Tecumseh Youth Theatre to present ‘Legally Blonde Jr.’ musical at TCA

Tecumseh Youth Theatre (TYT) will present its rendition of “Legally Blonde Jr.” at the Tecumseh Center for the Arts (TCA) at 400 N. Maumee St. on February 19 at 7:30 p.m., February 20 at 7:30 p.m., and February 21 at 3 p.m. The cast is composed of middle school students in fifth to eighth grade, with students coming from Tecumseh, Britton Deerfield, Clinton and Onsted.

“Legally Blonde Jr.” is the tale of a girl from California who learns how to be true to herself regardless of difficult trials and situations. It is based off the movie “Legally Blonde,” and although it follows the storyline of the original, a musical has been developed for stage production that the students will perform. Callie Cother, the music director for the show, says the musical speaks to all of the cast members, regardless of gender. “The story tells them that by being themselves and standing up for what they believe in, they will have all they need to pursue and accomplish any goal. It is a show meant to empower those involved and all who observe,” Cother said.

Director Brienne Reeder wanted to emphasize to students that the show isn’t about the girl getting the guy. “It’s about a girl figuring out who she is in the midst of huge life changes, and so the story became something they could relate to no matter their situation,” Reeder said.

Hannah Rowe will play the lead of El Woods, while Kyle Haeussler will play Emmett Forest. Chandler Elivardo will play Warner Huntington, III, while Morgan Davis will play the role of Paulette Bonafante.

Producer Heather Rowe said “Legally Blonde Jr.” is a very empowering show for women, and has a positive effect on girls in the middle school age range. “It shows them what they can do if they put their mind to it,” Rowe said.

Although the kids have a lot of responsibly, they’ve done a great job learning their parts and working on the musical numbers and dances, according to Rowe. “They’ve really been challenged. It’s a heavy dance show. Anybody who comes to see it will be amazed at the quality of performance,” she said.

The TYT usually saves difficult harmonies for older students, but Cother decided to have the cast work on two-part harmonies for songs. The difficulty was increased when a jump rope number was added, but Rowe said the students have handled it well. “A select group of kids has been chosen to be in this number, and it’s really going well,” Rowe said.

Rowe wishes to thank parents who have spent countless hours driving their children to and from rehearsal, and helping out with the show. “Our parents are really involved with volunteering and building sets. They like to be surprised when we present the show,” Rowe said.

Tickets are $10 per person, and can be purchased by calling the TCA at 423.6617.

“We hope people come out to support the community and the kids,” Rowe said. “It’s going to be a really good show.”