The call came in the usual way.
Someone needed a favor. The cast had a gap, the show was already in motion, and apparently I was the right kind of available. Small part, they said. Nothing too demanding.
The show is Legally Blonde: The Musical. I play Mr. Woods—Elle’s dad. The man who, with the best possible intentions and the worst possible timing, sends his daughter off into the world expecting her to come back engaged to a Harvard man. I’m not on stage long. I do my thing and then I’m off to stand in the wings and watch the rest of it unfold.
There is so much dancing. There is so much singing!
I’m not dancing. I want to be clear about that. But everyone else is—constantly, exuberantly, in formations that require a level of spatial reasoning I genuinely admire. I DO get to sing a brief duet with Elle - my favorite part. The cast here is young and talented and fully committed to the cause of being wonderful, and they are succeeding on all counts.
The West End Theatre in Quincy keeps doing this thing where they take a bunch of people with day jobs, give them a tight rehearsal schedule, not quite enough budget, and a whole lot of enthusiasm—and somehow produce something genuinely moving.
Every time I think I’m done with it, they pull me back in.
Elle’s dad.
Watching all that dancing from the wings.
One of my castmates worth mentioning: Bob McGill, who plays Carlos and also happens to run a theater blog called Standing Ovation Station. Bob is a Quincy local — coach, actor, director, comedian, husband, father of three — and by his own description “an unpaid, overly enthusiastic theatre critic.” His mission is to champion local performing arts with honest reviews delivered with warmth and humor, because he believes community theater deserves serious attention and maybe a gentle nudge now and then. I agree. Go read him.
The Cast
Kelsea Ryan Johnson as Elle Woods, Chase Ramirez as Emmett Forrest, Courtney McShan as Paulette Buonofuonte, Mason Thorman as Warner Huntington III, Ashley Snow as Vivienne Kensington, David Riley as Professor Callahan, Alicia Hinojosa as Enid Hoops, Amanda Harmon as Brooke Wyndham, Victoria Tiger as Serena, Nell Romero as Margo, Max Egloff & Dylan Rogge as Kyle.
Samantha Williams as Whitney & ensemble, Trinity Culwell as Kate, Lois Steele as Grand Master Chad & ensemble, William Felker as Aaron Schultz & Dewey, Paddie Patterson as Sundeep Padamadan & Nikos Argitakos, Isis McGill as Chutney Wyndham & ensemble, Bob McGill as Carlos & ensemble, Brianna Swofford as DA Riley & ensemble, Whitney Martinez as Judge & ensemble, Mars Harmon as Stenographer & ensemble, Kai Harmon as Guard & ensemble, Beth Grant as Kiki the Colorist & ensemble, Theresa Sharp as Mrs. Woods & ensemble, Lance Barker as Mr. Woods.
