[Kathryn Brunner plays Elle Woods – Photo by Mark Garvin]
Watching Elle Woods “bend and snap” her way into our hearts in Legally Blonde: The Musical is the perfect way to spend a summer evening.
Concluding its 210th season, the Walnut Street Theatre is hosting the show, directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford. The high-energy musical continues through Sunday, July 14.
Based on the smash hit movie, Legally Blonde: The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods from a pink-loving SoCal sorority girl to a Harvard law student, all on her own terms.
It is fun, lively, and has a great life lesson: Never let anyone put you down, or tell you what you can be. With determination and pluck, you can succeed!
In this new fun-loving production of the fabulously fun, award-winning Broadway musical, our blonde heroine tackles all obstacles and educates us all on staying true to our dreams through rousing songs and dynamic show-stopping dance numbers.
This feel-good musical comedy will be the most fashionable ticket in town and is so much fun, it should be illegal!
Inspired by the success of Amanda Brown’s novel, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer brought Legally Blonde to the big screen in 2001. The movie, starring Reese Witherspoon, was a box-office smash, grossing over $40 million in its first month.
The movie, with a great deal of heart and women’s empowerment, inspired a 2003 sequel and the Broadway smash, Legally Blonde: The Musical.
In addition to directing and choreographing last season’s production of Mamma Mia!, Stafford’s previous Walnut credits include direction and choreography for Saturday Night Fever, Sister Act, Memphis, Curtains, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Beauty and the Beast, and Cats, as well as choreography for La Vie en Bleu, Evita, and The Goodbye Girl.
On Broadway, Stafford was the choreographer for In My Life, associate choreographer for Aspects of Love, and dance supervisor for Cats. His work has been seen on the national tours of Cats (director/choreographer), My Fair Lady (choreographer) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (choreographer), as well as numerous regional and international stages.
Joining Stafford is Music and Vocal Director John Daniels, whose many Walnut credits include Mamma Mia!, Annie, A Funny Thing…Forum, and Saturday Night Fever.
After performing in Walnut productions as a child, Kathryn Brunner is thrilled to be back as an adult to play Elle Woods, the star of Legally Blonde: The Musical. Brunner was seven years old when she was cast in the Walnut’s production of The Sound of Music, her very first regional theatre credit.
She followed that up by performing in the Mainstage productions of Evita in 2002 and Annie Warbucks in 2004 (at 10 years old).
Since graduating from Temple University, Brunner has starred in many regional productions including Mamma Mia!, Oklahoma!, and Footloose.
Elliott Styles stars opposite Brunner as Emmett Forrest. Styles was most recently seen on the Walnut stage as the Doctor in Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
The hilarious owner of Hair Affair, Paulette, is played by Walnut veteran Rebecca Robbins. This will mark Robbins’ 18th show with the Walnut Street Theatre, with her most recent appearance being in Annie as Grace Farrell. Robbins has been seen performing on Broadway in The Phantom of The Opera and A Tale of Two Cities.
Paul Schoeffler returns to the Walnut age as the conniving Professor Callahan. Schoeffler’s many Broadway credits include Sunset Boulevard, Rock of Ages and Sweet Charity.
He can be seen on TV’s Blacklist and is featured on Amazon’s new animated series, Bug Diaries. His Walnut credits include South Pacific, 9 to 5 and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Sean Thompson, who originated the role of Raoul on the national tour of Love Never Dies, plays Elle’s ex-boyfriend and self-absorbed law student Warner Huntington III.
Before making his Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard, Thompson was last seen at the Walnut as Buzz Adams in South Pacific. Lindsey Bliven and Jenna Pinchbeck play Elle’s fellow Harvard Law students, Vivienne Kensington, and Enid Hoops, respectively.
After joining national tours of Jekyll & Hyde and Mary Poppins, Bliven starred in the Walnut’s production of Mary Poppins, where she played the titular role of the magic nanny.
Jenna Pinchbeck is making her Walnut debut after recently starring in regional productions of Fallen Angels and Company.
Sara Brophy returns to the Walnut as exercise video star Brooke Wyndham. Brophy has been seen in the Broadway production of Amazing Grace and the national tours of Burlesque to Broadway and Damn Yankees.
Joining the cast as Elle’s entourage of sassy, and extremely memorable, sorority sisters is Lina Lee as Pilar, Adena Ershow as Margot, and Caroline Chisholm as Serena.
For tickets and information, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787. Tickets are also available online 24/7 by visiting www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.
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