Were you in a sorority? I wasn’t.  I rushed during my first weeks in college. I was curious to see what all this Pan-Hellenic business was all about but quickly realized that I wasn’t the sorority type.

What is the sorority type? If it’s not me, then it certainly is Elle Woods.

Elle is the heroine of the 2001 film comedy Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, and a Broadway show, Legally Blonde, the Musical, inspired by the movie. Walnut Creek-based Diablo Theatre Company is bringing the show to the Lesher Center for the Arts, starting Friday, and is very excited to have Bailey Hanks playing Elle Woods. 

Hanks starred as Elle on Broadway, filling the stiletto pumps of a heroine who represents all the stereotypes of the sorority girl. Elle is blonde, pretty, loves the color pink and is fanatical about fashion.

To the wicked delight of some of us non-sorority types – who envy Elle’s seemingly perky life -- she gets something of a comeuppance early in the show. She gets dumped by her Harvard Law-bound boyfriend who proclaims that she’s not “serious” enough.

The show is about Elle proving to her boyfriend, all the rest of us, and ultimately herself that she is anything but a stereotype. She nails the LSATs, gains admission to Harvard Law and emerges as a star student.

Legally Blonde’s Elle belongs in that American tradition of golden-haired leading ladies – Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Born Yesterday’s Billie Dawn -- who defy the label of “dumb blonde” and demonstrate cores of brains, heart and moxie.

“Life is full of tough times, so just toss the hair, gloss the lips, and put on your best shoes and snap back up.” So says Elle, explaining her motto of “Bend and Snap” in response to life’s challenges. Elle also believes that a confident smile can help a girl face any situation with grace and style.

You can read Elle’s “Tips for Being Totally Fabulous” on the Diablo Theatre Company website. And, yes, she really does believe everyone can look pretty in pink and advises people to follow their instincts. "I’m not saying that your instincts will always be right, but more often than not, they are. Trust me. When it comes to taking risks, don’t go all crazy (avoid 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioners at all cost)."

During the run of Legally Blonde, the Musical through March 3, Hanks will do audience Q&As following the following shows: Friday, Feb. 10; Thursday, Feb. 23, and Thursday, March 1.

For tickets and showtimes, call (925) 943-SHOW (7469) or visit www.lesherartscenter.org.

Martha Ross, former editor of Walnut Creek Patch, provides PR for the Lesher Center for the Arts and the Diablo Regional Arts Associaiton.