Meet Our Elle Woods
Rhiannon Kyle is blonde. She's bubbly. And she's ready to take the stage this summer as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical! Rhiannon is returning to Wavestage Theatre Company for her 15th Season after playing a long list of roles over the years, such as Crissy in Hair, Beth March in Little Women, Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and many more! Read on to see what Rhiannon has to say about her run as Elle in this vibrant musical production.
Rehearsals just kicked off last weekend for this production at Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. Describe your experience on the first day of Legally Blonde rehearsals. Rhiannon: "Legally Blonde is such a high energy show, and that energy is completely reflected in our cast. On the first day, everyone was bouncing off the walls and was so excited to be there. The entire company is such a fan of the show so it was really great to jump into a project that everyone is so familiar with."
What can audiences expect from your portrayal of the iconic Elle Woods? Rhiannon: "Laura Bell Bundy and Reese Witherspoon both have entirely different personalities - but they both bring the heart of Elle to life. That's what I love most about the show; a character who many look to as a walking stereotype, but in reality is a genuine friend and has a lot of compassion for others. In my sorority, Delta Delta Delta, the girls in leadership positions aren't the ones who portray the sorority girl role the best, but are strong, capable women who put sisterhood above all else. As Elle, I really hope to bring to life the reasons why everyone loves such a vivacious protagonist."
Have you ever been treated like a ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype in real life? Rhiannon: "What blonde hasn't! Personally, I hate the word "dumb" - I think everyone is smart in their own way. Once people meet me, or any person for that matter, it's easy to look past the dumb blonde stereotype. I really love to learn and care a lot about school and contributing back to my community."
What’s your favourite song in this musical? Rhiannon: "All of the songs are such high energy pieces that are hard not to love, but my favourite is "Find My Way." It's such a great moment in the show when Elle proves to everyone she is no longer some Malibu ditz and reigns in on what truly matters. Who doesn't love a happy ending!"
Are there any similarities between yourself and Elle? Rhiannon: "I get called Elle Woods all the time by my friends! We share a signature colour, we're both Geminis, Elle is a President of Delta Nu and I'm a Vice-President of Delta Delta Delta, and we're both blondes! This past year, I shared some similar experiences as well. This past September, I started at Trinity College at UofT, which jokingly gets called the ivy league of UofT. When I first heard "Harvard Variations," I literally laughed at loud at how similar it was to Trin. Being in such an academic environment was a huge transition for me coming from a small town public school, but now I totally feel at home there and I love participating in a variety of campus groups."
What scene are you most looking forward to working on as rehearsals accelerate in the next few weeks? Rhiannon: "This is such an ensemble piece - the entire company is really integral to delivering a high caliber performance. I'm really looking forward to working with such a big cast on all of the group numbers. I feel so lucky to be able to collaborate with so many talented performers; I'm sure the rehearsal process will continue to be a blast!"
What’s the biggest takeaway of this show for the audience? Rhiannon: "Audiences will come expecting a fun, lighted-hearted evening - which they'll definitely get - but I think audiences won't expect how much heart is in this story. It's a great tale about overcoming challenges and finding yourself, with a nice love story as well. I think people will enjoy going on the journey alongside Elle and can learn a lot from the optimism she gives to all of her struggles."
Don't miss this spectacular summer production at Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts from July 10-13! Tickets are available at www.rhcentre.ca or by calling 905.787.8811.