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“Stamina, stamina, stamina,” said Paul Canaan, a member of the ensemble, about what it takes to perform in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde, The Musical.

According to Canaan and others who spoke at a news conference for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Summer Workshop at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Wednesday, June 25, Legally Blonde is challenging but definitely fun.

“Performing two shows a day can be tricky,” said Natalie Joy Johnson, who plays Enid. “It can be exhausting. But you have to tell yourself to kick it up and do it all over again.”

According to Johnson, this show’s cast members keep each other motivated and ready to perform.

“We always have a great time,” she said.

Best known for pink and fun, Legally Blonde, The Musical is very pink and very funny while still taking time to emphasize education, a female’s determination, strength and success. 

In the big, bright, Broadway display, Elle Woods, the main character, discovers herself, her strength and her ultimate school success.

Performing the show over and over again is a different, exciting experience each and every time, cast members said. 

“We’re not dying every night,” said Johnson speaking about the production’s upbeat storyline, “It lets us be ridiculous and have a good time.

“Practicing the same material so often gives you the chance to discover more about your character.”

According to Asmeret Ghebremichael, who plays Pilar, Elle’s sorority sister, practicing is important to playing characters fully. 

Because Legally Blonde was such a hit as a film, it’s inevitable Legally Blonde The Musical will be compared its original movie production. 

When speaking about this comparison, Dori Bernstein, the producer, and Marc Bruni, the associate director, especially emphasized the importance of recreating the characters in each actor’s own way for the musical production. 

About the musical aspect that Broadway brings to the story, Bruni said that the songs “allow the characters to expand on their emotions.”

“For example when Elle sees her name on the list of accepted judicial interns, that movie moment could be expanded into song and was as ‘So Much Better.’”

Also, while a movie production is filmed over time, and edited and produced once and for all for viewers, in a Broadway musical every show is performed live. 

There is a certain element of fun yet frightening excitement that accompanies performing a live show.  Every show is a little different and thus actors must be ready to roll with the live performance changes. 

“Working with an understudy is always different and can be fun, and sometimes a prop is broken or missing,” Canaan said.

“But we work with whatever happens live.

“One time Elle’s wig fell off in the middle of a scene. Things like this may happen, so actors have to be cool about them and work with whatever happens, so naturally and in character Elle cracked a joke and laughed with the audience about it.”

Canaan talked about a time in another show when “wine bottles just started flying down and exploding. I was the first one to get up and run away.

“It is the imperfections of live productions that make them interesting and keep them fun and fresh for us.

“Legally Blonde is a fun production to perform, creating a different experience for everyone involved, every time.” 

Katherine Dempsey is the editor in chief of Unison at The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, N.Y. Kathleen Reilly edits The Hatters’ Herald at Danbury High School, Danbury, Conn.