MTV's special of Legally Blonde: The Musical just celebrated its 13th birthday this past week. When I saw this all over BWW, I was filled with nostalgia. I have something to confess. I've watched this MTV special over 300 times.
Okayy, don't be repulsed just yet. My freshman year of high school, our theatre director decided on Legally Blonde: The Musical as our winter/spring musical for the next year. As a fresh theatre kid, I didn't really have an opinion either way on the choice, but decided I wanted to be much more prepared for the audition than I was my first time around.
Instead, I watched the MTV special every night for a year. And I mean every night. I'd often play it as I fell asleep, was curling my hair, or doing mindless homework. One of the things I'd heard plenty of times during my freshman year was during the audition process, it's critical to know the context and larger show and characters to perform well. I took this to heart, and knew that I wanted to know this show inside and out and be ready for audition day. I quite literally absorbed this show and its pacing, character development, choreography, and mostly all the individual chorus members and their roles.
When that day did roll around, I was still largely indifferent about the role I wanted. I was too alto and too brunette for Elle Woods, so Paulette became the goal, although I knew as a sophomore, my chances were low. It did indeed go to a well-deserving senior who nailed the role. I was cast instead as one of the three Delta Nu friends, and I had the most fun playing alongside the two others and the rest of my "sorority sister" extras.
During every rehearsal, I barely held a script, and often filled others in on their lines when they didn't have them memorized yet. Not only did I have my part (well, the OBC's version) memorized, but pretty much the whole show, down to small choreography, mannerisms, and particular inflections on certain lines. When the other actors and actresses I played had conflicts (during dress?) and missed rehearsal, our director often turned to me to pick up the slack. I was prepared.
So happy birthday Legally Blonde: The Musical - MTV Special. Thank you for defining well over a year of my life, giving me some of the most fun I've ever had, and filling me with nostalgia to a happy time whenever I heard "Omigod You Guys!"
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