By Sage Tippie
Based on the iconic 2001 rom-com of the same name, the theatre department nailed the spring musical, “Legally Blonde.” After four performances running Wednesday, Feb 6-9, the only flaw in this production was the limited amount of seats for eager show-goers as some were not fortunate enough to get their tickets in time before receiving the tragic news that the show was completely sold out, an unprecedented occurrence for the theater department.
The musical follows the journey of the sweet, dangerously positive, and oh-so-blonde Elle Woods (sophomore Hannah Gould) as she follows her ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (junior Brock Sorensen) to Harvard Law School. Sorenson had Warner’s awful but charming character down to a “T.” Sorenson’s voice accompanied Gould’s, and they shined in their duet, “Serious.” Gould nailed everything about the character from her peppy voice to the way she flipped her thick blonde locks. It’s a struggle enough to play a lead role in a high school musical but even more impressive to do it as an underclassman. Most notably was her performance in the emotional song “Legally Blonde” hitting both high and low notes with ease, topped off by her surprising ability to belt and hold notes for more than ten seconds.
Elle’s love interest throughout the plot transitions from the arrogant, shallow Warner to the caring, intelligent teaching assistant Emmett Forrest (Lorin Enns). Enns portrayed the dorky, loveable character effortlessly and was the perfect fit for the role. Every line was executed flawlessly, and his on-stage chemistry with Gould was pure gold.
Notably, the production in this musical was greater than in Coronado’s past with a larger cast and more complicated choreography. Productionized scenes included “Omigod You Guys” when Delta Nu members Pilar (sophomore Carly King), Margot (junior Ava Coulter), and Serena (junior Taylor Bacco) sang the ever-so-catchy song. Another is when senior Sierra Miles passionately sings the hit “Whipped Into Shape” as Brooke Wyndham, the former Delta Nu on trial for the murder of her husband. The less productionized pieces were also remarkable: namely, junior Mackenzie Lefler’s performance as the loveable hairdresser, Paulette Bonafonte in “Ireland” when she belted out the lyrics with heartfelt emotion.
It wasn’t just the ensemble that made this show amazing but also the individual actors that brought Elle’s story to life, making the audience feel and laugh out loud. Senior Reilly Collura as the tough, often laughably so, Harvard student Enid Hoops arguably had some of the greatest lines in the show, prompting the audience into laughter with the desperation that came with the simple syllable: “Please?” Senior Rafael Canizalez was a shining star in his portrayal of gay (or European) Nikos, embodying the fabulous character in every aspect down to the way he walked and talked. Canizalez didn’t even have to say a line before the audience was already giggling at his sassy facial expressions. As Kyle the suave UPS guy, junior Sean Greenmeyer killed his role. The audience erupted into laughter with his deep voiced announcement, “Did somebody order a package?” Although senior Christian Romo’s villainous character of Professor Callahan was not quite as laughable as the previously named, his performance in “Blood in the Water” was cutthroat and impressive.
The show was a hit to say the least about a completely sold-out show. The audience can owe the amazing performances to senior student directors Maddie Haag and Canizalez and teacher Mr. Torres, a new addition to Coronado this year, who has already made strides for the theatre department. The cast still gets one more chance to shine at state, and for one so great, it won’t be hard.
