Looking at the creative team behind the Tony Award-winning musical Legally Blonde, it is easy to see why it became an immediate pink phenomenon. People like Jerry Mitchell, the director/choreographer, and Heather Hatch, who wrote the book for the musical, have played significant roles in shaping American cultural icons over the past two decades. Mitchell received an Emmy nomination for his work on the ground-breaking comedy The Drew Carey Show. In addition to Tony nominations for Legally Blonde, his choreography earned him a Tony in 2005 for the revival of La Cage au Folles; and Tonys, Drama Desk Awards and Astaire Awards for both The Full Monty and Never Gonna Dance. Hatch wrote the screenplay for the most recent iteration of the young adult film Freaky Friday, which she is currently adapting for Broadway. Carrying the weight of this musical extravaganza on tour is young actor Becky Gulsvig. Like her character, Elle Woods – who decides to reinvent herself at Harvard Law School after being dumped by her boyfriend for someone “more serious” – Gulsvig’s breezy youthfulness belies the hard-won career of this veteran actor.
SD: I see you graduated from Moorehead High School in Minnesota. Where did you go to college?
BG: I didn’t; I graduated a year early and moved straight out to New York City.
SD:Wow, that was a big move!
BG: Luckily, it went well. I started working pretty much right away and haven’t really stopped.
SD: I guess people who haven’t seen you on stage might recognize you from the television series All My Children.
BG: I played J.R.’s drunk girlfriend for literally a day. But I had a name, so…it was fun.
SD: What is it like doing a show like that?
BG: There was a lot of hurry-up-and-wait. I filmed for two days and there was a lot of hanging out. I would order take-out, pick out wardrobe and hang out for an hour. Then I would help the other guy, who is a regular, learn his lines and hang out for an hour. Then we would do a little of the scene. It was a lot of stop-and-start, but it was cool – definitely something different for me..
SD: Very different from your experience in the theatre.
BG: For sure.
SD: When did you decide theatre was going to be your career?
BG: I grew up watching and really enjoying all the movie musicals like The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Annie and Fiddler on the Roof. Once I figured out you could be in those musicals in real life, I wanted to try it. In fourth grade I played Annie in my first show, braces and all, and I was bitten by the bug. After that I tried to get into everything I could get my hands on. I loved acting and, once I realized you could do it for a living, I thought I should give it a go.
SD: How did your parents respond to your decision?
BG: It was something new for them. I come from a very sports-oriented family on one side, a teacher-oriented on the other, and actors weren’t really part of the game plan. But they recognized it was really important to me and were very supportive. Obviously, I couldn’t have moved to New York at 17 if they weren’t – I would have been a whole other kind of rebel.
SD: Were there a lot of opportunities for you to perform growing up in Moorehead?
BG: The usual stuff: there were plays here and there; and once I got into high school, I auditioned for all the plays they were doing. They had a really great theatre department at my high school. My theatre director also coached forensics – speech and debate – so I did that, which was really helpful and lots of fun. Our speech team was actually the biggest team in the school. Moorehead is a very sports-driven town, but our speech team was over a hundred people strong. It was a great environment to grow up in because other people loved it, too. It wasn’t just me and four friends trying to stick it out. There were a lot of people who shared that passion. In addition, we have a really great performing arts school in Fargo-Moorehead run by the public schools – it was in Fargo when I did it, but they have since moved to a larger space in Moorehead. The school put on huge musicals each summer and brought in designers and directors from New York. They also had all kinds of classes during the day. The unique thing is that it was all outside…they had dance stages out in the sun, so you were out in the fresh air doing what you love. Having that kind of experience and having people come in from elsewhere to guide us was really unique and fun at that age. I wasn’t working professionally, but I got a lot of great experience.
SD: Do you remember any of the directors or designers in particular?
BG: Michael Walling was brought in quite a bit. He teaches at NYU and directs regionally. Living in a small city in the Midwest, it was really quite an experience to have these people come there and share what they know. I was also very fortunate to meet Eddie and Kathy Gasper. Eddie was Bob Fosse’s assistant for many years in New York; Kathy was a ballerina who traveled the world. When they married, they settled down in my hometown and started a dance studio. I got a lot of good dance training from them and some good life experience as well.
