What happens when a fashion obsessed sorority sister is dumped by her boyfriend for being too blonde?

As millions have seen on both screen and stage, that woman goes to Harvard to get a law degree and ends up finding herself along the way.

Legally Blonde, the book turned 2001 movie turned 2007 musical has been a smash hit for audiences around the globe—and in Calgary has been staged by students and community theatres alike.

But for the first time, the musical is coming to Theatre Calgary, with all of the big sets of a Broadway production, a cast of rising Canadian theatre stars, and even a pair of dog actors.

“It’s so exciting and such an honour for a role that growing up, I probably never thought I would get to play. So I feel so, so grateful that our director, Stephanie, trusts me with this part and has supported me and pushed me with it,” said Kelsey Verzotti, who is playing Elle in the production.

“There’s also so much pressure because she’s such an iconic character, so there’s been a lot of work leading up to rehearsals that I’ve done with singing lessons and mindset coaching, just to really able to come into this process ready to take on this mammoth of a role.”

Verzotti returned to Calgary for the role, after taking on one of the most iconic Canadian roles as Anne in Anne of Green Gables at the Charlottetown Festival—the first Asian-Canadian to have done so in the history of the festival.

But like Elle going to Harvard’s law school, Verzotti said that the return to the city and ultimately onto a Theatre Calgary stage was done for love.

“I was born and raised here, so it’s so nice to be back with family and in my hometown, but my boyfriend also lives here. I was like, ‘OK, well, I’m just gonna work in Calgary then.’ I’ve been so lucky,” she said.

“Elle has this whole section about why she’s going to Harvard and she’s doing it for love, and that’s very much what this journey has been for me. Because it has not been an easy role, It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been so worth it.”

Musical updated for 2025

Director and Choreographer for the musical, Stephanie Graham (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Twelfth Night), said that one of the things that was remaining the same between the original musical and the Theatre Calgary production was the dual role she was in.

“This show is really special in that it was originally developed with a director choreographer, so a lot of the songs are integrated with the choreography and the storytelling. So, it really makes sense for the structure of this show to have one person sort of overseeing all of that,” she said.

She said, however, Legally Blonde has been updated from 2001.

“We’re looking at a piece that is around 20 years old, but the themes are so relevant for today. So we’ve set our production in 2025,” Graham said.

“Of course, technology is a little bit more integrated in this production, because it is in our society nowadays. So, you see a little bit of that and but the message is still the same: treating everyone with kindness and being true to yourself. I think those are the themes that still are resonating 20 years later.”

Graham said that one of the beautiful things about Elle is that she begins the show with one value system and ends up with a different one at the end, but fundamentally doesn’t change who she is to succeed.

“I think that’s a really important message. I think a lot of us hope that we can live in the world and be authentically ourselves, and that doesn’t always happen. So it’s really great message to send to especially young people who come to see the show,” she said.

On that transformation, Verzotti said that she hoped audiences would make a judgment on who Elle is during the first few scenes of the show and then find that maybe those judgments weren’t true after all.

“I hope they feel surprised by that. We’ve put so much into the show, Stephanie has made such a beautiful room, and I think that there’s so much heart in this show. You don’t really expect it and all of a sudden it hits you,” she said.

“And I hope they like the puppies.”

Legally Blonde is playing from May 20 to June 15 at the Max Bell Theatre in Arts Commons. Tickets are on sale at www.theatrecalgary.com/shows/2024-2025-legally-blonde.

Photos from Legally Blonde at Theatre Calgary