Legally Blonde takes its case to the stage at Theatre Calgary

Kelsey Verzotti (centre) and the cast of Legally Blonde, which opens Friday at Theatre Calgary and runs through June 15. ((Photo: Trudie Lee))

Theatre Calgary’s final show of the season is a musical that celebrates everyone who was ever underestimated.

One of the more memorable characters of Reese Witherspoon’s career was Elle Woods, the hero of Legally Blonde, a 2001 comedy about a cheery southern Californian whose dream man rejects her for being too blonde, setting her off on a journey to be taken seriously that leads to Harvard Law.

A fish-out-of-water comedy about Harvard Law School doesn’t exactly scream Broadway musical, but maybe the secret to creating a fun, engaging musical is to have someone we can all care about at the heart of it, and Elle Wood turned out to be one of those people.

Theatre Calgary and Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre are co-presenting Legally Blonde so that Calgary audiences can journey along with Elle Wood as she overturns peoples’ expectations of her.

“There is something about Elle Woods we identify with,” said Legally Blonde director and choreographer Stephanie Graham. “Most of us have been underestimated at some point in our lives and we celebrate that Elle doesn’t need to fundamentally change who she is to succeed.

“This musical has always been one of my favourites with its big heart, catchy songs and fabulous dance arrangements,” she adds. “Elle reminds me to always lead with kindness and it is a dream come true to get to live in her orbit for a while.”

Kelsey Verzotti plays Elle Wood, where she’ll share the stage at times with a chihuahua named Mojave, who plays Wood’s dog Bruiser. And there’s also an English bulldog named Fergus Finnegan Skellington who plays Rufus.

Legally Blonde, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach, opens Friday and runs through June 15 at the Max Bell Theatre at Arts Commons.

For tickets and info, go here.