Like the character Elle Woods she plays in Wagon Wheel Theatre’s production of “Legally Blonde,” Mary Little was warned by some not to go into her chosen profession. And like Elle, Little is determined to make it on her own terms. “Legally Blonde” opened Wednesday night and continues through June 30. Little is from Grand Rapids, Mich. She’s going into her senior year at the University of Michigan, where she’s studying musical theater. She grew up doing theater in Grand Rapids. “I just loved it. It was my passion. Going into college I just knew it was exactly what I wanted to do – to sing, dance, act. And sure enough I’m doing it, and it’s great. And it’s so much and I’m very blessed to go to the school that I do,” Little said during an interview Monday afternoon. She had to face some detractors along the way, however. “All the time. People still do, but I think that’s part of the fun of theater in a way. There’s no guarantee of what’s going to happen. The entertainment industry just kind of picks you up and you go with it rather than you getting to decide what it is that you want to do. But, they have and yet, I think I can pull that same feeling to the character in a way,” she said. This summer is Little’s second season at the Wheel. In 2011, she played the mean Amber in “Hairspray”, and Mary Jane, Huck Finn’s love interest, in “Big River.” “She’s super girly in every way possible,” Little described Elle, “but she’s very determined. I think she has similar girliness to the character that I played, Amber. But she’s unlike any character I’ve ever really played mostly because she’s similar to me, which is hard to do in a lot of ways. It’s a great part. Very determined girl who just defies all rules of stereotypes and really just shows everyone who doubted her who she really is.” If you’ve seen the movie “Legally Blonde,” which the musical is based on, starring Reese Witherspoon, Little says you know who Elle Woods is. “Very similar. The exact same character in every way,” Little said. It’s also a role Little has wanted to play since seeing the movie. “Since high school probably. I remember the musical came out ... and I was in high school when I first watched some clips come out on YouTube, and I remember watching it, being like, ‘Oh! That would be such a great part to play some day,’ and sure enough I get to be in a great theater with great people and get to play my dream role,” Little said. The characters from the film version also make it to the musical version, along with at least one new one. There are Elle's friends in Delta Nu - Margo, Serena and Pilar. They’re super girly sorority girls who cheer Elle up whenever she’s feeling in the dumps, Little said. Paulette was played by Jennifer Coolidge in the movie. She owns a salon and becomes a really good friend with Elle when she goes to Harvard. She also is one of Elle’s biggest supporters. “She’s a one true friend I think Elle has at the school who believes in her,” Little said. Then there’s Emmett. He’s Elle’s supervisor, a licensed lawyer and works with one of Elle’s professor, Little said. He takes Elle under his wing and helps her study and get to work and focuses her on studying rather than her love interest. Speaking of love interests, there’s Warner who breaks Elle’s heart at the start of the show. Vivian then becomes Warner’s girlfriend. “A lot of characters that are in the movie are in the show,” Little said. “So anybody who is a big fan of the movie will definitely be happy to see the characters back in the show.” In a way, Little says, the overall theme is female empowerment, as well as staying true to yourself and not ever thinking less of yourself because someone else does. “I think the moral at the end of the show is that Elle kind of defies stereotypes and though people didn’t believe in her, she kind of showed them,” Little said. The movie “Legally Blonde” had sequels and the Broadway musical come after it because of its popularity. Little attributes a lot of its success to the character of Elle. “I think Elle Woods is such a likeable character in a lot of ways. She’s just super girly, but she’s so kind and determined and feisty,” Little said. “I think just the overall humor of the show is something that people will really connect with the most, but it has so much heart, too, which the movie captures so well. It’s captured well in the show, too. It’s definitely a similar feeling to what the movie gives you – where it’s a good well-rounded story that makes you feel good when you leave, so I think people will be excited to see that same thing come out.” Most of the show is song and dance, she said. “It’s been so much fun in every way. I just get to sing my heart out for a lot of the show,” Little said. “There’s a song toward the end of the first act called ‘So Much Better,’ which is just kind of a put-it-there kind of song. She’s speaking to all her doubters, people who didn’t believe in her, and her love interest at the beginning of the show, Warner, and she’s kind of telling him off. It’s a great song to sing.” Little is here this season through the fourth show, “Chicago,” but “Legally Blonde” is her biggest role. Monday, she was a combination of nervous and excited about opening night Wednesday. “It’s a combination of both,” she said. “It’s always good to be a little nervous before the opening of a show because I think it helps you perform better a little bit. If anything, this is such a cool part to play and I’m just excited to hear people laughing and reacting to it, so I think the overall feeling is excitement.”To see Little’s interview in its entirety, check out the Times-Union website at www.timesuniononline.com and go to video. Videos can be viewed without a Times-Union subscription. Tickets for “Legally Blonde” at the Wagon Wheel range from $16 to $34. Discounts are available for college students and on designated performances for seniors. For more information, visit wagonwheeltheatre.org or call 574-267-8041.
