Omigod you guys! The fine arts department will turn the CVPA pink when they present “Legally Blonde: The Musical” May 9-11. Sophie Gomez, freshman, will take on the iconic role of Elle Woods as she follows the love of her life to Harvard only to find the career of her life instead.

“This is my dream role,” Gomez said. “I’ve been singing the songs since I was 8.”

When choosing which musical to produce, Jamie Pringle, theater director, and Mason Barlow, choir director, took into consideration the students they had and what story they could best tell.

“We looked at the students and tried to build a show around them,” Barlow said. “We wanted to work with the talent that we have.”

Once they settled on “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” Pringle and Barlow then had to find their Elle.

“We were looking for someone with a bubbly personality who could hit those high notes and be a respectable leader,” Barlow said.

Gomez has been participating in community theater since 2016 and has been in over 20 productions. And though she is feeling the pressure, “especially as a freshman,” she is dedicated to the role.

“I’m in theater this year but even if I wasn’t, I would have auditioned for this role,” she said. “I’ve been going through the songs and watching the musical and the movie to get into character. To bring Elle Woods to life I’m just going to be my happy self.”

In addition to the students on stage, the crew has been working overtime to prep props, costumes, lights and more. A job made more difficult without the use of the auditorium due to construction.

“We’ll build here, load everything up, and transport it to the CVPA,” Alfredo Tamayo, tech director, said. “Costumes and props will also be done here and then we’ll load that up too to take it to the CVPA. Lights can’t be done until we’re at the CVPA.”

The costumes are especially important as Elle’s signature blonde hair and love of pink are quintessential to the character.

“By using costumes we can bring the characters to life,” costume co-head Gissell Salgado, senior, said.

To accomplish this, Salgado and fellow costume co-head Ny Lewis, junior, are using the both the movie and Broadway stage production as inspiration.

“We want to be as accurate as possible so the actors can feel like they are in character,” Lewis said.

Helping to wrangle all the moving parts as the assistant director is Jessica Johnson, senior.

“I am working with both directors closely on the show, and working with the stage manager, tech, and actors,” she said.

As theater president and a crew head on every production since her sophomore year, Johnson was ready for the responsibility.

“I think the most important thing I’ve learned so far is to include everyone and every opinion, and work together,” she said.

“Legally Blonde: The Musical” will be performed at 7 p.m., May 9 and 10, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. May 11 at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts. General seating tickets are $15 and can be purchased by scanning the QR code. Discounted $10 tickets for AISD students and employees are only available at the door.