Legally Blonde the Musical
Little Theatre Company
The Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
6th to 9th April 2016
Little Theatre Company
The Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
6th to 9th April 2016
Legally Blonde the Musical will be Little Theatre Company’s next production and with less than a week to go before the curtain goes up, I pop along to their rehearsal to see how things are going.
Legally Blonde started off as a book and then became an almost iconic movie, starring Reese Witherspoon as the homecoming queen Elle Woods, who doesn't take no for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and heads for Harvard Law! Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
Darren Harper, who is directing, admits that this is one show the company have all been planning and looking forward to performing for some time. Having lots of people turn up to audition for the show was testament to how popular the musical is and subsequently brought quite a few new faces to the company. Laura Harper, who is assisting her husband with the direction tells me, “That’s one of the great things about LTC, we will always cast a show on people’s merits, anyone can come and audition and possibly walk away with a main part.”
Legally Blonde started off as a book and then became an almost iconic movie, starring Reese Witherspoon as the homecoming queen Elle Woods, who doesn't take no for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and heads for Harvard Law! Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
Darren Harper, who is directing, admits that this is one show the company have all been planning and looking forward to performing for some time. Having lots of people turn up to audition for the show was testament to how popular the musical is and subsequently brought quite a few new faces to the company. Laura Harper, who is assisting her husband with the direction tells me, “That’s one of the great things about LTC, we will always cast a show on people’s merits, anyone can come and audition and possibly walk away with a main part.”
Eleanore McCann who is playing the lead role of Elle Woods was one such auditionee. She really proved her merit to the audition panel and so I ask Darren how he came to choose Eleanore for the part.
“We had about five or six girls who came to audition for Elle and they all looked great and sung brilliantly. Eleanore had all that, plus she just had the right look - like someone you’d want to be friends with. What really stole it though, was her acting.” He continues, “It’s a director's dream to find someone like that and she even had her book down and most of her lines learned after about three weeks of rehearsals, which was absolutely fabulous.”
For Eleanore, the role of Elle was something that she was desperate to perform having been a huge fan of the Legally Blonde film, watching it over and over again as a child. She laughs when she tells me, “I used to rush home from school and put the film on. I loved it. For me, it was one of the first films where the woman was the driving force and it wasn’t just a ‘chick-flick’. It actually had meaning behind it.”
Eleanore, although a newcomer to LTC, is no stranger to performing in Southend having been in the cast of Rent and The Wedding Singer, both performed at The Palace Theatre. She is also studying a degree in Creative Performance at university in Colchester and tells me that one of her ambitions for the future is to create her own fringe company after graduation.
Such was Eleanore’s dedication to being part of the LTC production that she made her family change their holiday plans to Florida before she even auditioned! “When I found out the show was going to be when our holiday was booked I just begged my dad to change the dates - I didn’t care what part I got, I just knew I had to be in it!” Fortunately, Eleanore has a very understanding family and so they will be looking forward to their Orlando trip, just as soon as they’ve seen Eleanore perform her dream role. They'll also be seeing her wearing 'a lot' of costumes. "I have so many costume changes, at one point I'll actually need three dressers!" exclaims Eleanore, clearly hoping that she can pull off the quick changes.
“We had about five or six girls who came to audition for Elle and they all looked great and sung brilliantly. Eleanore had all that, plus she just had the right look - like someone you’d want to be friends with. What really stole it though, was her acting.” He continues, “It’s a director's dream to find someone like that and she even had her book down and most of her lines learned after about three weeks of rehearsals, which was absolutely fabulous.”
For Eleanore, the role of Elle was something that she was desperate to perform having been a huge fan of the Legally Blonde film, watching it over and over again as a child. She laughs when she tells me, “I used to rush home from school and put the film on. I loved it. For me, it was one of the first films where the woman was the driving force and it wasn’t just a ‘chick-flick’. It actually had meaning behind it.”
Eleanore, although a newcomer to LTC, is no stranger to performing in Southend having been in the cast of Rent and The Wedding Singer, both performed at The Palace Theatre. She is also studying a degree in Creative Performance at university in Colchester and tells me that one of her ambitions for the future is to create her own fringe company after graduation.
Such was Eleanore’s dedication to being part of the LTC production that she made her family change their holiday plans to Florida before she even auditioned! “When I found out the show was going to be when our holiday was booked I just begged my dad to change the dates - I didn’t care what part I got, I just knew I had to be in it!” Fortunately, Eleanore has a very understanding family and so they will be looking forward to their Orlando trip, just as soon as they’ve seen Eleanore perform her dream role. They'll also be seeing her wearing 'a lot' of costumes. "I have so many costume changes, at one point I'll actually need three dressers!" exclaims Eleanore, clearly hoping that she can pull off the quick changes.
Two other extremely important newcomers to the Company are Milo and Bruce, who have already had quite a few of the girls in the Company falling head over heels in love with them. The reason for their popularity is that they are playing Bruiser and Rufus the cute canine pets of Elle and Paulette in the show and are seemingly taking their performing duties in their stride.
