Inside USC’s Bing Theatre, a sea of pink, elaborate choreography and powerhouse vocals bring to life the world of Elle Woods. But, behind the sparkle is a process defined by dedication and collaboration.
Running from April 2 to April 11, the production — led by director and musical veteran Scott Faris, music director David O and choreographer Dana Solimando — tells the story with a Trojan flair. The show also adds USC-specific moments, including appearances by the Trojan Marching Band. The USC alterations were approved by Amanda Brown, the author of the book the film was based on and a USC alumna.
For sophomore musical theater major Lydia Berckley, who plays Elle Woods, the journey feels extraordinarily special.
Berckley described an intense audition process involving multiple rounds of callbacks, auditioning with over 200 students. After weeks of preparation, she opened the cast list wearing what she calls her “lucky pajamas.”
“I’m literally on top of the world,” Berckley said, recalling the moment she found out she was cast as Elle. “There are still moments when I’m just like — this is unreal.”
“I called everyone I knew,” she said.
More than 100 students across USC, including those from the School of Dramatic Arts, Thornton School of Music and School of Cinematic Arts, are contributing to the show, both on stage and behind the scenes. .
“Everyone is so incredibly talented and we’ve worked so hard,” said Francis Faye, who plays Emmett, Elle’s love interest and a teaching assistant at Harvard. “It’s a show you wouldn’t want to miss.
That collaboration extends beyond performance. The production’s design and technical teams — led largely by women — play a central role in shaping the world of the show, reflecting the musical’s themes of female empowerment.
“This production is a showcase of the best work USC is going to see,” said production manager Kaitlyn Chaidez.
The production has also attracted attention beyond campus. Actress Lexi Minetree, set to play Elle Woods in Amazon Prime’s upcoming “Elle” series, was confirmed to attend the performance in an Annenberg media interview—.
For Berckley, stepping into the character of Elle Woods has meant more than learning lines and choreography. It required her to build the character from the inside out.
Berckley has taken a meticulous approach, analyzing the script line by line, tracking character motivations and even journaling questions about Elle’s life. From her relationships to her personal identity.
“I’ve been using everything I’ve learned in my acting classes to completely embody this role,” she said.
That process revealed a deeper understanding of the character, one that goes beyond the surface-level image of Elle as a bubbly, fashion-obsessed student.
“On the outside, you see all this fluff and pink,” Berckley said. “But she’s so much more than that. She keeps getting knocked down, and she never lets that stop her.”
That emotional arc is reinforced through the show’s music, which Berckley says reflects Elle’s transformation.
“There’s a motif tied to love,” she said. “At first, everything she does is for Warner — but then it shifts. Law becomes what matters most to her.”
The cast emphasizes that the mental and physical demands are worth it — not just for audiences, but for the performers themselves.
“Even if you don’t like musical theater, you’ll be able to find something you like or relate to in this show,” said Keira Weiss, who plays Vivienne.
For Berckley, the experience of leading the production as a sophomore has been transformative.
“I feel like I’m learning so much from everyone around me,” she said. “It’s just so amazing to be surrounded by people who are this talented and this kind.”