Rescue Animals Play Big Role In “Legally Blonde The Musical”
WRITTEN BY: JOSH GREEN – Funny how the title “Legally Blonde” can make people think of two things besides hair color: pink clothes and dogs.
When actress Becky Gulsvig takes the stage as Elle Woods each night, she’s surrounded by both of them. She and the traveling cast of “Legally Blonde the Musical” hit the stage at the Durham Performing Arts this week. The show runs through Sunday.
“I always am sure to tell the boys – don’t be scared,” Gulsvig said as she smiled. “There’s a lot of pink but there’s something for everyone in ‘Legally Blonde,’ which is nice.”
Reese Witherspoon brought the character of Elle to life on the big screen in 2001. Gulsvig understands most of those fans coming to the shows probably identify Witherspoon with that role.
“I actually like to build on that. I think that’s part of the joy of the show is that people come to the show already having loved the movie or loving Reese or whatever association they’ve had with ‘Legally Blonde,’” she said. “I just try to give them what they came for, but at the same time – when it comes out of me – it is different. I just bring myself to it and add it as a layer.”
Adding another spice to the show: the four-legged friends who come on stage with the actors.
“We should be sponsored by Claritan,” Gulsvig said as she laughed. “We have a couple of cast members who have to get allergy shots every week. They’re allergic.”
A Chihuahua and bull dog are two of the main characters in the show. Two different dogs actually play each. Frankie and Roxie, the K-9 understudy, share the role of Bruiser, Elle’s sidekick. A bull dog named Nellie plays the role of Rufus. Lewis is the understudy.
“They’re all rescue dogs,” Gulsvig said. “Roxie was a Katrina rescue. She was from New Orleans.”
Here are the stories of all of them from the traveling show:
Frankie (Bruiser) is only a year old and was found as a stray in Meriden, CT. He was rescued from Animal Control there and quickly adapted to living in a home.
Nellie (Rufus). In the summer of 2008 at the age of 10 months old, Nellie, an English Bulldog puppy, was surrendered to the Humane Society of New York when the family that owned her had a child and they realized raising a human baby and a dog baby was too much too handle.
Roxie (Bruiser Understudy) is approximately 3 years old and was rescued by Chihuahua and Pound Pup’s Rescue as a stray in rural Louisiana. When she was found she was suffering from heart worm, but came through the treatment, ready to take on the world. The cast says, as a child of the streets, she has an attitude, but that all disappears when it is time to cuddle in bed.
Lewis (Rufus Understudy). Lewis was discovered at the Associated Humane Society in Newark, New Jersey in 2007 after he had been surrendered by his owners for medical reasons. He became the Rufus understudy in the Broadway production of LEGALLY BLONDE but never had the chance to go on.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader or email.
Subscribe to RSS
[...] Erica Bustamante added an interesting post on Rescue Animals Play Big Role In â [...]