A 25-person company, a ton of pink, two dogs, and a Harvard Law degree.
September 11 through October 18 at the Julia Morgan Theater
BERKELEY, Calif. (September 18, 2026) Berkeley Playhouse opens its 26/27 MainStage season with the fiercely fun feminism of Legally Blonde, the award-winning musical running September 11 through October 18 at the historic Julia Morgan Theater.
Ayani Dorsey (Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar) stars as Elle Woods, the sorority president who gets dumped, talks her way into Harvard Law, and beats a room full of people who assumed she couldn’t. Along the way: a jump-rope courtroom confession, and a Greek chorus that will not leave her alone.
Director No’eau Kahalekulu leads the production, with choreography by Cat Delos Santos Reyes and music direction by Camden Daly.
“If you loved this movie in 2001, I promise it’s even more fun with a live band and an audience. The show moves at a whip fast pace and is full of laughs and seriously impressive dance and vocals.” said Kimberly Dooley, Artistic Director of Berkeley Playhouse. “Legally Blonde defies stereotypes and celebrates female teamwork, empowerment and above all else…authenticity.”
“Elle Woods has been my comfort character since 2001. If she can get into Harvard and keep her sparkle, the rest of us can handle whatever’s in front of us,” said director No’eau Kahalekulu. “We’ve all gotten a little scared to be big and silly and sincere in public lately. This production is an invitation back into it. Like the show says, being true to yourself never goes out of style.”
The world of the production is built by scenic designer Sarah Phykitt, costume designer Ashley Renee, and lighting designer Sophia Craven, backed by a 25-person company of Bay Area performers.
Rounding out the cast on four legs: Latke the Pomeranian makes her theatrical debut as Bruiser Woods, and three-year-old French bulldog mix Stella takes on the scene-stealing Rufus.
Tickets are on sale now at berkeleyplayhouse.org.
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Fact Sheet
CAST
| Ayani Dorsey | Elle Woods |
| Jai Kaushik | Emmett Forrest |
| Elizabeth Curtis | Paulette |
| Milo Boland | Warner Huntington III |
| Grace Margaret Craig | Vivienne Kensington |
| Robert Lopez | Professor Callahan |
| Casey Dela Cruz | Margot |
| Mercedes Dawnte Long | Serena |
| Gabrielle Ocampo | Pilar |
| Jazzy Maestro | Enid Hoopes |
| Heather Mae Steffen | Brooke Wyndham / Courtney / Ensemble |
| Karen Canfield | Gaelen / Chutney / Ensemble |
| Emily Couch | Leilani / D.A. Joyce / Ensemble |
| Leila Brown | Dana / Ensemble |
| Sydney Jacobs Allen | Whitney / Elle’s Mother / Judge / Ensemble |
| Liam Cody | Pforzheimer / Elle’s Dad / Ensemble |
| Kit Town | Kate / Ensemble |
| Will Thompson | Aaron / Grandmaster Chad / Ensemble |
| Maximillian Cordoba | Padamadan / Kiki / Nikos / Ensemble |
| Brendan Thomas | Carlos / Ensemble |
| Austine Delos Santos | Winthrop / Ensemble |
| Sean Hoffman | Lowell / Ensemble |
| Adam Mendez Jr. | Dewey / Kyle / Ensemble |
| Janna Patungan | Ensemble / Swing |
| Keli’i “Kaos” Salvador | Ensemble / Swing |
| Latke | Bruiser |
| Stella | Rufus |
CREATIVE TEAM
| Book | Heather Hach |
| Music and Lyrics | Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin |
| Based on | The novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture |
| Director | No’eau Kahalekulu |
| Music Director | Camden Daly |
| Choreographer | Cat Delos Santos Reyes |
| Assistant Director | Rylee Pitner |
| Scenic Designer | Sarah Phykitt |
| Costume Designer | Ashley Renee |
| Lighting Designer | Sophia Craven |
| Sound Designer | Joshua Price |
| Props Designer | Emily Summers |
| Hair and Makeup Designer | Lyre Alston |
| Intimacy and Fight Choreographer | Bessie Zolno |
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
| Friday, September 11 | 7:00pm Preview | Saturday, September 26 | 7:00pm |
| Saturday, September 12 | 1:00pm Preview | Sunday, September 27 | 2:00pm |
| Saturday, September 12 | 7:00pm Opening Night | Friday, October 2 | 7:00pm |
| Sunday, September 13 | 2:00pm | Saturday, October 3 | 7:00pm |
| Friday, September 18 | 7:00pm | Sunday, October 4 | 2:00pm |
| Saturday, September 19 | 7:00pm | Friday, October 9 | 7:00pm |
| Sunday, September 20 | 2:00pm | Saturday, October 10 | 7:00pm |
| Friday, September 25 | 7:00pm | Sunday, October 11 | 2:00pm |
| Friday, October 16 | 7:00pm Added | Saturday, October 17 | 7:00pm Added |
| Sunday, October 18 | 2:00pm Added, Closing |
Regular schedule is Friday at 7:00pm, Saturday at 7:00pm and Sunday at 2:00pm, plus a 1:00pm matinee on Saturday, September 12 only.
TICKETS, VENUE AND RUN TIME
| Venue | The Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704 |
| Tickets | $22.95 to $49.95including $22.95 Value Seating for patrons who could not otherwise attend |
| Online | berkeleyplayhouse.org |
| Box Office | 510.845.8542 x351, Wednesday to Friday, 11:00am to 4:00pm |
| boxoffice@berkeleyplayhouse.org | |
| Run Time | Approximately 2 hours 20 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission |
| Show Page | berkeleyplayhouse.org/event/legally-blonde/ |
ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES
| Sunday, September 13, 2:00pm | Audio Described with pre-show haptic tour, in partnership with Gravity Access Services |
| Sunday, September 20, 2:00pm | ASL Interpreted, in partnership with The Velvet Hands |
BERKELEY PLAYHOUSE 2026/27 MAINSTAGE SEASON
| Legally Blonde The Musical | September 11 to October 18, 2026 |
| Disney’s Frozen | November 13 to December 23, 2026 |
| Come From Away | February 19 to March 21, 2027 |
| Shrek the Musical | May 21 to June 20, 2027 |
| YouthStage Spotlight Show: Hadestown Teen Edition | July 10 to 18, 2027 |
Key art and promotional images are available on request. Interviews with the artistic and creative team can be arranged through the press contact above. Production photos and captions are available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hhc6X_avymqV6Lvn36_D8HGeOuR_pGJQ?usp=sharing
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