Bend and Snap for fun with Legally Blonde The Musical

CenterStage at the Jewish Community Center kicks off its 2013-14 season with sass and class, bringing the rollicking Tony Award-nominated musical Legally Blonde to the Linker Auditorium stage, July 11-21. The musical is presented by J Michael’s Salon and Spa and Physician’s Center for Beauty.

The show has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin with book by Heather Hach, and is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It follows the escapades of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who pursues her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School, enrolls and then teaches that venerable institution a few legal fine points of her own. Jam-packed with moments both hilarious and heartwarming, the show features almost two dozen songs and dance numbers, including crowd favorites “Bend and Snap” and the jump rope extravaganza, “Whipped into Shape.”

Legally Blonde opened on Broadway in 2007 and its subsequent London production received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Directed by CenterStage Artistic Director John Leffert, with musical direction by Austin Clark and choreography by Frank Goodloe III, Legally Blonde features Kate E. Reedy (Narrator of last season’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as Elle Woods, Mitch Donahue as Emmett Forrest, Lauren LeBlanc as Paulette, R. Wayne Hogue Jr. as Warner Huntington III, Meaghan Heit as Vivienne Kensington, CenterStage favorite Lauren McCombs as Brooke Wyndham and Artistic Director of Pandora Productions Michael Drury as Professor Callahan.

Leffert notes, “It has been exciting to work with this amazingly talented cast, where more than half are making their CenterStage debuts. The audience is going to adore this show which is sheer energy from start to finish.”

CenterStage will launch the new season with a party and preview of Legally Blonde at the JCC on Wed., July 10 beginning at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour featutring an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a best dressed contest, prizes and more. Attendees are invited to watch the final dress rehearsal beginning at 7 p.m., and at 9 p.m. there will be a cast meet and greet, highlighted by a “Bend and Snap” contest. Tickets for the preview and party are $30. Call 502-459-0660 or visit www.CenterStageJCC.org for reservations and tickets.