I first watched Legally Blonde when it was the only option available on a long distance flight. The movie I thought would definitely not be for me ended up captivating me with a wholesome story, not to mention my favorite breed, the chihuahua!
I was thrilled to discover a chihuahua who starred in a theatrical version of the very same movie we all love. The amazing owner gave us an interview to talk about this puppy. (9 months and a star already!)
Tell us about your pup!
Nova is a 9 month old chihuahua mix! She is about 85% chi according to Wisdom Panel, so almost purebred! She was abandoned by an unknown woman in a closing down rehab center where she left both her dogs without any given reason. A friend of my mom who was currently going there rescued both dogs but could not keep them. I was contacted about Nova and picked her up the same night after work. She an absolutely wonderful little dog. My old childhood dog (a Chihuahua terrier mix. She was only about 39% chi) passed in 2024 around the age of 17, so having another dog in my life has brought me so much joy.
How did you find out about the musical?
I was contacted by my friend who use to go to this high school’s theater program. They had made a post on Facebook taking dog auditions for the role of Bruiser. I was called about it the same night and basically jumped out of my bed. I was immediately accepted for the role once everyone saw her and how well behaved she was!
What specific cues did she need to perform?
She was only in a handful of scenes. The first opening scene of “Omigod You Guys!” She was intended to run on stage into an actress’s arms. She was a bit distracted preforming this task during two of the shows and we resorted to having her either be picked up and taken on stage or walk a shorter distance to the actress. Her other roles where when Elle first arrives in Harvard and is told “No dogs allowed in class” along with a scene near the end during “Legally Blonde Remix” where Elle walks into the hair salon discussing how she is going to quit Harvard. She preformed tricks during intermission. 🙂
How long did she need to practice?
Not long at all! The biggest part was getting acclimated to the new environment. She was already very well socialized by this point but was still getting use to being in such a dark setting with so many new people.
Did anything bother her during the performance?
The only times she had underperformed was the aforementioned running on stage. She isn’t naturally anxious around big groups or people, so that was never an issue. Basically every crew and cast member had picked her up at that point! She still struggles with barking when, mainly children, are running by her. This isn’t a big issue for this specific setting but during intermission and after the show she would bark upon seeing kids run. She’s very good at being corrected about this and is perfectly fine with being handled by kids. Just the running gets her hyped I guess haha.
Favorite treats?
For her training I mainly use Zuke’s mini naturals. Even though they’re already tiny treats, her 8 pound self still needs me to break them apart so she can eat them quickly. She also absolutely loves No-Hide and Greenies.
What’s in the future? Will you try different things with her?
I’m currently working towards her being a therapy dog! She obviously needs a bit more training, certifications, and also be older but it’s something I’ve been starting to work her for already. 🙂 She is incredibly loving to all sorts of people and I think she would do incredible in making people smile while in hospitals or nursing home settings. She already has an immaculate out of sight stay and is responsive to every command I give her.
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