Featuring a large cast and full of song-and-dance numbers, “Legally Blonde: The Musical” will be performed this weekend at Powell High School. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the PHS Auditorium.

Described as “fabulously fun,” the musical follows Elle Woods — played by PHS senior Ashlyn Aguirre — as she pursues her dreams, tackling stereotypes and scandal along the way.

Director Bob Hunt said he struggled to choose a musical this year.

“I am trying to avoid repeating plays that I have directed before,” he said, “but I have been directing plays for 22 years now, and avoiding repetition is just becoming more difficult.”

Since he was at a loss, Hunt considered bringing “Grease” back to the PHS stage. But when he floated the idea to students, “the reaction was not positive,” Hunt recalled.

A more outspoken student said something like, “Well, that show presents a really positive message: Sandra D. learns that if she forgets about her beliefs and succumbs to peer pressure, then she can fit in with a bunch of losers.”

“I really couldn’t argue his point,” Hunt said, “and I began to list the plays that I could think of that included strong female roles.” However, many of them, such as “Beauty and the Beast,” were set in a fantasy world.

Hunt met with assistants Jeff and Christi Greaham and Madisen McDonald to consider a number of different scripts. Christi Greaham and McDonald suggested “Legally Blonde,” but Hunt said he was “a little hesitant because the amount of music in the show is intimidating.”

However, “Legally Blonde” presented a message that was the opposite of “Grease,” he said.

“The main character is a female who learns to stand up for herself, and she makes a journey from being somewhat shallow to being strong, smart and independent, and this story is not presented as a fantasy,” Hunt said. “We had found our show.”

The musical is based on the “Legally Blonde” movie released in 2001 — before most PHS students were born. While many of the teens hadn’t seen the movie, the majority of the theatre students were familiar with the musical.

“They knew all of the songs before I did,” Hunt said.

For instance, senior Taeli Hessenthaler “has asked about doing this show since she was a freshman,” Hunt said.

Students have put a lot of energy and time into the musical, he said.

“I believe that they have done an excellent job of bringing it to life,” Hunt said.

— By Tessa Baker

Legally Blonde cast list

Elle Woods — Ashlyn Aguirre

Emmett Forrest — Joe Kousoulos

Paulette Bonafonte — Taeli Hessenthaler

Pilar — Greta Artursson

Margot — Elsie Spomer

Serena — Bailey Phillips

Kate — Ashley Dunkerley

Leilana — Abby Landwehr

Gaelen — Alex Escalera

Dana — Kaitlyn Church

Saleswoman — Sophe Morrow

Store Manager — Elisa Polson

Callahan — Nicolas Fulton

Warner Huntington III — Jace Bohlman

Vivienne Kensington — Rachel Bozell

Brooke Wyndham — Addison Moretti

Kyle B. O’Boyle — Tanner Moore

Enid Hoops — Emma Bucher

Mr. Woods — Grant Dillivan

Mrs. Woods — Madelyn Horton

Cashier (Dancer) — Dakota Hansen

Bookish Client — Crystal Emmett

Sundeep Padamadan — Jaxton Braten

Aaron Schultz — Kaelin Crichton

Dewey — CJ Brown

Nikos Argitakos — Grant Dillivan

Carlos — Kaelin Crichton

Grand Master Chad — Brady Herzog

Winthrop — Dallin Allred

Pforzheimer — Devin Ott

Lowell — Grant Dillivan

Jet Blue Pilot — Thallen Sessions

Whitney — Hannah Sears

Chutney Wyndham — LucyJane Crimm

D.A. Joyce Riley — Courtney Childers

Judge — CJ Brown

Court Stenographer — Hannah Hawley

T.V. Reporter — Thallen Sessions

Prison Guard — Dallin Allred

Second Perfume Girl — Dakota Hansen

Frat Boys — Tanner, Jaxton, Kaelin, Devin, Brady, Grant

Sales Personnel — Sophe Morrow, Elise Polson

Director — Bob Hunt

Assistant Director/Vocal Director — Jeff Greaham

Head Choreographer — Madisen McDonald

Stage Manager — Natalie Dillivan

Dance Coach — Madyson Riedinger

Costumes/Projections/Props — Christi Greaham

Set Crew/Backup Dancers — Stockton Buck, Josh Ashcraft, Jarret Wood, Dane Lauritzen,

Follow Spot Operators — Jenna Merritt, Hailey Bott

Sound Board — Jeff Greaham

Moving Lights Programmer — Madisen McDonald

Light Board — Madyson Riedinger

Publicity — Nicolas Fulton

Set Construction — Cast/crew, Acting 2 Class, Josie Griffin, Stockton Buck, Josh Ashcraft, Brody Karhu, Ben Cannizzaro

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