SD: Expand on that for me.
BG: They didn’t coddle you and tell you how wonderful you are if you’re doing it wrong. So when I got to New York, it wasn’t as terrifying as it might have been if I had no sense of what it really takes to succeed. If every-one had always told me how amazing I am, who knows how I would have responded to professional criticism. It’s still hard to take, but at least I feel grounded.
SD: Have you studied theatre since you have been in New York?
BG: I’ve been working for ten years, so most of what I know I learned from working. I’ve taken a couple of classes here and there, but for the most part I haven’t had a lot of time. I’ve taken some voice lessons and I try to get into those when I can, but I’ve learned a lot on the job. I want to take classes, but it’s another time commitment. I’m fortunate that I’ve been working for six years straight now since I made my Broadway debut. Things have been a little crazy.
SD: You made your debut in another film-to-stage adaptation – Hairspray.
BG: I was in the ensemble for the first ten months before taking over the role of Amber von Tussle.
SD: Did you have a good time there?
BG: I love Hairspray. It’s always going to be my favorite, just because it was my first and it’s such a great show.
SD: Let’s talk about Legally Blonde. Do you feel a connection to your character, Elle?
BG: I think the interesting thing about trying to compare myself to Elle is that being an actor and being a woman, you are always underestimated. I feel I am constantly having to prove myself. That I can definitely attach to Elle because I know what it’s like to have to climb uphill, stick to my guns and work really hard to prove I belong. As an actor, you can be the lead in the show on Sunday and the next day you’re unemployed and auditioning with everyone else for the next job. It’s very hard, but you learn a lot from it. It’s really a joy to play a character who goes on such a journey.
SD: There have been two Legally Blonde movies. Does the musical follow one or the other, combine elements of both, or is it a new story?
BG: This show is based on the first movie. There aren’t a lot of changes, just some tweaks here and there to make it a little more concise for the stage. A few of the relationships are brought out more. For people who know the film, Elle and Emmett spend more time growing as friends so it makes a little more sense in the end. You also hear more from Paulette the hairdresser and the UPS guy, who has his shining moment that always steals the show.
SD: How have the creators used music and dance in the show?
BG: I think that’s the best part. Larry and Nell (Lawrence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin) are brilliant. The lyrics are so witty and the tunes so catchy, you literally can’t get them out of your head. A lot of the songs are montages that really move the story from one point to the next and take the audience on a great ride in the process.
SD: The old show business bromide about performing with animals is out the window in this production. You are traveling with a couple of dogs for the show.
BG: Bruiser is adorable and has a big part in the show. I love our dogs so much. I can’t imagine now, after almost four years of Legally Blonde, being in a show without the dogs.
SD: How long will you stay with the show?
BG: We close in August, so I’m traveling until then.
SD: You joined this show in New York as the understudy for Elle. Is this your first time on the road?
BG: Actually, my first job was a tour of Peter Pan as Wendy.
SD: When you’re not on stage, what do you do to keep yourself energized every night?
BG: I get tired, but I’m trying to see the sites in each city and eating fun food wherever I am. It’s hard to have a life on tour because the show becomes your life. It’s trickier to find that balance because you can’t go to your own house and do your own things like cook and paint to clear your head. On the road, you’re constantly moving and readjusting – finding out where the nearest CVS is.
SD: Do you have a place in New York?
BG: We actually put all our stuff in storage, so we’re going to find a new place when we get back. My husband, Tyler, travels with me. He sells merchandise in the lobby before and after the show and during intermission. I’m lucky that he is so supportive. He has been on board since I told him I wanted to do this.
SD: Have you all discussed what September will look like for you?
BG: I’m definitely going to take a bit of time off. It’s been awesome, but exhausting. I’ll regroup and attack again. I want to do more theatre…I don’t really feel like I’m working unless I’m singing, dancing and acting. We’ll see what musical I can get my hands on next!
Becky Gulsvig and the company of Legally Blonde The Musical, a production of PNC Broadway Across America – Louisville, will be in Louisville June 8-13 at The Kentucky Center. For tickets and more information, go to www.kentuckycenter.org or call 502.584.7777.