By Jennifer Ersalesi
After many months of preparation and rehearsals, the UMS Drama Club will be presenting the musical, "Legally Blonde Jr." this upcoming weekend on Friday, 4/28 at 7 pm and Saturday, 4/29 at 4 pm. Directors, Ms. Briane Bilbao (6th grade teacher at Pierrepont School) and Ms. Lauren Fuchs (Math teacher at UMS) have worked with a large cast and crew of seventh and eighth graders and are excited for this weekend's performances. This is Rutherford interviewed Ms. Bilbao to learn more about the show.
TIR: This year's UMS musical production is "Legally Blonde the Musical, Junior". How was the show chosen?
Ms. Bilbao: The show was voted on by the current 8th grade students!
TIR: What do you think your cast members are enjoying the most while working on the show?
Ms. Bilbao: I think the cast members enjoyed being able to dance and have fun with their friends after school. Legally Blonde is a musical about being true to yourself and there were definitely many unique personalities in our cast!
TIR: How has the stage crew been working together to design the scenery and prepare the stage?
Ms. Bilbao: We had stage crew meetings every Friday. Students interested in helping with stage crew, could come to sand and paint the set pieces. We painted the back of the stage as well. Teachers from Pierrepont volunteered to assist the students and design the set as well. They spray painted leaves for the Harvard sign that we used and designed the Delta Nu pillars, they also painted the jail bars used for "Whipped Into Shape". Stage crew runners during the show have done a phenomenal job with making sure set pieces get on stage safely and all cast members have the props that they need for each scene.
TIR: What has been most rewarding about directing this production?
Ms. Bilbao: Seeing the students come together as friends at the end of the show. I've been hearing students say how much they're going to miss rehearsal and each other once it's over. Theater was an artistic escape for me as a kid and it gave me an opportunity to have fun with new people that eventually turned into great friends and it's been so refreshing to relive that through them.
This is Rutherford also interviewed a couple of the cast members to learn a bit more about this exciting production.
TIR: Which role do you play in "Legally Blonde the Musical"? What do you enjoy about playing this role?
Leo: My name is Leonardo Correa and I play Emmett Forrest in the "Legally Blonde the Musical". This role is a treasure. I love playing Emmett Forrest because he is such a smart and witty character.
Grace: My name is Grace Methe, and I play the role of Brooke Wyndham in the musical Legally Blonde. I enjoy playing Brooke because I get to be in a lot of fun scenes and do unique things such as jump rope! TIR: What are you most excited for audiences to see during "Legally Blonde the Musical"? Leo: I'm really excited for the audiences to see how the play turns out.
Grace: I am most excited for the audiences to see how all of our hard work has resulted in a wonderful show! TIR: What have you enjoyed most about rehearsing and preparing for the show? Leo: The whole entire part of learning your lines and songs is stressful, but being in the musical is mostly about having fun with new people. I have met so many new people in this play. If you just started a new school year I guarantee you too should start something new. I learned from a movie named Ferris Bueller's Day Off, that, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Grace: What I have loved about rehearsing and preparing for the show is being able to see the whole play come together when doing full run-throughs. I love all of the singing and dancing involved in the musical. They are very fun to perform. I hope everyone enjoys the show as much as I have loved performing it!
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