Behind the Curtain: Marist Theater’s “Legally Blonde”

Marist Theatre put on their production of the musical Legally Blonde this past weekend. Photo by William Haydon '25.

On Feb. 28, Marist Theatre debuted its Spring Mainstage Production of Legally Blonde, holding additional performances on March 1 and 2.

The cast members brought the comical and girlish vibe of the film onto the stage, cultivating a performance of impressive singing and gleeful dance moves that audience members will not soon forget.

Scenic carpenters Kristen Stagg ‘27, Eva Molloy ‘27 and Mac Buffaline ‘27 brought this performance to life with a set that captured the frivolous and fabulously pink energy that the lead character, Elle Woods, makes central to her identity. 

Other elements such as props, lighting and an incredibly talented pit and production team helped make this vibrant performance possible. 

Assistant production manager Haley Davis ‘27 touched on some of the magic that makes the show come together.

“Behind the scenes, there is so much more happening than audiences may expect,” said Davis. “We have multiple crew members working on set changes, tracking props, quick changes and so much more.”

However, doing all of this work comes with its own set of challenges that audience members may not be aware of.

A member of the wardrobe team, Hope Tidgewell ‘26, also explained that one of the most challenging parts of the process was making Elle’s quick changes.

“She has so many outfit changes, but after you put some practice in [and] you keep doing it, it just goes very smoothly, and we have a great show,” Tidgewell said.

One of the difficulties Davis noticed leading up to the show was finding enough people to fill each role, ultimately ending up with a cast and crew of over 100 people.

A crucial component in putting together any production, especially with a cast and crew as large as this one, is working as a team and loving your craft. Amelia Shaffer ’27, who played fitness icon Brooke Wyndham in the show, summed this up best.

“The support from the community is overwhelming and everyone is always looking after each other,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer is not alone in feeling this connection to her fellow Marist Theatre members; her love for the program is mutually shared. 

“My favorite part of the process was working with everyone to bring it all together,” said Davis, emphasizing the cast and crew members’ hard work and dedication.

Although their work isn’t easy, the cast and crew members feel it’s worth it because of the opportunity to work with so many talented students and build a campus community dedicated to the art of theatre.

Along with cherishing their time together, the Marist Theatre community deeply cares about its work in the performing arts, taking pride in expressing itself through theatrical performance.

The relentless effort and dedication of the Marist Theatre team were evident throughout the show and certainly did not go unnoticed by audience members.

Student attendee of the musical, Sofia Workman ‘27, was particularly impressed with the hustle of the wardrobe team. “I was really shocked [by] how fast they did the quick changes…I was like dang, they really thought out this whole thing,” she said. 

Marist Theatre will perform its next show, Crimes of the Heart, on April 10.