Female empowerment, fashion, and fun unite on the stage of the Meldrum Theatre as the University of Utah Department of Theatre prepares to open its first musical of the 25-26 Season, “Legally Blonde.”
Running Nov. 14 – Nov. 23, this production (book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Lawrence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin) is directed by head of the Musical Theatre Program, Erin Farrell Speer, with choreography by A. Raheim White and music direction by Trevor Jex.
Yep, it’s your favorite sorority-girl-turns-aspiring-lawyer, Elle Woods (played by Jordan Soper, MTP ‘26), taking the lead in this hilarious and uplifting story of self-discovery, female friendship, and finding your way.
She appears to have it all, but Elle Woods’ life is turned upside down when her boyfriend, Warner (played by Harrison Timm, ATP ’26), dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors, and her ex. With the support of some new friends, Elle quickly realizes she has so much more to offer and sets out to prove herself to the world.
“We were very excited to select ‘Legally Blonde’ for this season,” said Director Speer. “In addition to being the perfect title to meet our learning outcomes for the season, it’s a celebration of female friendship, navigating professional ambition, and finding your way. It’s also joyous, hilarious, and a perfect audience pleaser to welcome folks to the Meldrum. The world is hard right now, and working on this title has been a space of joy for all of us.”
Rescue dogs to the rescue
Harvard's beloved blonde who takes the stage by pink storm is joined by two furry friends who make their theatre debuts with this production.
Pepper Jack (better known as PJ) is thrilled to make his theatrical debut as Bruiser Woods. A year-and-a-half-old Chihuahua mix and proud Rescue Rovers alum, PJ specializes in blanket snuggles, dramatic naps, and riding in handbags like he was born for Beverly Hills.
Hank (affectionately called Hank the Tank) is thrilled to make his stage debut as Rufus. Once a scrappy Salt Lake street pup and now a certified heart-melter and wiggle-butt, this 4-year-old bully-breed icon now lives for zoomies, meeting new friends, and receiving all the pets.
Providing context
When Speer asked Associate Professor and “Legally Blonde” dramaturg Sydney Cheek-O’Donnell to put together information for the cast about feminism, Cheek-O’Donnell quickly realized that understanding the various manifestations of feminism in the United States first required a basic understanding of how women were legally recognized (or not) from the earliest days of North American colonization to today.
“Obviously, that’s a heavy lift and I ended up crawling down a very deep rabbit hole, to mix my metaphors,” she said. “The history, with a special focus on how the laws have changed over time, overtook the exploration of feminist thought, which feels right for a piece that traces the legal, intellectual, and personal awakening of a young woman attending Harvard Law School.”
In addition to providing the context for the cast, Cheek-O’Donnell has also produced a historical timeline of women’s rights and liberation in the U.S. for the audience that will be on view in the lobby of the Meldrum Theatre and available online.
Documenting the making
Theatre minor and film major Fernanda “Fe” Pinaffi Silva approached Speer after realizing the department was putting on “Legally Blonde.” Assigned to produce, shoot, and edit a 10–15-minute documentary for her FILM 4510 Documentary Filmmaking class, Silva wanted to make something that illustrates the process of mounting a large production like this one.
“I also ended up discovering that the assistant director for the production, Ella Mei Williamson, was also someone I knew very well (she acted as the protagonist in my capstone film shot in spring),” Silva said. “Things just seemed to fit perfectly and the production started! I actually grew up as a theatre kid but ended up moving behind the cameras, but I'm still very much fascinated by theatre, and this project was a great opportunity to unite those two passions.”
Friday Night Hype on Nov. 14
Join us on opening night for the U’s Friday Night Hype. The first 50 students to arrive will get a free pink Arts Pass t-shirt, in celebration of the program that gives students free or discounted access to arts experiences on campus. We’ll have food, a photo booth, the “Bend & Snap” nail art station, and tote bag decorating! I do NOT object!
Free shuttles will be running to and from Housing to the Meldrum Theatre.
To see more behind-the-scenes goodness on the making of “Legally Blonde,” follow us on social media:
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“This production would not have been possible without the additional financial support of a generous gift to the Musical Theatre Program from Perry Fine. Perry’s donation to name the Dave Schmidt Office allowed us to contribute essential financial support to help meet the budgetary needs of a production of this size. Thank you, Perry — and thank you to all of our donors near and far. Your support matters.” — Erin Farrell Speer