As the end of the year approached, a certain conservatory performed a play one last time. Spring was anything but easy with students’ rigorous courses and sports, along with the countless hours spent rehearsing for such a performance. April 11 through 13, the Cypress Creek Theatre Department performed the musical “Legally Blonde,” directed by theatre instructor Warren Underwood.
Throughout the musical, audience members were entranced, with the display of passion and dedication Elle Woods went through to prove she was more than just a “dumb blonde.”
“This is a show that so many of us wanted to do for the longest time and to finally be able to do it, it ended so good and it was just so fun to do. It was surreal,” reminisced senior Anilem Munoz (Margot).
With time speeding by, and the performance days fast approaching, excitement and pressure began to build within cast and crew. This gave the performers motivation and nervousness as the opening night approached. Each cast member worked hard to keep up with the choreography, remembering their lines, and resting their voices for a ballad of songs.
“I was very nervous because we were learning new numbers or choreography near the opening date, so I wasn’t sure how the show would turn out,” said junior Kathryn Wolff.
It all worked out in the end, as each performer laughed, remembering the rehearsal process and the massive turnover from the last rehearsal through the actual show.
April 11 came in a flash, as students were preparing for their opening night, and the last musical of the year for the seniors. Many seniors such as Evangelina Fox (Elle Woods) worked hard throughout this process, putting hours of time and effort into rehearsals.
“You find yourself in little pieces of every show you do…just connecting with yourself as a whole is a great experience,” stated Fox.
As part of their course, American Sign Language (ASL) students were also in house on opening and closing night to provide interpretations for hearing impaired audience members. The students had fun laughing with the audience when they were interpreting along with the actors on stage.
“I really enjoy ASL, signing the show is very fun. Some of the language was mature, so it was difficult to learn new signs,” said junior ASL Student Evangeline Rivera-Garcia.
The audience was amazed with the work of the department, each show gaining a standing ovation, in which each student could be applauded for their hard work.
One area of hard work the actors put into the show was becoming their characters. For junior Arianna Alvarez (Paulette Bonafonté), she expressed how she took inspiration from other sources like Into the Heights for her character.
“For me, funny roles are just roles I can play better, so when I got casted as this, I was like I have so much liberty to dissect everything that she does and make it my own,” Alvarez stated.
Another difficult aspect described by senior Choreographer Keziah Blyden (Pilar) and senior Anna Ross (Brooke Wyndham), was the show’s dance aspect. Legally Blonde is a very dance-heavy show, with many large group numbers, the hardest one being “Whipped into Shape,” as stated by Blyden.
“I’m proud of that whole number. It’s the hardest number in the show and it looks so good. And all the girls too, they did so good,” recalled Blyden.
“Whipped into Shape” was the opening number of Act Two, in which the audience is introduced to Brooke Wyndham through a jump rope singing number. Ross, the main character in the scene, expressed her love for the character, but explained how difficult the number was.
“We all went out the weekend before just to practice because we needed it. It was terrifying,” said Ross.
Another one of the bigger numbers where most of the ensemble was dancing was “What You Want,” in which Elle Woods gave a flashy presentation to the Harvard admissions officers, pleading her case that she should be admitted.
“Us during ‘What you Want,’ that song…the end of it with all of us, ensemble, leads, all doing choreo and singing our hearts out. I rewatch the video over and over again and you can feel the energy,” said Munoz.
But just as every performance comes to an end, so did Legally Blonde, with tears running down the faces of the entire cast and crew, none more than the seniors who were recognized each night by Underwood.
“It was so sad. I feel like every show, we’ve been sad, but…so many people are leaving. We were sobbing, crying at waffle house,” said Fox.
“It’s the end of an era,” added Alvarez.
But while the chapter of Legally Blonde has closed, a new one has opened, as the Coyote Theatre Department will be bringing Little Shop of Horrors to the stage in the fall, and Grease in the spring. We can’t wait to see these amazing performances, and what these actors have in store for our community next!
