“OMG you guys!” Leesville Pride Productions has completed yet another successful play; Legally Blonde!
With tickets selling out in the first couple of days, it was clear that everyone was excited but expected a lot from this play. After viewing the play last Thursday, I can say that the Leesville Theatre Department lived up to those expectations.
I’m not normally a huge fan of musicals, but Legally Blonde is now one of my favorites. The songs were well placed throughout the musical and infectiously catchy. Even several days later these songs are still stuck in my head.
Anna Longenecker was perfect for the role of Elle Woods. She did a fantastic job of capturing Elle’s passionate, spunky and sassy attitude. Not to mention she is very talented in both music and dance, making her one of Leesville’s greatest theatrical triple-threats. Another favorite character of mine was Nikos the “European” cabana boy played by Michael Austin. He perfectly captured Nikos’ effeminate voice and motion, as well as his attitude.
Another star of the Leesville theatre I like to see is Jake Banasiewicz. In the past, Jake has starred in major roles such as Death in Before Juliet and Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. While he didn’t really have a “main” role like Warner or Emmett, he was extravagant in the several smaller roles that he did play.
While the actors are the main focus of a play, a lot goes on behind the scenes and these people deserve just as much credit. Lights Crew did a fantastic job making sure the lighting changes and the lights themselves perfectly captured the mood of the play. Sound Crew also did a great job of making sure mics were on when they needed to be, with only one possibly going out during the show. In addition, Paint and Set Crew clearly worked hard to create very beautiful set pieces.
Legally Blonde is also the first Leesville musical directed by Katrina Tarson, our new Theatre teacher. Everything seemed to run smoothly, so I can’t wait to see what plays she will put together in the future.
Overall, Leesville’s production of Legally Blonde was fun and entertaining that it should be illegal. My only complaint was the intermission between acts because I was so entranced in the musical.
Hopefully everyone got a chance to experience this show, but if you didn’t, make sure to attend the fall play. The show should be just as exciting with an equally talented cast and crew of Leesville students.
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