Dreams came true for Stefania Dimichele on Tuesday night when Pitt’s Musical Theatre Club opened their production of “Legally Blonde.” DiMichele played the musical’s protagonist Elle Woods, a sorority president following her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School and discovering her legal prowess along the way.
“My top two dream roles are Elle Woods and Carrie from ‘Carrie.’ I was like, I want to be Elle Woods. She is a big inspiration for me,” DiMichele said.
DiMichele, a junior theater and communications major, said she feels a connection to Elle’s character that she was eager to bring to life.
The show, a stage adaptation of the 2001 film, is running from Oct. 3-7 at the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre. The intimate theater in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning was packed with an audience that laughed and sang along to the energetic musical numbers.
Senior theater major Kaylee Skumburdes said DiMichele embodies Elle Woods in real life, adding that even DiMichele’s bedroom is pink like Woods’ room in “Legally Blonde.” Skumburdes said her role in the musical as Paulette, the kind salon worker that Elle befriends, also has a deep meaning for her.
“This was my second time playing Paulette. It was my first breakthrough role that made me realize that I love what I do. This role is something I hold near and dear to my heart,” Skumburdes said. “My grandmother has gotten to see a lot of the shows I did in high school — unfortunately she passed away in 2019. This was her favorite role I got to play. I wanted to find a way to connect with her again, so this was huge for me.”
The Musical Theatre Club is a Pitt student organization that puts on multiple musicals each year. According to DiMichele, most MTC shows take over a month to prepare. “Legally Blonde” was put together in just four weeks.
Ty’Mariya Moss, a junior social work major, directed the show. Moss said the time constraints taught her a lot about flexibility.
“You can plan all you want, but there are some things you just can’t prepare for. Being very Type A, I enjoy having a strong plan, but things don’t always go according to plan,” Moss said. “I never thought about what I’d do when a key member of the team randomly got sick or when we have to accrue new team members a week into rehearsals. I definitely learned to handle the lemons of life with grace and how to feel comfortable pivoting.”
“Legally Blonde” was a learning experience for much of the cast and crew, like junior computer science major Sloane McCensky. McCensky played Professor Callahan, an antagonist role written for a man. In the show, Callahan harasses Elle and undermines her intelligence because of her looks. Since “Legally Blonde” emphasizes women’s empowerment, McCensky said she struggled with portraying such a negative character.
“I see Callahan as looking at Elle as having the potential that Callahan did,” McCensky said. “I like to think that Callahan started as Elle, as fresh meat and very optimistic, and she wanted to go into law with some sort of prerogative. Then she got beaten down and forced into this masculine caricature of what law should be.”
Sean Whitney, a senior computer engineering major, plays another antagonist, Elle’s condescending ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington. Whitney said it was a new experience playing someone so cynical.
“Every time you play a character you’re bringing aspects of yourself into that role, and it requires a different kind of empathy to play a villain,” Whitney said. “You’re exploring different parts of yourself that you maybe don’t want to in your daily life. It’s been an interesting acting [and] empathy exercise to play this kind of character.”
Despite the challenges, McCensky said she loves her role and her involvement with MTC.
“Theater and the arts have always been a really big passion of mine, so now that I finally have time it’s really shown me that I think I was made for this,” McCensky said. “This production has literally changed my life.”
The entire cast and crew share a deep appreciation for Musical Theatre Club, especially because it’s an organization made up of supportive peers, Moss said.
“It’s important to have spaces of students, for students. Sometimes we feel most comfortable to explore and try new things when we are among our peers because the fear of failure is less prevalent,” Moss said. “The stakes are lower when you are learning and exploring with your peers versus the intimidation of starting fresh among adults or professors.”
DiMichele, who serves on the board of MTC, said her friends and fellow leaders within the club have changed her perspective on her potential as a performer.
“I don’t think it matters what you look like for what role you can play. That’s a big thing I had to learn. I did not think I could be Elle Woods because of what I look like and it does not matter,” DiMichele said. “That’s something MTC does really, really well, is give people the confidence they deserve to have.”
Elena Wenrich-Quinones, a sophomore psychology major who plays Warner’s new girlfriend Vivienne, says she hopes the audience learns a lot from the show as well.
“The whole show is truly about connections and putting kindness first. Elle is such a kindhearted soul and Vivienne learns so much through Elle,” Wenrich-Quinones said. “What I can see from them is that they are two very kind-hearted characters. I hope what everyone gets out of the show is that’s how you should live your life.”
DiMichele agreed that “Legally Blonde” teaches the audience how to live life to the fullest.
“The whole point of “Legally Blonde” is that you can be nice and fun and hot and smart, and you’re not just one thing, especially because women are told to just be one thing. You don’t have to be put in a box, because Elle Woods is everything,” DiMichele said.