WVRHS to present 'Legally Blonde'

HAMBURG — Wallkill Valley Regional High School’s Performing Arts Department is = presenting Legally Blonde on March 8-10.
Legally Blonde The Musical, a fabulously fun award-winning show based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde, follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams.
Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances--this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal.
Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.
This week, the cast began rehearsing with the show’s canine stars. These stars are two of William Berloni’s theatrical dogs, Myrtle (Rufus) and Frankie (Bruiser). English Bulldog, Myrtle, was discovered by Mr. Berloni in November 2018 at the Humane Society of New York in New York City. This production marks her stage debut. Chihuahua, Frankie, was also rescued by Bill in 2008 from the Meriden Humane Society in Meriden, CT for the national touring company of Legally Blonde.
Their dog handler, Brian Michael Hoffman, emphasizes that these animals are trained professionals. He works with the cast to build loving relationships between the pups and the humans that get to work with them in a safe, fun environment. “You should see their tails go crazy when we get to the school and they see “Elle” (Nicole Verga), “Paulette” (Kelsey Pedersen), “Margot” (Avery DelGuidice) and all of their friends for the first time each day. The biggest take away is that all of our animals are rescues. Bill Berloni realized early on in his career that animals love having a purpose and want to please the people in their lives. This is even more true of rescues. They’ve been given a second change and they truly love what they do!”
Legally Blonde The Musical features a large ensemble and several big song-and-dance numbers. Under the direction of Ms. Christine Molnar and Ms. Jennifer Grabowski, the students have been hard at work rehearsing their singing and acting, while simultaneously practicing their dance routines choreographed by Mrs. Denise Kulhan and orchestral numbers with Mr. Jeff Colarusso.
While the singing, acting, and dancing take center stage, much work goes on behind the scenes as well. Students enrolled in Wallkill’s woodshop and art programs have worked tirelessly on building and painting the set with their respective teachers, Mr. Mike Napovier and Mrs. Amy Fairweather, while Mrs. Mary Rose Potanka’s class helps with logos for the t-shirts and the musical’s program, alongside graphic designer Mr. Paul Michael Kane. Cast members have also gone out in the community to sell ads and ask for donations for putting on this year’s musical. Parents too have graciously donated their time and efforts into the making of this production, from altering costumes (Mrs. Berado) to work on the set/backstage, headshots and photoshoots (Mr. Kane), ticket and lobby sales, and supplying the students with dinners during Tech Week.
Senior Nicole Verga who plays “Elle” in the show commented, “Having Legally Blonde as my senior show is a dream come true. It’s such a dynamic, high-energy production that has the opportunity to incorporate so many aspects of our school from the builders, painters, and even the marching band.
Other seniors who have principal roles in this year’s musical include, Chris Malone (Emmett), Sam Delihasani (Warner), Sabina Kunze (Vivienne), Madysen Piper (Brooke), and Weronika Wasniewska (Enid).
Show dates for Legally Blonde are March 8th at 7:30 p.m, March 9 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m, and March 10 at 3 p.m.
Tickets for this year’s production are $15 for adults and $12 for students/seniors and are available at www.ticketpeak.com/wallkill.
To honor our canine actors, who are rescue dogs, we are accepting donations of dog food, treats and toys for a local shelter at all performances.