Theatre TJC raises the curtain on its 2023-24 season with “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”
The production is under the direction of Jacob L. Davis, TJC theatre professor.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 4-7, in Wise Auditorium, located in the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center on the TJC central campus.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors ages 65 and up, students and active military. The TJC Box Office opens Wednesday, Sept. 27. Box office hours are 1-6 p.m. weekdays. For reservations, call 903-510-2212.
A fabulously fun, award-winning musical based on the popular movie, “Legally Blonde: The Musical” follows the transformation of bubbly sorority girl Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams.
Elle seems to have it all, but her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law School. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.
Book is by Heather Hach, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin.
The cast and crew
Cast includes, Elle Woods, played by Eva Hamlett of Tyler; Margot, Addi Saxon of Tyler; Serena, Hanna Davis of Tyler; Pilar, Rilyn Sturrock of Tyler; Emmett, Isaac Shiftlet of Ben Wheeler; Paulette, Jillian Nutt of Crandall; Callahan, Raymond Arrington of Rusk; Warner, Seth Aaron of Van; Vivienne, Rachael Gibbs of Winona; Brooke/ensemble, Katie Durbin of Lindale; Enid/Kate/ensemble, Emily Titlow of Mount Enterprise; Padamadan/Niko/ensemble, Kevin Jabo of Kigali, Rwanda; Chad/Carlos/ensemble, Nathan Hill of Tyler; Aaron/Elle’s Dad/D.A. Reilly/ensemble, Preston Clark of Paris; Elle’s Mom/Perfume Girl 2/ensemble, Crystal Mendoza of Tyler; Kyle/ensemble, Jayden Anderson of Marshall; Judge/Colorist/ensemble, Amaya Perkins of Kaufman; Gaelen/Whitney/Perfume Girl/ensemble, Elise Ray of Sunnyvale; Leilani/Stenographer, ensemble, Jene Van Heerden of Bethlehem, South Africa; Winthrop/Dewey/ensemble, Sam Murphy of Tyler; Lowell/Reporter/ensemble, Otto Straus of Lindale; Phorzheimer/ensemble, William Kinsel of Lindale; and Chutney/ensemble, Kyler Littlejohn of Holly Lake Ranch.
Theatre, music and dance faculty production staff: Jacob L. Davis, stage direction, lighting and set design; Charles Praytor, music director; Carolyn Hanna, choreographer; Denise Weatherly-Green, costume design, makeup and wigs, properties; Dr. David W. Crawford, theatre management; Ethan Beam, box office/theatre facilities director; and Lara K. Smith, theatre department chair.
Student production staff and crew: stage manager, Amasa Hartong of Van; dance captain, Jene Van Heerden of Bethlehem, South Africa; assistant stage managers, Conor Kimlicko of Albany, New York, and Jackson Holmes of Tyler; costume master, Faith Shelton of Queen City; costume master’s assistant, Kema Amine of Forney; dressers, Tae’Kira Jackson of Monroe, Louisiana, and Layton Pratka of Tyler; head usher, Shay Van Leer of Tyler; light board operator, Caden Leon Duffy of Tyler; makeup and hair, Azalea Strouse of Clarksville and Mikayla Wallace of Whitehouse; and sound, Travis Speer of Forney.
The 2023-24 season also includes:
• “Crimes of the Heart” by Beth Henley, Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 8-11, Jean Browne Theatre
• “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville, adapted by David Catlin, Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2, Jean Browne Theatre
• “Summer and Smoke” by Tennessee Williams, Wednesday-Saturday, April 24-27, Jean Browne Theatre
About the TJC Cultural Arts District
Located in the heart of the College’s central campus, the TJC Cultural Arts District features a variety of art and science programs across four venues, including:
• Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center
• Jean Browne Theatre
• The Earth and Space Science Center featuring Hudnall Planetarium
• Tyler Museum of Art
From top-notch theatrical productions and performances by outstanding music and dance departments to incredible visual artwork, TJC offers some of the finest arts and entertainment in the East Texas region.
For more information on upcoming events, or to download the current TJC Cultural Arts publication, go to TJC.edu/CulturalArtsDistrict. You can purchase tickets here.