Legally Blonde feature on Rogers TV’s Your Region This Week | Drayton Entertainment 2023
	TEXT ON SCREEN: 
Your Region This Week with Anandi Carroll-Woolery	
AUDIO	VIDEO	
ANANDI CARROLL-WOOLERY: Hello and welcome to your region this week. I'm Anandi Kara Woolery, Drayton entertainments Youth Academy is getting ready for their presentation of Legally Blonde at the St. Jacobs country Playhouse. Let's take a look at the rehearsal.	Anandi Carroll-Woolery sits in a TV studio and speaks to the camera.	
	FOOTAGE ON SCREEN: 
Legally Blonde rehearsal on stage.	
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Favour Arisekola-Ojo: The cast is doing a great job with memorizing their lines, everything that they've already done before and crew is working so hard with props, wardrobe, sets, everything. Everyone's doing a great job. There's been hours and hours of hard work and dedication from both cast and crew. Everyone's working really hard. And I think the show's in about a week. It's pretty close. But everyone's working so hard to be ready for them and to be ready to show it to friends, family, whoever comes out to see it.	Favour Arisekola-Ojo speaks to an off-screen interviewer.
	
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david connolly: We've been planning this for years, and the pandemic kind of halted our efforts, obviously. And now we are so excited to finally get to bring 50 high school kids from 15 different high schools together to learn about theatre, but more importantly, learn about themselves and feel like they belong, feel like they can contribute, learn self worth all the parallel life skills that go along with arts education. 

So, this is a really intensive period on purpose. We've tried to mirror a professional production rehearsal schedule as best we can, and so although they're rehearsing at night, and on the weekends, it equals about the same amount of time as if they were in a professional Drayton Entertainment production. So it is intensive on purpose, so that they can really feel what it might feel like should they go on to do this as a career.	David Connolly speaks to an off-screen interviewer.

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Favour Arisekola-Ojo: I met David once before. He actually came to my school as like just to come like talk to us. And like meet it was just a bunch of students and everything. And I met him and his personality and like the way he is around people is so inspiring. And he's so kind, just a great person. People were talking about Legally Blonde and, like, interviewing or auditioning for it. And I was, like, I want to see what's happening. It's a great opportunity. And so I went ahead and I met David. Such a kind person, and it just made me want to join this even more.	Favour Arisekola-Ojo continues speaking to the camera.
	
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David Connolly: There are 50 kids. That means 50 families, that means 50 rides, 50 schedules, 50, you know, universes that have to come together. But that's what theatre is. Theatre is about a common goal, which is to uplift the audience. And so once we have, no matter how many we have involved, to have that common goal of making someone feel better, all of a sudden, things just start to work out. And that's what's happened here.  

We chose Legally Blonde because its themes are so relevant to today's teenagers. It's about destroying stereotypes. It's about being true to who you are. And today for teens, especially post-pandemic, have been through so much. And they're dealing with social media, and they're dealing with body image issues. And like all of the things that this show says, stay true to yourself, and it will all work out. And that's what happens in the musical, and that's what I hope happens for these kids.	David Connolly continues speaking to the camera.
	
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Favour Arisekola-Ojo: I'm looking forward to having a future with the academy. I've had like - this is my first time here first year. And I've met so many new people and made so many new connections with some amazing people and some very talented people. So yeah, I'm excited and looking forward to continuing my journey with Drayton.	Favour Arisekola-Ojo continues speaking to the camera.
	
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David Connolly: DraytonEntertainmentYouthAcademy.com is going to tell you everything about this show. It's going to tell you about our March Break camps, it's going to tell you about our classes that are coming up, and our summer camps. So there's lots going on, lots of opportunities to belong, and to learn about yourself by learning through the arts. 

Or, if you're coming to the performance, you're going to win twice. You're going to win by being entertained, and you're going to win by being inspired by kids who are risking failure. This is live theatre. 

It's like figure skating. It's like you just can't believe it's happening before your eyes, and with kids who have limited experience because of the pandemic. They are going to risk everything for your benefit to make you feel better. And so coming not only supports you and your mental health, but it supports their dreams coming true because no one wants to perform to their cousins again. So let's, you know, get these houses as full as we can.	David Connolly continues speaking to the camera.
	
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Favour Arisekola-Ojo: Come see Legally Blonde! You're gonna have a great time. Hopefully, you feel inspired and entertained.	Favour Arisekola-Ojo continues speaking to the camera.
	
	TEXT ON SCREEN: 
Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy website
draytonentertainmentyouthacademy.com