“Legally Blonde: The Musical" at the Spotlight Theatre -- February 16 through 25.
Friday, February 16, through Sunday, February 25
The Spotlight Theatre, 1800 Seventh Avenue, Moline IL
A Tony-nominated delight that the Chicago Reader lauded for its “tongue-in-cheek choreography and playfully smart lyrics,” the theatrical version of beloved Reese Witherspoon comedy enjoys a Spotlight Theatre presentation in the February 16 through 25 run of Legally Blonde: The Musical, the Moline venue's production sure to demonstrate why Broadway World called the show “a bright testimony to the power of women and importance of self-love.”
Based on the novel as well as the Witherspoon film, Legally Blonde: the Musical chronicles the journey of the famously perky Elle Woods: a fashion-savvy, UCLA sorority girl who finds her life turned upside down when she is dumped by her boyfriend Warner. In an effort to prove to Warner that she is more than just some dumb-blonde sorority girl, she follows him to Harvard Law, where she struggles to fit in and do well. Ultimately, however, she defies expectations and manages to stay true to her delightfully pink personality. A Broadway hit that ran for more than a year between 2007 and 2008, the show received seven Tony Award nominations and 10 Drama Desk Award nominations, and after Legally Blonde: The Musical's West End production opened in 2010 at the Savoy Theatre, the production was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards and won three, including the trophy for Best New Musical.
Making her Spotlight Theatre directing debut with Legally Blonde: The Musical is venue veteran Becca Casad, previously seen in productions including Little Shop of Horrors, Peter & the Starcatcher, and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. The show's music director is Christine Rogers, with additional members of Casad's creative team including stage manager Violeta Jensen; choreographer Lily Blouin; costume designer Lisa Ferguson; props designer Sarah Griem; set designer (and Reader theatre reviwer) Roger Pavey Jr.,; and light and sound designer Brent Tubbs, who, alongside wife Sara Tubbs, is also the Spotlight's co-owner.
Portraying Elle Woods and making her Spotlight Theatre debut with Legally Blonde: The Musical is Olivia Hedden, a performer in Quad City Music Guild's 2023 production of Pippin, with additional castmates including venue regulars Noah Hill (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown), Joel Vanderbush (School of Rock: The Musical), Sara Wegener (A Christmas Carol: The Musical), and Little Shop of Horrors leads Jacob John son and Becca Johnson.
Additional members of Casad's on-stage team include Maesi Geigle, Jordyn Mitchell, Haley Tromblee, Amber Whitaker, and Rachel Winter, with 19 talents featured in the ensemble: Lillian Cobert; Erik Finch; Casey Bergthold; Ted Brown; Mallory Carslake; Denice Durbin; Gordon Finley; Ella Hansen; Paul Hansen; Maxwell Johnson; Robert Kennedy; Kristen Marietta; Joseph Nguyen; Emma Regnier; Grace Ronnebeck; Eli Swailes; Nancy Teerlinck; Kylie Wise, and Zoe Zelnio. Legally Blonde's adorable puppies, meanwhile, will be enacted by Branch Manager Tugboat “Tug” Meatloaf, in the role of Bruiser, and Spud Doodledo portraying Rufus.
Legally Blonde: The Musical runs in Moline from February 16 through 25, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $20-25, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)912-7647 and visiting TheSpotlightTheatreQC.com.
