Jerry Mitchell Makes His Mark on ‘LEGALLY BLONDE'

With several Tony Awards for Best Choreography to his name, Jerry Mitchell has added a new job title to his ever-growing resume: Director. LEGALLY BLONDE, the musical based on the hit movie, not only marks his first time directing but he retained his choreographer role as well. To him, this is simply a natural progression. “A choreographer really is a director, the only difference is you’re directing and your text is steps,” he says. “It’s sort of a normal, next step for a choreographer if they want to go down that path. I always thought I was a director and choreographer. I never thought I was just one.”

Mitchell began his Broadway career as a dancer with early credits on THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES as well as revivals of BRIGADOON and ON YOUR TOES. The 1999 revival of YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN was his maiden voyage as a choreographer which was soon followed by work on THE FULL MONTY.

Full of exuberance on the phone, Mitchell justifies the high-energy, fast-paced dance numbers throughout LEGALLY BLONDE. “There are certain musicals where you can take your time and there are others where you need to keep the ball rolling. LEGALLY BLONDE certainly falls in that category.”

Behind all the dancing he knew there was also an important message to relay to the audience. “We have something very important to say to young people – in particular, young ladies and young guys who admire young ladies – which is ‘you can be beautiful and smart,’” he says. “For young kids, it’s really important because we are so bombarded in our society with shorter skirts and shorter tops and trying to catch a guy’s attention by what you’re not wearing as opposed to using your head and actually having a conversation and having something to say.” He believes that the show plays a pivotal role in getting ‘tweens’ - high-school and college-aged kids - interested in Broadway. “One of the challenges that Broadway has is making our entertainment current, making it appeal to young people so we don’t become a dinosaur,” he adds.

On this front, LEGALLY BLONDE has been innovative at reaching out to younger audiences largely through their collaboration with music channel MTV. The production aired in its entirety on MTV last year, a first for any Broadway show. The partnership with MTV continued this spring with the “Search for Elle Woods”, a reality show focused on finding an actress to fill the lead role on Broadway. From hundreds of hopefuls auditioning for the role, Bailey Hanks was cast as the new Elle and began performing in the Broadway production last month.

Calling the show “a very positive experience,” Mitchell explains that having the two finalists perform in costume, surrounded by the Broadway sets, with the cast and orchestra just doesn’t happen with typical Broadway auditions. “I’ve never in my history of 27 years working on Broadway had the luxury of doing that.” Choosing the girl to replace Tony Award-winner Laura Bell Bundy was ultimately Mitchell’s decision and he knew exactly the type of girl it would take to fill Elle Woods’ very large pink pumps. “When you’re the star of a show your responsibility is not only on-stage; it’s what happens with the family (cast) every night, eight times a week for the year you’re there. (It’s a) very, very, very responsible position to have.”

When the National Tour of LEGALLY BLONDE begins in Providence, Rhode Island next month, audiences will get to see how the wildly popular movie translates to the stage with new fun and catchy songs like “Omigod You Guys” and “Bend and Snap” awash in, of course, lots of pink.

Mitchell believes the show has broad appeal because it engages the audience from start to end. “Obviously Elle Woods has to appear at the very start of the show confident, completely in charge, beautiful and then she gets the worst news she could possibly, at that point in her life, receive, which is her boyfriend is breaking up with her,” he explains. “All of her hopes and dreams are dashed. We find out she’s vulnerable too, just like the rest of us in the world and now we’re engaged and we follow her. So you’re rooting for this girl. That’s what you love in a musical, someone you can root for.”

By: Beth Cox