Producers of a major new tour of the hit Broadway and West End musical Legally Blonde The Musical are on the hunt for a four-legged star to perform in the show at the New Theatre from 20 – 25 November this year.
The show stars two dogs in the cast – a Chihuahua called Bruiser and another called Rufus. Bruiser is already cast and will be on the road with the company but producers are auditioning in Cardiff to find a Rufus that will perform at the New Theatre.
Associate Director David Barrett said: “Legally Blonde The Musical is a show all about stereotypes and not judging a book by its cover and the dogs are no different in this. So whereas ‘Bruiser’ is the cute, tiny, adorable one, with ‘Rufus’ we are looking for the total opposite. We are looking for a big, brutish, dog that only its mother could love – preferably a Bull Dog as in the film but we are certainly open to options.”
Limited audition slots are available place in Cardiff next week and people need to get in touch with the producers in advance if they want their pampered pooch considered for the role, via email to Associate Director David Barrett at [email protected].
If your dog meets these requirements, get in touch now – stardom could be a bones-throw away:
- A British Bulldog or similar – First and foremost we are looking for a British Bulldog as appeared in the Film. We are open to other breeds, but they need to have that look about them. Fairly bullish and robust. Cute and fluffy is not what we are looking for.
- Good temperament – If your dog is relaxed, laid back, good with people and enjoys a good fuss, we would love to hear from you.
- Responsive to Commands – By this we mean if your dog responds to ‘come here’, ‘sit’ etc and doesn’t just wander off doing its own thing, then they could be exactly what we’re looking for. We do not expect ‘Rufus’ to perform tricks.
- Tricks – Having said we do not expect tricks, if your lovable brute has any, we would love to see them. They have 5 minutes to show us what they’ve got. If they’re skills are good enough we could end up using them in the show!
- Experience not essential – but, if your dog has some form of stage experience it will be a huge bonus. Even the most confident of dogs can suddenly be affected by the lights, the band and the huge round of applause they are bound to receive on their big entrance!
The successful mutt will star alongside Wales’ very own Lucie Jones, the EastEnders star Rita Simons and Bill Ward from Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Based on the Reese Witherspoon film, Legally Blonde The Musical earned seven Tony nominations and 10 Drama Desk Award nominations during its Broadway run. In the UK it was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards winning three including Best New Musical, and for eight Whatsonstage Awards winning four including Best Musical.
Tickets for this revival production are available from www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk or from the Box Office on 029 2087 8889.
