This past weekend, the Mimes and Mummers put on a phenomenal production of the 2007 Broadway musical “Legally Blonde.” Based on Amanda Brown’s novel of the same name and the 2001 movie, this musical adaptation is centered around a Malibu sorority “it” girl, as she attends Harvard Law School and is transformed along the way.
Prior to the opening night of the show, I met with Kaitlin Davis, the director, and James Stryska, the music director, to discuss the musical. When I asked Stryska why they wanted to be a part of the Mimes and Mummers’ production, they said, “I really love the show; I love what it stands for, the music is so fun and I think it’s brilliantly composed. And it’s just a lot of fun to do. I have been obsessed with the show ever since high school, and I have not gotten sick of it.”
For Davis, this production hit close to home, as she herself is a Fordham alumna and was a part of Mimes and Mummers during her time here. Davis explained, “For me, this is a story about looking beyond somebody’s external characteristics and discovering who they really are and doing it in a fun, pink kind of way.” Davis spoke about how she is excited for the audience to see how incredibly talented every cast member is, and to enjoy the show as much as they enjoyed making it.
On Thursday’s opening night performance, the Collins Theater was buzzing with anticipation as students and families gathered in the auditorium. The excitement was almost palpable as the lights dimmed, the band played the overture and the curtains began to open.
There were a multitude of performances and actors that stuck out to me as I watched the musical. The leading actress, Christina Priestner, FCRH ’26, was the perfect pick for Elle Woods; she was able to perfectly display the bubbly and intelligent personality of her character while also performing intricate dance numbers and singing flawlessly. My favorite performance of hers was “Find My Way,” the finale; after almost two hours of performing and barely any time to rest, she ended the show with a perfect performance that highlighted her incredible vocal range. Nicky D’Abundo, FCRH ’26, who played Emmett, Elle’s love interest and Professor Callahan’s assistant, also showed off his great vocals and acting skills, with my favorite performance of his being “Chip on Your Shoulder.”
My personal favorite characters were Paulette, Elle’s supportive best friend who was played by MaryKate Logler, FCRH ’26, and Kyle, the delivery man, played by Dylan Ayer, FCRH ’25. Both of their comedic timings were perfect, and they made for a very funny viewing experience. Paulette’s comedic performance of her two songs, “Ireland” and “Bend and Snap,” both showcased Logler’s amazing vocals and her incredible acting skills, as both songs were comical and garnered laughs from the audience.
While I thoroughly enjoyed every musical number, my favorite songs and performances were “Whipped Into Shape” and “There! Right There!”.“Whipped Into Shape” was performed by Katie Scott, FCRH ’26, who played the defendant, Brooke, and was set in a prison as Brooke and other convicts danced around and used jump ropes. This musical number was, in my opinion, the most impressive, as Scott and the rest of the ensemble had to perform complex dance moves and jumps while singing throughout the entirety of the song. “There! Right There!” was, by far, the funniest number in the musical. As the defendant’s team tries to find evidence to prove Brooke’s freedom, they sing a song in an attempt to debunk the prosecution’s witness by showing that he is gay and, therefore, could not have been having an affair with the defendant, as the prosecution had claimed. The cast then sings this number as they try to determine whether the witness is gay… or European. The comedic timing in this performance was perfect, and it received many laughs from the audience.
The overall performance of the musical was exceptional; however, they did seem to have a few issues with the microphones the day that I watched the show. At some points throughout the performance, the microphones would get feedback and muffle the voices of the actors and, at times, the music from the band overpowered the cast’s voices as well. Other than those minor issues, the show was great. I can honestly say that I enjoyed it very much, and I will definitely be going back for more of their productions!
