World Premiere of "Legally Blonde JR"

Civic Arts’ Youth Theatre Company (YTC) is still reeling from the great honor it recently received. It was chosen from hundreds of companies performing theater for young people to produce the world premiere of Legally Blonde JR., which takes place June 28 at 7 p.m. and June 29 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Del Valle Theatre in Walnut Creek.

“After working hard for years at the JR. Theatre Festival in Atlanta, GA and winning numerous awards, it is thrilling to be chosen to have this very high honor,” says YTC producer Rachel Pergamit. “We’re still pinching ourselves!”

 YTC has been granted special rights from Musical Theatre International’s Broadway Jr., the world’s leading theatrical licensing agency, and iTheatrics, one of the top five Broadway schools for young people in New York. This never performed script is a 70-minute version of Legally Blonde that is appropriate for younger performers and audiences. YTC has a history of producing Broadway JR. scripts with Teen Theatre presenting Beauty and the Beast JR this past April and Junior Theatre presenting The Little Mermaid JR. in May.

“It’s very exciting,” says Rachel. “We’re working directly with Broadway JR. and iTheatrics to produce this pilot script.” Fifty members of YTC’s Jr. Theatre and Teen Theatre make up the cast of the new musical that tells the story of perennially perky Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon in the popular movie of the same name. YTC’s Anna Lyubinina plays the part of Elle.

“Not only is this a great honor for our company, but it’s also a wonderful musical with a good message for young people,” Rachel explains. “Elle really grows as a young woman in this show. When you first meet her, she’s this pampered shop-a-holic who seems to go out-of-her way to hide her intelligence. But when she goes off to Harvard Law School to win back her boyfriend, she uncovers her own hidden talent for the law and the importance of being true to herself.”

To find out more about YTC, go to www.youththeatrecompany.org. For tickets to the June premiere of Legally Blonde Jr., call 925-943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org.