‘Legally Blonde The MusicalTM’opens on the WPAC main stage next week

The Wilson Performing Arts Center’s summer musical will be the next production to hit the main stage.
“Legally Blonde The MusicalTM” will open at 7:30 p.m. on June 5. The show will also take place June 6 and June 12-13 at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances at 2:30 p.m. on June 7 and June 14.  
The show is being directed by Julie Murren, who is no stranger to the WPAC as both an actor and a director.
“This is my third show that I’m directing. My first was “School of Rock,” and the second show I did as a director here was “An Evening with Carol Burnett, so this is now my third show, and it’s my second time directing the summer musical,” commented Murren.
Murren added that she loves being able to work at the Wilson and its wonderful people.
“The WPAC is great. The office staff, Val Zane and Candy Garey are very encouraging and positive, and, of course, the facilities are beautiful. There’s so many professional people here. The WPAC has a great staff all around, from the office to the production team. The space is beautiful as well,” explained Murren.
Murren said that she didn’t pick the musical herself, but it had been a show on her bucket list.  
“The Wilson has a community theater committee that juggles shows, throws around ideas, and Legally Blonde was on their radar. While they were discussing the current season, they decided to go ahead and go with that one because it’s a big name show with a big cast and a lot of great energy,” stated Murren. “Shortly after they decided to proceed with that show, they asked me if I would direct it. It’s a show that I’ve always been kind of interested in and one that’s kind of been on my radar, but I hadn’t been able to bring the show to fruition anywhere else. So when the committee contacted me, I went ahead and jumped at the chance to direct it for the WPAC.”
The show is also slightly different than other summer musicals as there no roles for performers less than high school age.
“It does center around a college, and we do have some kids that are in high school that are filling out those college student parts just because we don’t have an abundance of college students around. It has lots of singable songs and  many people are familiar with the movie and the comedy of it, and we hope that that will attract people to the audience,” explained Murren.
Murren also shared a brief synopsis of what “Legally Blonde The Musical is all about for those that haven’t seen it before, or haven’t seen it in awhile.
“The story centers around Elle Woods. She is graduating from UCLA and she has a serious boyfriend that she’s really excited to move forward into her future with. Then he decides that she is not serious and he wants somebody who is more serious for a relationship because he is going to Harvard Law School. As it turns out, she is a very smart person, but people don’t all know that. She seems to be your stereotypical blonde fashionista,” Murren said. “She decides in order to get him back, she’s going to follow him to Harvard Law School by becoming a student there herself. She works really, really hard to get into law school, and when she gets to Harvard, she does all kinds of things to try to get him back.”
The original film became quite popular among moviegoers, which Murren said makes doing the musical fun and challenging as some audience members will have expectations.
“You have to kind of find a balance between what is iconic to the movie and needs to be preserved and what is going to be unique to the musical. Of course, the movie is not a musical in itself, so all of that music is unique, and the writers have adapted the movie with the stage setting in mind to make it fit the stage better. People who are familiar with the movie are going to notice some things right away that are the same, but then they’re going to notice some things that are different too,” commented Murren. “Of course, pink is Elle’s signature color in the film, and that is not going to change with the stage show.”
As for the cast, Murren said she is working with a hea;thy mix of familiar faces and performers that are brand new.
“I am so happy with this cast, not only because they’re amazingly talented, but because it is really a 50-50 mix of people I have worked with before and people who I have never worked with before. It’s nice to have some comfort and people that you know can bring things home for you, but also be able to see the abilities of some new talent, and we hope that those people will continue coming back to the Wilson. In the role of Elle Woods, she is legally blonde, is Kaitlyn Torbett. She is from Shenandoah and married a Red Oak boy, Don Torbett,” stated Murren. “She’s done lost of shows here, in Shenandoah, and at Iowa Western where she’s going to school. Warner Huntington III is played by Camden Rossell, who is new to our stage this year. Our third major lead is Emmett Forrest, played by Tanner Williams. He’s from Glenwood, and he’s been in a couple shows here. I have worked with Tanner as a production team sound designer before, so this is my first time getting to work with him as an actor. And those three cast members make up the show’s love triangle.”
Other members of the cast include Niveya Armstrong, Kamdyn Beal, Cash Berendes, Farlow Berendes, Jenna Brown, Madison Burt, Emmah Catana, Aaron Chappell, October De La Rosa, Joy Gossien, Nick Johnson, Dom Kaufman, Katey Keefe, Drake Montgomery, Heather Neff, Olivia Plowman, Asa Reyes, Aubrey Ripplinger, Drew Ripplinger, Floy Ripplinger, Renae Ripplinger, Gabrielle Smith, Andrew Soden, Danie Soden, Betsy Smith, Kathryn Tischer, Lena Torbett, Mya Young, and Zoe Young. Canine performers: are Chester Gossien for Rufus and Blue Torbett for Bruiser Woods.
Also, with the show being adapted from a theatrical film with multiple locations, Murren said the set will be different than you may expect.
“We have projected images for many of the scenes with furniture and rolling set pieces that go along with that. Depending on the location, you might see a built set for that particular scene, maybe with a projected image behind it, or just a bare stage with your projected image because the cast is so large, we just need all the room that we can get. With such a large amount of locations, that always plays a factor in how much you can build and how easily your set has to move on and off the stage. It creates interest for the audience, but then it also keeps them engaged with what is going on and what is going off. I’ve been a part of theaters before that close the curtain every time there’s a scene change so that people don’t see what’s going on. But as an audience member, I’m always fascinated with how the scenes change. I always make it a point to make sure that the audience can see most of the things you’re doing. And those scene changes, to me, are part of the magic of putting a musical together because moving from location to location, scene to scene, seamlessly, in my opinion, takes a show from a good show to a great show,” advised Murren.
Murren said her favorite aspect about putting the show together has been working with such a talented group of people.
“It’s so much fun. The cast is really fun and they have a great time. They’re hard workers, and they sound vocally amazing. The choreography and the music is fun too. Some of those one-liners that you remember from the movie, like the “bend and snap,” are now whole songs. So those are, super fun moments in the show that I think are going to be memorable for the audience and for the cast,” explained Murren. Additionally, we have such great leadership in our cast. People will  take it upon themselves to help another person with dance steps that they might have missed. There are a few people who are having their first time on stage, but for the most part, we have a lot of pros. So that’s really a great thing, too, because if my ideas are running dry, somebody always has one.”
For those that come to see the show, Murren said they can expect to see a lot of pink, a lot of sparkle, and a ton of energy.
Additionally, Wilson Performing Arts Center executive director Val Zane said they are doing some special pricing for tickets with $10 tickets now available, with prices depending on seating section.
“Historically, student tickets were $20 and adult tickets were $30. However, we know times are tough, so we are introducing more affordable pricing options this year. We are actively testing new price structures for different shows to find the perfect fit for our audience. Also, because an important part our mission is to make the arts accessible to everyone, we frequently offer BOGO deals, promo code offers, pay-what-you-can nights, and ticket giveaways,” Zane said.
The WPAC also proudly provides dedicated discounts for seniors, students, and military members, and another special option.
“If anyone is struggling financially and would like to attend one of our shows but can’t afford to do so, they can simply call us at 623-3183 or email info@wilsonartcenter.org and we will be happy to give them a free ticket no questions asked,” commented Zane.
To reserve a ticket, You can call 623-3183 or visit wilsonartscenter.org.