Legally Blonde — The Musical will leave you energized with musical message of empowerment

This paid piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Co.

Get ready to fall in love with a favorite 1990s rom-com all over again.

“Legally Blonde – The Musical” continues its three-show run at the Washington Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. today and Thursday. It has been a popular draw – and Tuesday’s opening night easily proved why.

“If you love the movie, you’re going to love the musical,” said James Oblak, who plays Elle Wood’s college boyfriend, Warner Huntington III. “I think it’s a great show that really speaks to a young audience. If you have daughters, this show is about women’s empowerment – and this is coming from the male antagonist character. I love the show for this message. It’s about being yourself and taking a stand.”

Oblak, who originally played the role on tour pre-pandemic, jumped at the chance when it came back this fall.

“I enjoy the role, I enjoy the company, and the timing was nice to not spend winter in New York,” he said. “Warner is the guy who breaks up with Elle, and she chases him to Harvard, and I think I bring humanity to the character. It’s easy to push him away as ‘that guy’ at the beginning of the show. For me, not being that type of person, getting to play that type of person is pretty cool, and it works for me because you can bring both sides to the character.”

Adding music to the much-loved storyline helps expand it even more, he said.

“What’s really special is when a character goes into song, you can see the heart of the character,” he said. “And the musical we’re doing has been adapted for the current age, so we touch on the #MeToo movement, and we bring that in, and we try to make it relevant for an audience today. It has that ’90s rom-com feel, but we touch on subjects important for the audience to see now.”

Mostly, though, get ready to laugh and leave in a good mood.

“The music is upbeat, it’s fun, it’s contemporary,” Oblak said. “If you want a girls’ night out, come and see the show and have fun. Now that the weather is a little off, spend a night in the theater. It will warm your heart and warm you up, and it’s a good show and a good time.”

Bonus: Come to the show a little early tonight, and enjoy a short program called “The Myths and Realities of Law School in Legally Blonde.” Starting at 6 p.m., the program is presented by Dr. Lisa Hager, associate professor of political science in the  School of American & Global Studies at SDSU. The program is free and located in the Everist Gallery.

To reserve your seats for the musical, click here.