Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Legally Blonde Will Be Electric

Spring break over and sports in between seasons, the high school student activity might seem on hiatus. Not the case, the John Jay Theater Workshop is ready with Legally Blonde. But if pulling up your legal briefs or dying your hair doesn’t sound like a fun night and/or celebrate the home grown talent, the counter is pretty easy to make, according to one cast member.

“Why wouldn’t you go? The musical has the most incredible songs, incredible dances and is so much fun,” assured Jordyn Blachar.

Portraying Pilar, the senior is just bubbling over to let loose through her character. “It’s good to wear pink, jump around and have a lot of fun,” Blachar was all joy.

A lot less flight in Jack Pryor’s shoes, his job is to bring the title character down. “Warner is the boyfriend you’re not really rooting for,” said the senior.

The way he abruptly breaks up with Elle (Maddy Galgano ) definitely delivers, but despite assuring he’s a good guy in real life, Pryor prefers playing the depth of the villain. “Bad guys usually have more of a variety of what their motivations are,” he said.

Pryor also likes that there is an instant verification of his performance when running lines with the cast. Yuck and eww, he said, “If that’s not the reaction then I’m not doing my job right,” said the future Business Analyst Major and Acting Minor.

Playing opposite, Galgano manages both the heartbreak and the burden of carrying the show as the lead. “It’s really good practice to be fully immersed in a show, being in literally every scene - non stop, moving, moving , move,” she said.

Her character also has a foothold that puts the competing planets in orbit. “Emmett (Cole Georgi) and Warner don’t really interact that much. They are on separated ends of me, so it’s like two different worlds,” said Galgano.

As for acting and singing in the same production, the senior says the dynamic aligns the stars for her. “The way that the notes are written applies directly to the acting part. So it’s much easier to act a song, and that’s where I thrive,” said Galgano.

Legally Blonde put Maclain Rockett in his sweet spot too. “For as much as it’s great to have a big role because of the recognition, I think it’s so much fun when your in a for scenes and have all the funny lines,” said the senior who played a Harvard Administrator.

Conveniently, according to the funny man, the dynamic actually feeds into itself. “There’s something about theater, it’s almost like one big inside joke,” Rockett mused, and the synergy keeps him coming back.

A cohesion that officially falls on Talia Levinsohn. The stage director, she provides choreography and acting notes from rehearsals, makes sure the pieces and players are where they are supposed to be, coordinates the set building and oversees the technical and lighting cues.

Then at showtime, she presides over by wielding her walkie talkie and serving as the anchor. “I’m there in the booth, watching everything from behind,” she said

No limelight, Levinsohn doesn’t mind. “I love seeing the actors and crew grow and get better and have everything come together,” said the senior who will be majoring in astronomy and astrophysics.

The evolution is not by accident either. “In order to act in a group, it’s such a vulnerable thing,” said Julia Johnston, and the kind, non judgmental nature of any troupe is what makes a production bind in the end, she added.

Playing Paulette the hairdresser, she has the acting and singing down but is thankful she’s only limited to two dance numbers. Still, the senior made do. “After practicing for a while, I become good at the choreography,’ said Johnston.

Samantha Donnelly’s two step relies on the beat too but minus the moves. “Enid is like the lesbian lawyer so it’s more a comedic role,” the actress said.

All the world, her stage in real life isn't timed quite as seamlessly. A little shy and less talkative, she’s more at ease in front of an audience. “They are here to see me so I’m not as worried. But when I’m with people sometimes I overthink things - especially since everything I do onstage is the character and not me,” Donnelly explained.

In keeping, Amanda Adamo has all the teenage personalities under her charge. “It can be a lot sometimes. But it’s very, very rewarding and it’s great to be around all of them,” said the Director/John Jay English Teacher.

Even so, the light doesn’t always shine as bright on the creative arts, but the passion is just as illuminating from her viewpoint. “There’s a whole lot of heart on this side of the building,” Adamo extolled.

No reason to just take her word for it, Galgano is confident that this cast and crew will deliver. “It’s going to be electric,” she concluded.