SHS theater is “bending and snapping” at Harvard in their production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical”! Tickets are on sale now at avestheatre.org for shows on April 7-9 at 7 p.m. and April 10 at 2 p.m. In the meantime, SHS students are diligently working on prepping for the show and doing final dress rehearsals and set designs.

   Payton Hines, 12, who plays Elle Woods in the show, is very excited to show this classic story on the stage. “It is hilarious, but also is an immensely important story. As a girl trying to navigate a world in which men oftentimes try to tell me what I can and cannot do, I really relate to Elle, her struggles, but also her perseverance; I think anyone in our audience will relate to her as well,” said Hines.

   Due to complications with the COVID-19 pandemic, “Legally Blonde” will be Hines’s first spring musical in the Aves Auditorium since her freshman year in “Fiddler on the Roof” and she is feeling grateful to be back on the Aves stage. Hanging out with her friends and director Mr. Whapham during rehearsals has created fond memories for Hines as she edges closer to her last show at Sycamore. “I am so grateful to be going out with a bang and getting to share the stage one last time with all of my favorite people—I could not have asked for a better senior season!”

   Claire Dillon, 11, plays one of the antagonists in the show: Vivian Kensington. “Some of my favorite rehearsal moments are having some fun inside jokes, as well as the little moments that people don’t really pay attention to. Like if we have a moment where we’re supposed to be ad-libbing to each other, we’ll have really fun conversations and end up trying not to laugh at each other, all while we’re supposed to be silent and fading into the background,” said Dillon. Another favorite is the Positivity Board, filled with little compliment notes for each other, which has been nice and uplifting over the past few weeks of rehearsals. 

   “I’d have to say my favorite part of the rehearsal process has been getting food with other cast members as fast as possible before rehearsal and sometimes showing up a couple of minutes late,” said Toby Weatherston, 12, who plays Emmett Richmond in the show. “Overall I’m just really looking forward to putting on a big ensemble show that everyone will enjoy, no matter their age!”

   “I’m excited for people to see this show because I truly just think they’ll come and have a good time. Honestly, it should be renamed ‘Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss: The Musical’. And despite all the silliness of the show, there are some really great lessons, as well as some amazing female characters,” said Dillon. 

   Go show everyone at Harvard that orange is definitely not the new pink by attending “Legally Blonde” this weekend!