Academy of Music Youth Production series heats up

The Academy of Music Theatre.
Reminder Publishing file photo

NORTHAMPTON — An instant classic is making its way to Northampton during the last weekend of May.

As part of the Academy of Music’s Youth Production series, community youth actors will grace the stage for “Legally Blonde, Jr.” on Friday and Saturday, May 29 and 30, at 7 p.m.

The production, which features actors between the ages of 12 and 17, is based on the hit film and 2007 Broadway musical by the same name.

The musical follows the adventures of sorority girl Elle Woods, who tries to win her ex-boyfriend back by earning a Harvard law degree. Once at school, she is challenged by her peers, professors and her ex, but with the help of some new friends, Elle realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

The Academy rendition is co-directed by Academy Education Director Kyle Lawrence and Academy Associate Education Director Zazie Tobey, with music direction provided by Lauren Fleit and stage management from Madison VanDeurzen.

According to the theater, “Legally Blonde, Jr.” music and lyrics come from the work of Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and the book is by Heather Hach. The musical is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture. The production is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theater International, and all authorized performance materials are also supplied by the group.

Lawrence said working with such passionate youth makes the Academy Youth Productions so successful and a worthwhile program for the community to come out and support, especially with such a beloved classic like “Legally Blonde.”

“There’s something to be said for the show itself; it’s a very optimistic, joyful message of people’s expectations of you based on image or just your place in the world, defying expectations and having power in yourself,” Lawrence said. “There’s a lot of crap going on in the world that we can’t really control or have any say in a lot of ways, but at least for these four hours every week in rehearsal, we’re able to come together and work on something that’s joyful, work on something that’s fun [and] rewarding.”

The show is part of the theater’s Academy Youth Production series, which started in 2011 in an effort to invite young actors to embark on a journey of artistic expression, self-confidence and teamwork. It has since become a beacon of creativity by educating school-aged students in theater, music and dance.

Lawrence told Reminder Publishing that the program has consistently grown over the years, and they plan to put on four separate productions over the course of the calendar year. As for “Legally Blonde Jr.,” the goal was to appeal to youth ages 12-plus, but the mission is to incorporate youth of all ages.

“Anyone who wants to register can come and join. Our focus has been more towards slightly younger [kids] in kind of thinking that it kind of seeds into the high school, but that’s not really the only specific thing,” Lawrence said. “[’Legally Blonde’] is our first show to include high schoolers in that capacity. Most of the shows in the past have been about 14 and younger, and this one is our first to specifically be for the teenager group.”

While working with the youth performers for the current show, Lawrence said the passion for the production was immediately palpable.

“We were looking at doing shows with the older kids, we were asking, ‘What would they want to do? What kind of show would that age group bring in?’ And when talking with the kids that were currently involved and about to age out, a lot of them enthusiastically brought up, well, we should do ‘Legally Blonde.’ They weren’t necessarily pushing for a show for the older kids; they just wanted to do ‘Legally Blonde,’” Lawrence said. “It’s the perfect one to kick off something for the older group specifically.”

The Academy Youth Production series provides students with the experience of learning how to be in a show, and the cast is often made up of youth actors of all skill levels and experience. For Lawrence, he said it’s important to still have a quality standard to meet and show kids what is possible when they come together and work hard in creating a production.

“I don’t like the thought that because it’s youth theater, we don’t need to worry about putting as much into it or worry about it. I really don’t like that, I believe we’re putting on a show, and whether the age group is for adults, we’re going to put our best efforts into it, and we’re going to have a good quality experience, and that’s my overall goal with the programming is that it is a quality theater experience for youth,” he said.

Additionally, the historic Academy of Music Theatre stage gives students who want to pursue art in the future the exposure they need.

“The Academy of Music is a gorgeous historic theater that has been restored. It’s just a beautiful stage, and there’s a lot of pride and joy in being able to perform and be a part of something in such a beautiful, full theater. It’s a big audience, there’s the gorgeous chandelier in there, and we rehearse and perform on a stage where many, many actors have performed on,” said Lawrence. “The experience does get a lot of people involved in arts through those doors that might not otherwise have come into a place like that.”

Tickets for “Legally Blonde Jr.” are available at aomtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 413-584-9032. Ticket prices range from $15.16 to $23.95, including all fees.