Broadway Baby Barks Again


By Julia Szabo

With the Broadway stagehands' strike now resolved, we checked in with the top dog of the Great White Way: Chico the Chihuahua, stupendous, scene-stealing star of Legally Blonde: The Musical. An alumnus of Associated Humane Societies, Chico the onetime shelter dog plays Bruiser, Elle Woods' faithful pet.
 
Little Chico's big entrance comes in Act 1, Scene 1, when Elle's sorority sisters are wondering where she is. They ask the 8-pound dog a series of questions, and to each one Bruiser barks a response, earning himself an ovation by the end of the interrogation.
 
It's not usually a requirement for actors to sleep with their co-stars, but Chico's trainer William Berloni, top dog of Broadway animal trainers, had an idea that bunking with the actress playing the show's female lead, Laura Bell Bundy, would reinforce the onstage bond between the charismatic canine and his cast-mate. He was right.
 
With no one allowed access to the theater for 19 days straight, Berloni was concerned that, although he continued rehearsing Chico in his living room, the dog would lose his familiarity with the stage environment. "So, nine days into the strike, I brought him to Laura Bell's apartment and they had a sleepover," Berloni explains, "just so he wouldn't forget her as someone important in his life."
 
After the strike was resolved, Berloni was grateful when the stagehands permitted him and Chico five minutes of stage time ahead of anyone else, so they could run through Bruiser's routine. "On Broadway, five minutes is a big deal; the four-hour minimum is a 12-man call," he explains. "The first time we rehearsed, Chico was very unsure. Then we ran it again and a light bulb went off - and ever since, he's been spot-on." 
Birthday ClubNew ArrivalsBest SellersDog BedsCovers & ThrowsDog GatesGift ShopsSale Shop
Comments
Be the first to post a comment!
Post a comment
You must be a member to post comments. Please Log In or Register
Subscribe to this Blog
What does this mean?

Featured Dog Beds at FetchDog :