Omigod you guys! Just when you thought the pretty pink Barbie world had left Fort Wayne, we have the invasion of the Delta Nus! 

The Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation is bringing Legally Blonde the Musical to the stage as a part of their Fort Wayne Summer Music Theatre season. 

The peppy, feel-good comedy based on the 2001 film of the same name runs July 12-21 at North Side High School, which seems fitting, as the cast of this production is entirely high school students. 

“This year, we have 63 members that are representing 21 high schools,” director Andrew Sherman said. “We go as far as Antwerp and Hicksville, Ohio, and then as far as the Goshen area here in Indiana.” 

Fresh faces

Sherman, who is also IMTF’s CEO and executive director, is proud of not only of the breadth of high schools represented, but also of the large number of new students that are joining returnees from last year’s Fort Wayne Summer Music Theatre production of Phantom of the Opera. 

“We had a huge senior class last year, about 40 percent returning,” he said. “So to have that much new talent come in, we hope to keep them for the next four years.”

One of the new students is leading lady Natalia Nicolov, who plays Elle Woods.

“It’s been a really, really fun experience,” the incoming Homestead junior said. “So it’s been really interesting experiencing everything, the whole rehearsal process and just meeting new people.”

Nicolov also has found some connection to her character, played by Reese Witherspoon in the two films, with another in pre-production.

“It’s super-fun playing Elle because I think we definitely have some similarities regarding personality,” she said. “But there’s also so much new stuff to explore within her character. I mean, she has so many different sides. She has her bubbly Delta Nu side and she has her lawyerly side. And it’s really fun exploring both.”

Another exciting addition to the cast is of the four-legged variety. 

“We have a real Bruiser,” Nicolov said of Woods’ beloved pet who features heavily in the show. “Gigi is her name, and she’s an 11-year-old chihuahua. She’s like the director’s dream of an on-stage dog — she’s 11 years old, so she’s pretty chill.”

Behind-the-scenes work

The annual teen show put on by IMTF is an excellent opportunity for high school students who are interested in musical theater to learn all sides of what makes a production. 

“We treat it as a summer stock program in a way,” Sherman said. “With that format, the actors don’t just act, they don’t just sing, they’re expected to work a minimum of eight hours on production prep, whether that be sound, lights, or set. Overall, it’s training them to be more than just on stage actors, but learning all aspects of the theater.”

Nicolov, who is participating in her first community theater production, is finding the process very interesting. 

“I helped setting up some platforms and doing some painting for the benches,” she said. “It’s very interesting seeing something that I hadn’t really experienced before. It was new, and it was cool seeing all the work that our team is putting in to make this production a reality.”

Getting in step

Speaking of work, Legally Blonde the Musical is a very dance heavy show, with this production featuring 10 dance numbers. 

“It’s definitely very high-energy, very exhausting, but it’s also super fun.” Nicolov said. “Just seeing the entirety of the cast come together and just put on these big numbers. Our choreographers are amazing, and I’m really enjoying the choreo. I’m a big choreo person myself, so I’ve had a lot of fun with all the new stuff that has been introduced.”

The task of choreographing this production was so large that Sherman reached out to not one but two of The Fort’s best choreographers: Britney Lombardo and Leslie Beauchamp. 

“There’s 10 choreographed numbers in the entire show and we pretty much just split right down the middle,” Sherman said. “So Leslie does half and Britney does half.” 

And according to Sherman, these numbers are not for the faint of heart. 

“Natalia is not kidding when it comes to the difficulty level of the choreography,” he said. “Obviously, those that know the show know there’s an entire number where they’re jump roping the entire time. It’s not easy.”

Sticking through

The way the cast comes together is what Sherman is most excited to share with audiences. 

“At the end of Act I is a number, ‘So Much Better.’ All the students that are onstage for that number are not necessarily a Delta Nu or they’re not necessarily a principal,” Sherman said. “It is a combination of students. So we’ve really been able to do what I call ‘spread the love’ this summer, and be able to test students that might be new, be able to feature students that might be returning, and give everyone that chance to not only test their skill sets, but also feel confident in several parts of the show.”

Sherman is very pleased with how his cast has pushed through the challenges that the show has to offer. 

“These kids will come into rehearsal with a smile on their face,” he said. “They’ll sweat their butts off and they’ll not necessarily get it the first time. But every one of them has left being like, ‘We got this,’ ‘We’re gonna get it.’ And they work and the next time it’s better, and the next time it’s better, even if they’re jump roping and doing heavy cardio while trying to sing through an entire reasonable piece.”