Young performers prepare for 'Legally Blonde the Musical JR.' at Mahaffey Theatre

Young performers prepare for 'Legally Blonde the Musical JR.' at Mahaffey Theatre

As 12-year-old aspiring performer Emma Jenkins entered a recent rehearsal for Legally Blonde The Musical JR., she was excited to learn from a long-time Broadway professional, the original show's Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As 12-year-old aspiring performer Emma Jenkins entered a recent rehearsal for Legally Blonde The Musical JR., she was excited to learn from a long-time Broadway professional, the original show's Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy. 

"I'm completely star-struck. She's amazing," Jenkins said. "Learning different points from her, like I learned more stuff about my character so I could perform the character even better."

Bell Bundy spent four hours with the cast of over 50 performers, ranging from ages 8-18. As the cast rehearsed the early numbers of the play, she spent time critiquing movements, line delivery and character motivations. 

"I love that I get to say, hey, I think you're all good. Now, I get to make you great," Bell Bundy said. "I get to tell you these secrets that I've learned over these years."

Jenkins is playing Margot, one of the members of the Delta Nus sorority. Bell Bundy describes the character as an airhead and encouraged Jenkins to lean into that characteristic, especially when it comes to delivery. During the workshop, she suggested raising the pitch of Margot's voice as she delivers sets of lines. 

"One, two, three. Comedy happens in threes," Bell Bundy explained. 

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When working with this show's Elle Woods, Bell Bundy focused on where the performer should be looking during part of the song "Omigod You Guys", suggesting that she looks forward first to addressing a mirror before addressing her friends by her side. 

"I think everyone's going to have a betterment in their acting and in their singing," Jenkins said. 

Having the Bell Bundy in the building for rehearsals and as part of a fundraiser for the Bill Edwards Foundation For The Arts last Friday evening also served as a reminder for many of the performers' long-term goals. Bell Bundy played Elle Woods on Broadway from 2007-08, in addition to having multiple other Broadway and television roles throughout her career. 

"It reminds me that I want to be just like her because she's a Broadway performer, and every person that wants to do musical theater, that's the dream when they grow up, and that's what I want to do," Jenkins said. 

The three-week musical theater summer camp is held by the Bill Edwards Foundation for The Arts. This is the third year it's being held, following Seussical The Musical JR. in 2023 and The Little Mermaid JR. in 2024. A handful of the cast have participated each year. Edwards says half of the campers have received some kind of scholarship from the nonprofit in order to attend. 

"The arts are important to the whole community," Edwards said. "It gives them the opportunity to stand before a crowd and be able to get stronger as they go along." 

The camp wraps up with a pair of performances, Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Mahaffey Theatre at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts. Tickets are $27.