Blonde Leading the Blonde

When Reese Witherspoon agreed to star in the 2001 vehicle Legally Blonde, she probably had no clue that the lighthearted comedy -- about a sorority sister who follows an ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School to prove she's, like, got substance, too! -- would be nominated for a Golden Globe, spawn...

By Amber Taufen

June 21, 2012

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When Reese Witherspoon agreed to star in the 2001 vehicle Legally Blonde, she probably had no clue that the lighthearted comedy -- about a sorority sister who follows an ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School to prove she's, like, got substance, too! -- would be nominated for a Golden Globe, spawn two sequels and then morph into a Broadway musical that's now being performed by the stars at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities.

"It's a fun musical, and it's the first time other than the Broadway tour that a professional production of Legally Blonde has been done regionally," notes Melanie Mayner, communications officer at the Arvada Center. "And it's just good summer fare. It's a comedy, it's a feel-good story; there's this girl who thinks that maybe people underestimate her, and she sets about to prove them wrong. It turns the blonde stereotype on its head."

Project Runway All Stars winner Mondo Guerra is designing the costumes for the production, and the chihuahua who plays Bruiser is a Foothills Animal Shelter canine who's actually up for adoption. (And if you're an animal lover, take note: Your ticket stub to Legally Blonde will get you $25 off adoptions or dog training at Foothills.) The show opens for previews tonight through Sunday; it opens officially next Tuesday, June 12, and runs through Sunday, July 1, at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada. Admission is $35 to $72, and group rates are available; call 720-898-7200 or visit www.arvadacenter.org.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 1 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: June 12. Continues through July 1, 2012

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Amber Taufen has been writing about people, places and things in Denver since 2005. She works as an editor, writer, and production and process guru out of her home office in the foothills.

Contact: Amber Taufen

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