The musical Legally Blonde tells the story of a young, blonde woman, Elle Woods, who alters the course of her life after getting dumped by her boyfriend. After reevaluating her life as a fashion major at UCLA, she decides to attend Harvard Law School to win him back by giving up her party life at UCLA, genuinely studying for the LSAT, and focusing on getting a good GPA and test score. Along the way, she is constantly underestimated because of her blonde hair and the stereotypes associated with being a “dumb blonde.” Throughout the story, Elle proves to others that you should never judge a book by its cover.
In Punahou Academy’s production of Legally Blonde, the role of Elle Woods is shared between Mehana Stone ‘25 and Julia Saines ‘27. Mehana is a senior who has been on and off theater for five years; Julia is a sophomore who has been in theater for three years. Their deep interest and passion for theater were originally fostered by their families’ various experiences in the arts.
Upon learning that Stone and Saines were to share the main role, Stone said she was “surprised and excited to take on a new challenge.” Evidently, after the first few rehearsals, Stone recalls falling in love with the dynamic between her and Julia.
“It was empowering to read with Julia and be able to switch off with her and completely build the character,” Stone said. “Elle is a very nuanced character in the way that she is presented as this ‘dumb Malibu blonde,’ but she has this intelligence that is hard to play without losing her shelteredness, which gets her into Harvard Law.”
Both Stone and Saines agree that the main message of Legally Blonde is “female empowerment.” They believe that the “message of Legally Blonde will resonate with high school girls who will come to the show and see this character who is a stereotypical dumb blonde, [who] becomes more than people frame her to be.”
Saines admitted she was slightly doubtful about getting the main role, but on the other hand, she was full of excitement. Saines said she has always “looked up to Mehana” and both individuals had performed together in last year’s Academy production, Urinetown. Saines briefly mentioned that she is excited to tag out with Stone and help her in any way she can and continually give each other positive affirmations between shows.
“Since the show began, they have become very close and share a sisterly bond,” said Julie Rogers ‘27. Rogers is starring as “Paulette Bonafonte” who is the main supporting protagonist in Legally Blonde. “Overall, being able to see this show start to come together has been an amazing experience,” Rogers said.
The director of the show, Micheal Ng, stated, “It’s a dream to finally put this show on.” Additionally, he said that he “loves telling stories about the underdog.” Ng believes that one of the main messages of Legally Blonde is to always believe in yourself and strive to do anything.
Since opening night, audiences of Legally Blonde have praised it for its novelty and positive energy. The closing night for the production will be 11/9/24 at 2 pm and 7 pm.