Moline’s Lyman lives for new ‘Legally Blonde’

In her first role at Moline’s Spotlight Theatre in nearly five years, Liv Lyman was fated to play the iconic Elle Woods in a new production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”

The feel-good, pretty-in-pink show opens Friday, Feb. 16 at Spotlight, 1800 7^th Ave., Moline.

Lyman was in the 2014 Music Guild production of the show, as Margot. She’s been a huge fan of the movie (starring Reese Witherspoon) and even bigger fan of the musical.

The 2007 musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach. It is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name.

The show tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and she successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial, according to a synopsis. Throughout the show, very few characters have faith in Elle, but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.

Lyman said Tuesday it’s easy to stereotype and “put people in boxes, whether we knowingly do that or not. I think that me going to attend Purdue and then get my master’s and do well in that, and become the best I can be in my professional career — Elle Woods has always been a spirit animal of mine,” she said.

“Throughout my collegiate career and professional career I have channeled that. You can be silly and fun and you can be smart and successful,” Lyman said.

She works as a crisis counselor at Robert Young Center, based in Rock Island, including telehealth throughout the region. Lyman previously was an outpatient therapist for Robert Young for two years.

She sees a bit of overlap between her social work career and theater. “Being able to improvise in conversation, because sometimes you don’t know what people are gonna say,” Lyman said. “Growing up doing theater has been so helpful in my professional career, because I’ve worked with all types of people in all types of settings.”

“It’s a nice outlet — especially working as a crisis counselor,” she said of theater. “Work is tough some days, so it’s nice to come here and leave it all at the door and leave it all on stage.”

“It’s been so much fun — the cast is amazing, the staff is amazing,” she said of “Legally Blonde.”

The musical has a more of an emphasis between Elle and teaching assistant Emmett (compared with the film), director Rebecca Casad said. “He gets a backstory song all his own.”

Lyman recalled seeing the Circa ’21 version in 2012. She, Sara Wegener, Becca Johnson and Spotlight co-owner Sara Tubbs were all in the Music Guild version. Tubbs is producing the current Spotlight show.

“Revisiting it has been so much fun, all in different roles,” Lyman said.  She played Miss Honey in Spotlight’s “Matilda” in 2019, her only previous Spotlight show. She’s been in 15 at Music Guild.

Getting to play the lead Sophie in Music Guild’s 2021 “Mamma Mia” also was a theater highlight.

“That’s gonna be the hardest one to beat for a while,” Lyman said, noting that was Guild’s first in-person show after COVID shutdowns. “It was such a sense of community with the audience as well, was very celebratory.”

Lots of girl power

Of the 30-person Spotlight cast, it’s definitely a female heavy show, Casad said, but there is an ensemble of guys.

She graduated from Augustana in 2022 and works at Group O as an IT business analyst. Casad is close with fellow Augie alum Noah Hill, who plays Emmett and directed her in Spotlight’s “The Lightning Thief” and the “SpongeBob SquarePants” musical. The pair co-directed and co-starred in “title of show” last July at Moline’s Black Box Theatre.

She directed “Medea” at Augustana as a senior. Casad wasn’t a big “Legally Blonde” fan before going into direct the new version, and then binge-watched all the content.

“It’s a blast,” she said of the musical. “It’s about women being strong, proud of themselves and confident, and I love pink, so that helps too. It seemed like an amazing opportunity to bring forth the values I hold dear in my personal life, to the stage and audiences as well.”

“I’ve always been interested in directing — that was my main focus when I did theater at Augustana,” Casad said. “Getting settled after graduating and into my career, this is the first time I’ve had time to really dedicate to directing.”

She can’t compare directing to performing — the former is more “project management,” Casad said. “It’s a lot of problem solving and logistics and creativity. I feel like as an actor on stage, there’s more in the moment. You’re there connecting with people on stage and with an audience.

“As a director, you’re trying to facilitate for the actors to be able to do that,” she added.

Casad has learned a lot from Hill as a director, “knowing when to pull back and look at the big picture,” she said. “I’m trying to channel that. I’m a pretty intense person compared to Noah. That’s what you need to get the job done.”

Comedy and energy

“Legally Blonde” is such a fun, light show and Casad loves its comedy and energy.

“I love seeing the actors on stage — they bring so much energy and joy,” she said. Casad said she knew the second Lyman auditioned that she was perfect for Elle.

“You have such a genuineness to you that comes across every second you’re on stage,” the director said to Lyman. “I think it’s easy for Elle Woods as a character to be played as somebody who is airy and not fully grounded as a person. But I think that’s essential to her.

“She has to feel real and genuine and have depth, and you’ve brought that every second, to everything,” Casad said of her star, noting Elle is not a stereotypical “dumb blonde.”

“You never play Elle as someone who isn’t aware of what she’s doing and where she’s going,” she added. “We see Elle grow, honestly, the whole time.”

Lyman had never met Casad before “Legally Blonde,” and she treasures the friendships and family that form in each show. “I feel like I could call up anyone in the cast and ask, ‘Do you want to get coffee?’ or ‘I’m having an emergency with this, can you help?’ And anyone would be willing to lend a hand.”

“We have such a wide community here at Spotlight,” Casad agreed. “I think that’s really cool — it’s such a melting pot of different ideas about what theater can be. You can really see that come through.”

Elle’s dog Bruiser (often played by a Chihuahua) is played by a puppy Dachshund (whose real name is “Branch Manager Tugboat Meatloaf, nicknamed Tug), owned by Spotlight veteran cast member Nancy Teerlinck (who also was in the 2014 Music Guild version).

“He’s just precious,” Lyman said. “Just adorable.”

“He’s the cutest puppy I’ve ever seen,” Casad said. He’s in about four scenes, usually held by somebody. Teerlinck’s other dog, Spud the Basset Hound, is also in the show as Paulette’s dog Rufus.

“Legally Blonde” will be performed at 7 p.m. Feb. 16, 17, 23 and 24, and 2 p.m. Feb. 18 and 25. Tickets are $27 (floor seating) and $22 (stadium seating), available HERE.

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