Mass Media and Strategic Communication major Carlin Cochran leads Vanguard’s production of ‘Legally Blonde.’ | Photo Credit / University Relations
Elle Woods is back, this time on a local stage, and she’s just as brilliant, bubbly and blonde as ever! Carlin Cochran, a junior Mass Media and Strategic Communication major from Nunnelly, Tennessee, portrayed the sorority girl-turned-lawyer in Vanguard’s and the UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts’ 2023 production of Legally Blonde: The Musical, which ran from Nov. 2-5. In the following Q&A, Cochran elaborates on her connection to the show, its message, the inner workings of the production and her trajectory in theatre.
What drew you to the material, and what did you find the most compelling?
I’ve loved both the Legally Blonde movie and the musical for several years now. I’ve always loved the story’s message of staying true to yourself and the positive female relationships shown. When I found out we were going to be doing the musical, I knew I wanted to be involved as much as I could be!
How did you discover your passion for theatre?
I have been performing and participating in theatre for as long as I can remember. I began in my community in a local summer children’s theatre program. I’ve always known that I loved performing because I also was frequently invited to sing alongside my dad at various community events. My family has always been a huge artistic influence for me, as my dad is a musician and my aunt was my dance teacher! I stayed involved in theatre throughout my childhood by auditioning for community theatre productions and participating in my middle and high school theatre programs later on. Theatre has always made sense to me, and I knew that my passion would extend further than my community. I’ve been very fortunate to have been so active in the Vanguard Theatre here at UTM!
Though it received middling praise upon release, the original Legally Blonde movie has experienced a reappraisal as an early mainstream feminist text that honors an individual of emphatic femininity defining her power on her own terms and defying the standards of a male-dominated culture. The musical adaptation seems to emphasize this even more. Were these the sentiments you wanted to uphold while participating in a production of it?
Definitely. I think Vivienne’s introduction of Elle at the end of the show truly encapsulates the purpose of the story: “Staying true to yourself never goes out of style.” It was very important to me as an actor to portray Elle’s evolution, but to also keep certain elements of her personality consistent. Elle proves several times during the show that you don’t need to lose your feminine allure to be successful and to be taken seriously. I wanted to also properly portray Elle’s heartbreak when she was not taken so seriously. I think the story is more so about the struggle of stereotyping within the workplace. Elle is indeed the queen of “defying the standards” of a culture that puts her in a box. She not only is able to break out of the box, but she also finds her power by thinking outside of the box. To play Elle, I too had to think outside of the box, and it was an absolute joy to embody the spirit of Elle Woods.
This is a popular role with many predecessors (Reese Witherspoon and the acclaimed stage actresses), and though the vibrant spirit of Elle Woods remained intact, I was impressed with how much you made the role your own while honoring the character. As an actress, how do you balance your own interpretation with prior influences?
When I was studying the other actresses who have portrayed this role, I wanted to steer clear of becoming an impersonator. Elle is also a character that can be constantly adapting to portray certain trends. I hope that the physical style of my Elle came across as a little more modern. There were definitely certain lines that I just decided to remain centered around the choices of a previous actress. Acting is all about making choices, and I chose to make my character a combination of other works I’ve seen, my own personality and someone entirely different.
This is such a grand, intricate musical production with many moving parts. Could you elaborate on how you balanced the acting, singing and choreography as a performer?
It was a whirlwind six weeks of performances, but throughout the process, I just decided that it was important to prove to myself that I could show up to rehearsal every day ready to perform at performance quality. To maintain this, I would eat at the same time every day, and I made sure to take the time to prepare my body before every rehearsal by stretching, hydrating and taking the time to take care of my instrument. For this show, I had to be an athlete physically. I learned a lot about how to sing after vigorous choreography. And much of it, when we reached the final product, was muscle memory. I sometimes have a hard time having only one thing on my mind. I owed it to the iconic character to consistently be making new choices and giving each performance new life and equal effort. It definitely wasn’t easy, but at the end of the day, I’m really proud of myself for proving that I could do it and do it to the best of my ability.
What was it like performing with a live orchestra?
It was such an amazing first-time experience as an actor. I had never done a show with a live band before this, but I think it added so much more life to the story. When we first performed with the band during our Sitz-Probe, I definitely cried when they played the overture for the first time. It was a moment that just further reinforced for me that performing is my greatest passion in life, and theatre really feels like magic in a lot of ways. They were an absolute pleasure to work with, and I can’t say enough about the talent that can be found in the UTM Music Department.
What were you hoping audiences took away from the story?
I hope the audience enjoyed the story as it unfolded and were satisfied with the ending of Elle’s story. It was so encouraging to hear the verbal reactions from the audience throughout the show. We performed for middle and high school students during a morning performance, and it was so encouraging to hear them cheering Elle on from the very beginning!
What was the rehearsal process like?
We rehearsed three hours a night, six days a week for six weeks. That sounds like a lot, but looking back it feels like a blur!
What is on the horizon for you and your theatre journey in college and beyond?
I wish I could give you an easy answer for this, but I’m really not sure! I would like to stay involved as possible throughout college, and beyond that, it is my tentative plan to pursue musical theatre as a career. At some point, I would love to teach theatre at the high school level.
