LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL to Return to Rhinebeck with CENTERstage Productions

CENTERstage Productions will present Legally Blonde The Musical, running June 5-28, 2026, at The CENTER for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck. Featuring a book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, the musical is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the beloved Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture.

For The CENTER, this production is more than just the return of a crowd-pleasing favorite. It is also a reflection of the organization's ongoing commitment to honoring its past while continuing to evolve for the future.

When Legally Blonde was first produced at The CENTER in 2012 with Up In One Productions under the direction of Kevin Archambault, current Managing Director Kerry Dotson, Creative Director Olivia Michaels Bogert, and Director of Education Victoria Howland were all members of the cast. Fourteen years later, the three now lead the organization and have chosen to bring the musical back to the stage at a pivotal moment in The CENTER's history.

Over the last several years, The CENTER's leadership team has worked to preserve the organization's long-standing role as a cultural cornerstone in the Hudson Valley while also expanding artistic opportunities, embracing new voices, and finding innovative ways to ensure the theater's future.

Directed by Emily Woolever with musical direction by Matthew Woolever and choreography by Jordan Stroly, the production features a cast of nearly thirty performers from across the Hudson Valley.

While known for its infectious score, energetic choreography, and laugh-out-loud comedy, Legally Blonde continues to resonate because of its central message about self-worth, resilience, and refusing to be defined by other people's expectations.

The musical follows Elle Woods, whose seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner leaves for Harvard Law School. Determined to prove herself, Elle follows him to Harvard, where she discovers strengths she never knew she had and learns that success means defining herself on her own terms.

The production stars Megan Leigh Johnson as Elle Woods and Wendell Scherer as Emmett Forrest, alongside Katie-Beth Anspach, Mary Kate Barnett, Kaeli Heffner, Cedric James, Daniel Jules, Amber McCarthy, Liz Prado, Abbey Ressa Siojo, Ryan Simmons, Regan Zlotnick, and a talented ensemble of local performers.

Don't Miss a Central New York News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...