Milo, the chihuahua, is only 2 years old and weighs just 1.8kg. He belongs to LTC’s Rebecca Perry-Gamble’s mum. Rebecca explains that initially her mum was rather reluctant to allow Milo to tread the boards but Rebecca, who has been a member of LTC since 2013 and played Little Red Riding Hood in their last production, Into the Woods, managed to persuade her mum that he would be okay. “We’re very excited about Milo’s debut,” she smiles, “he’s taken to the cast really well and is used to all the noise of crowds and the loudness of the microphones now. He had a great time at The Palace Theatre Club the other day.”
Eleanore also admits that she just loves giving him a cuddle. “I get on really well with Milo, although he doesn’t really like having to walk in his costume, so he does get carried quite a lot!”
Sounds as though Milo already has the potential to be a proper “luvvie”! Fortunately he and Bruce, the 3 year old bulldog, get along famously, although Rebecca says that Milo seems to have more bravado around Bruce when Bruce is actually on his chain! Bruce is ‘on loan’ to LTC from cast member Julian Cottee’s friend, Terry Norman, and during the day can often be found lounging around the farm where he lives. Julian informs me that Bruce “is really laid back and tends to go at just one speed; which can be slightly awkward if you need to get on stage quickly!” Both Julian and Rebecca confess that they think a lot of their friends will be coming to see the dogs performing in the show, rather than themselves!
With Laura Witherall doing the choreography and Ashton Moore as Musical Director, Darren Harper couldn’t be happier. “Laura did an amazing job with 42nd Street when we put it on and so I was really pleased to have her on board. There’s a lot of dancing in this show and she’s worked everyone so hard; and Ashton is just so well respected by everyone - they want to do well for him. He has so much enthusiasm.”
Darren goes on to say, “It’s a big, exciting, happy show with lots of heart and although it may look like a fluffy, easy production to put on, it’s actually been quite tough.”
With the added pressure of himself and wife, Laura, recently becoming parents and having 14-week-old baby Henry to look after too, it seems as though the pair certainly have their work cut out. Laura tells me, “Henry has actually been to every single rehearsal.” She jokes, “If anyone has to drop out, he could probably stand in for them as I’m sure he knows all the songs!”
Little Theatre Company now have a new home and rehearsal space at the Mushroom Theatre Company studios in Rayleigh. Their charity, ‘Equal People Performing Arts’, will be LTC’s designated charity from now on. With LTC raising up to £2,000 for charities from previous productions, this is something that will be of huge benefit to Mushroom Theatre, which was set up by Penni Bubb ten years ago, with the dream to have a completely inclusive theatre group for children and is going from strength to strength.
And so I leave Darren and his cast to go over any last-minute scenes that need tidying up ahead of show week and very much look forward to seeing Legally Blonde the Musical next week at The Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea.
Eleanore also admits that she just loves giving him a cuddle. “I get on really well with Milo, although he doesn’t really like having to walk in his costume, so he does get carried quite a lot!”
Sounds as though Milo already has the potential to be a proper “luvvie”! Fortunately he and Bruce, the 3 year old bulldog, get along famously, although Rebecca says that Milo seems to have more bravado around Bruce when Bruce is actually on his chain! Bruce is ‘on loan’ to LTC from cast member Julian Cottee’s friend, Terry Norman, and during the day can often be found lounging around the farm where he lives. Julian informs me that Bruce “is really laid back and tends to go at just one speed; which can be slightly awkward if you need to get on stage quickly!” Both Julian and Rebecca confess that they think a lot of their friends will be coming to see the dogs performing in the show, rather than themselves!
With Laura Witherall doing the choreography and Ashton Moore as Musical Director, Darren Harper couldn’t be happier. “Laura did an amazing job with 42nd Street when we put it on and so I was really pleased to have her on board. There’s a lot of dancing in this show and she’s worked everyone so hard; and Ashton is just so well respected by everyone - they want to do well for him. He has so much enthusiasm.”
Darren goes on to say, “It’s a big, exciting, happy show with lots of heart and although it may look like a fluffy, easy production to put on, it’s actually been quite tough.”
With the added pressure of himself and wife, Laura, recently becoming parents and having 14-week-old baby Henry to look after too, it seems as though the pair certainly have their work cut out. Laura tells me, “Henry has actually been to every single rehearsal.” She jokes, “If anyone has to drop out, he could probably stand in for them as I’m sure he knows all the songs!”
Little Theatre Company now have a new home and rehearsal space at the Mushroom Theatre Company studios in Rayleigh. Their charity, ‘Equal People Performing Arts’, will be LTC’s designated charity from now on. With LTC raising up to £2,000 for charities from previous productions, this is something that will be of huge benefit to Mushroom Theatre, which was set up by Penni Bubb ten years ago, with the dream to have a completely inclusive theatre group for children and is going from strength to strength.
And so I leave Darren and his cast to go over any last-minute scenes that need tidying up ahead of show week and very much look forward to seeing Legally Blonde the Musical next week at The Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea.
Little Theatre Company's cast of Legally Blonde the Musical at recent event in the foyer of The Palace Theatre (above)
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135