Madison Country Day School’s first seventh- and eighth-grade musical drew a full house for both performances of “Legally Blonde Jr.” on Friday, Jan. 30, after a cold-weather school closure pushed the show back by a week.
“I was amazed at the coordination of it, and the amount of practice was clear,” Judy Hayes, step-grandmother to actor Bee ’31, said. “They truly did an amazing job!”
The production marked the school’s first Broadway Junior show since 2023. The smaller format allowed students with supporting roles the chance to play multiple characters.
“There are fewer roles, but now, if you have a smaller role, you could have multiple roles as well, which makes the show more fun,” actor Elise ’30 said.
Legally Blonde Jr is based on the original Broadway musical and shows Elle Woods’ transformation as she tackles snobbery and stereotypes at Harvard Law School, which she applied to after her boyfriend broke up with her for not being “serious” enough. Elle makes friends along the way and discovers her true potential as a lawyer while still being herself.
Cast members performed three times on Friday — a morning tech rehearsal, followed by a school matinee and a 7 p.m. evening show. Because of basketball season, the gym was only available that day, giving actors just one run-through on stage with microphones before their first audience.
“I need to drink some tea for my voice” between the second and third performances, Eleanor ’30 said. Eleanor played Brooke Wyndham, “the exercise queen slash ex-convict,” whom Elle defended in the show. “We have been singing a lot today.”
Despite the compressed schedule, cast members said the rehearsal process helped them grow as performers.
“A challenging part of this process has been trying to fine-tune the acting portion and getting the emotions right,” Nora ’30, who played lead character Elle Woods, said. “I have been turning to my more experienced friends for that.”
The tight timeline also meant creative preparation. Asher ’30, who played Emmett Forrest, said he ran lines with friends over the phone and on the bus to school.
“This process has been really fun,” Lucy ’30, who played Margot, said. “The cast is so supportive, and it is so fun to hang out with everyone.”
“When I told them the plan would be to have a full theatre day with rehearsal in the morning, a show in the afternoon, and a show at night, they went wild with excitement,” theatre director Emily Glick said. “Seeing an entire ensemble go with the flow, pivot and choose to treat everything with joy was an inspiration!”
