musical is quite different from dancing in a recital, and is a new experience for many of them.
“It’s different, you have to lip sync, the focus isn’t all on you,” freshman Reva Shah said, reflecting on the difficulties of being a dancer in a musical.
This year there will also be a group of students and professional musicians – including band and orchestra director Mr. Larry Fisher and choral director Mr. Matthew Wehr – performing as a pit orchestra. Since January, the pit has been practicing the music that helps to tie the production together. This is the first time since 2023 that a Southern Lehigh musical has used live music to help support the performance. With live music, the audience gets to feel as though they are living in and experiencing Elle’s story.
With all of the added elements to this year’s performance, the cast considers it to be one of the best.
“It’s a lot bigger of a production than we’ve done in the past,” Seasholtz said.
This show has also been a big endeavor for the stage and tech crew. It has required more planning and focus in all aspects.
“This is the first year that I’ve been moving props while they’re singing,” sophomore and stage crew co-manager Alyson Fretz said, describing one of the new elements.
The cast and crew have been working hard at rehearsals nearly everyday to learn their parts, and work out all the kinks.
Additionally, many people have come together to help create the magic of Elle’s and other characters’ wardrobes. Numerous parent and student volunteers are collaborating with costume designer and organizer Mrs. Donna Neff for this effort. In addition to the detailed costumes, there will also be a live dog on stage playing Elle’s dog Bruiser.
Tickets to see “Legally Blonde: The Musical” are currently on sale. The performances will be from March 12-16. Tickets are available to purchase at https://slhstheater.ludus.com/index.php.
