Young Talent Shines in RBR Summer Academy for Visual&Performing Arts Presentation of Legally Blonde, Jr., The Musical

By Marianne Kligman, Community Information Officer for Red Bank Regional High School District

On August 7, the Red Bank Regional (RBR) Summer Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts presented Legally Blonde, Jr., The Musical as the climatic end of a the five-week long summer arts program. All the fun of the iconic hit movie, Legally Blonde, was on display at the RBR auditorium enhanced by the songs developed for the Broadway musical. The show was created by Music Theatre International and was based on the production of Laurence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin, (music and lyrics) with book by Heather Hach (dialogue.) Fifty of the performing artist campers played in multiple scenes from the Beverly Hills college sorority
house to the ivory halls of Harvard Law School and the happening Bostonian beauty shop. Shea Grant, an eighth grader in Little Silver, reprised Reece Witherspoon’s iconic role as Elle Woods who sought to win back her ex-boyfriend at Harvard and found a law career instead. At intermission, show goers enjoyed the visual treat of the students’ art work.

Legally Blonde, Jr. performers were Monmouth County youth from rising fifth to ninth graders, many of whom choose to
attend RBR for its renowned Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts program (VPA). RBR VPA graduates return to the summer program as interns working with RBR VPA teachers who guide the campers through a two week rotation of all visual and performing arts including dance, drama, crafts, creative writing, piano, percussion, photography, visual art and vocal music. During the final three weeks of the program campers choose to concentrate on either the musical theatre tract (including acting, dancing and singing) or the visual arts tract, which includes fine arts and handcrafts. The musical is completed from auditions to performance in the three week period, always an amazing accomplishment. For more information on the VPA program, visit the RBR website at www.rbrhs.org.