Sussex Tech to stage ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ in May

For their annual spring musical, Sussex Technical High School is going pink, with “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” playing May 10-13 at Possum Hall in Georgetown.

New drama coordinator Michael Matthias has taken on the project, taking the helm with a cast of 30 students. Sussex Tech’s production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” is among the first in Delaware and is the first staging of the show in Sussex County. The group has been in rehearsals since mid-March, in preparation for the production.

“From the moment I was asked to come on board at Sussex Tech, I knew I wanted to do a musical for and about young people,” said Matthias. “Although the characters these students are portraying are just a bit older, there is so much for them to relate to in this story.”

The musical is adapted from its namesake novel and subsequent movie, the latter released in 2001 and starring Reese Witherspoon – a performance that won her a Golden Globe for best actress. Senior Taylor Thornberg dons the all-pink wardrobe of Elle Woods for Tech’s production.

“I can’t say enough about the talent and dedication of this cast,” Matthias said. “To those who aren’t familiar with the show, they may write it off as a piece of fluff. This show is nothing to scoff at – the finished product is a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of hard work and training to get there.”

The production is vocally demanding for all of its featured female performers, not to mention the musical number “Whipped into Shape” that opens Act II, through which the three girls involved jump rope and sing the entire song. Christa Pardocchi, a collaborator and colleague of Matthias’ from Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, was tasked with choreographing this and a half-dozen other numbers in the show.

“These students really have to be triple-threat performers – actors, singers and dancers – in this show, and I know they’re up to the challenge,” said Matthias. “I am consistently impressed by the energy they bring into rehearsal, and can’t wait to see them shine in performance.”

Sussex Tech’s production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” plays at Possum Hall in Georgetown on May 10-13. Tickets cost $10 for general admission, with a reduced rate of $8 for Sussex Tech students and staff.