Tuesday, July 15, 2025
What you want is right in front of you — on the Madison Theatre stage at Molloy University. The iconic pop-infused musical “Legally Blonde” serves up a jump-roping, cheerleading, bend-and-snapping performance — that is as fun as it is inspiring.
“Legally Blonde is an empowerment piece for a young woman whom everyone sees as one thing, and she’s so much more,” says Angelo Fraboni, Madison Theatre’s artistic director, who’s also doing double duty as the show’s director. “She discovers her power and strength through friendships and knowledge.”
Billed as a Madison Theatre Production, it runs May 30 through June 8.
This is story that doesn’t get old — no matter how many times it’s told.
Elle Woods (Adelaine Mollo) enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner (Cade Eller). Her journey defies expectations as she becomes entangled in a high–profile murder trial, guided by new-found confidence and a passion for justice.
“She comes from a different world. People don’t understand her. They are doubting her all along, and she stamps out the stereotypes of who people perceive she is,” Fraboni adds.
Beginning as a novel by Amanda Brown, Elle Wood’s story became a hit sensation with the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon. The sorority-girl-turned-law-student was later re-imagined with musical flair, earning the Broadway adaptation seven Tony nominations.
Audiences can feel the infectious energy of Woods and the Delta Nus as they bring their all to every high-energy sequence.
Choreographer and Assistant Director Bethany Moore infuses the show with dynamic movement — from the cinematic college admission essay “What you Want” to the adrenaline-fueled exercise “Whipped into Shape.”
“One thing I love about the show is that most of the songs carry the plot forward. They’re not just songs to be songs. It’s a fast and furious time,” Fraboni says.
Scenes blend seamlessly into the next with the cast moving through the settings with the audience.
“I want to make it look magical. I want people to just all of a sudden be someplace different,” he explains.
Some special actors will be taking their paws to the stage. Elle Wood’s iconic dog companion, Bruiser, is played by Gizmo, who is trained by Moore, his owner, while Sadie, Fraboni’s boxer, is takes on the role of Paulette’s Rufus. And while there are many larger-than-life performances, there are also many “little gems” to find, according to Fraboni.
“Each character creates these little nuggets to play up and bring to the audience. They’re finding how their nuanced characters can be together, but different. Those are the things that are going to make people laugh and have fun.”
Baldwin Harbor’s Jaylin Thomas, who plays Carlos, and is part of the ensemble, is equally enthusiastic.
“This is such a big show, and I feel like every character has their own little piece, but it’s a big moment for everyone,” he says. “Carlos only appears in Act Two for one moment, but it’s such a big moment.”
“Legally Blonde” marks Thomas’s first production as a graduate of Molloy’s renowned CAP21 Musical Theatre Conservatory. For him, the show serves as a reminder of the importance of discovering your own identity.
“I think everyone has a moment in their life that they feel like they’re not beautiful, or they feel like they’re not worthy, or not talented,” he says. “It just resonates with everyone — seeing yourself as a person.”
Another cast member, East Rockaway’s Grace McNally, also an ensemble member, relates that it’s an all-time favorite musical.
“This is a show that I will want to be in every single year of my life, if I could,” she says.
McNally’s time with Madison Theatre goes back to when she was 10-years-old, participating in the Madison’s Musical Theatre Summer Intensive camp. She’s continued to focus on her love for theater, now a recent graduate of LIU Post.
McNally, as do many fans, consider the Elle Woods character as a role model — in that you can “find your way” even through adversity. Throughout the show, very few characters have faith in Elle, with the exception of her aesthetician Paulette (Sharon Lita), but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.
“It shows that you truly can have a sisterhood. You can find your people, no matter who they are. She finds her people in the Delta Nus and when she comes to Harvard, she does eventually end up finding people as well,” McNally says.
“I hope that any young girls watching feel inspired. They don’t have to go to law school, but if it even just inspires them to do something that they’ve been scared to do, that is the message and the theme of this show,” she adds.
