Morgan Kitching, the young star of ‘Legally Blonde – The Musical’ has been nominated for two prestigious Zony Awards last week.

Kitching is nominated for ‘Best Leading Female in a Musica’l and ‘Best Leading Female in a Youth Production’ for her outstanding performances in two shows.

The Zony Awards which will be held in November, celebrate excellence in performance and production within the Musical Theatre New Zealand Zone Two Region which includes the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Gisborne.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be nominated! It’s an honour to be in the same category as some of these amazing performers,” said Kitching. “I wasn’t expecting one nomination, let alone two… so it was quite a surprise.”

This is Morgan’s fourth Zony nomination, after winning ‘Best Leading Female in a Youth Production’ for her role in ‘Newsies Junior’ in 2023.

Zony nominee Brendan Weatherley as Professor Callahan (left) with Harvard law students and Morgan Kitching (right). Photo / Alisha Taylor

Toni Henderson, Director of ‘Legally Blonde – The Musical’, shared her excitement about Kitching’s news.

“It’s a testament to Morgan’s hard work and talent that she’s been nominated twice for a Zony. It’s rare to be nominated for two shows in one year, especially as a lead – so that speaks volumes about how good she is.”

At just 18 years old, Kitching is already making a name for herself in New Zealand’s musical theatre scene.

Having recently graduated from Mount Maunganui College, she’s focusing on two major musical productions this year.

Morgan Kitching and James Paki as new love interest, Emmett Richmond. Photo / Alisha Taylor

In February, Morgan represented New Zealand at the Junior Theatre Festival in California and New York, an incredible honour that saw her perform alongside some of the best young musical theatre talents from around the world.

“I’m so passionate about musical theatre and I’m thoroughly enjoying the fun of bringing Elle Woods to life in ‘Legally Blonde’,” said Kitching.

“There’s a lot of dialogue, songs and dancing to learn as my character is on stage for most of the show – but I love every moment of it!”

“In addition to Morgan, we’re incredibly lucky to have several cast and crew members from ‘Legally Blonde’ nominated for Zony Awards,” Henderson said.

“This includes Brendan Weatherley, Matthew Karton, Hiro Kabayashi, Kelsey Andrew, Gareth Wallis and Benji Wallis. The level of professionalism in Tauranga’s musical theatre scene is extremely high and one of the main reasons why our Stage Right Trust shows continue to be successful.”

‘Legally Blonde – The Musical’ is based on the 2001 book and movie which starred Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. The original movie was a box-office hit, grossing over $140 million worldwide. Due to its ongoing popularity, a prequel TV series titled Elle is currently being filmed by Amazon Prime.

The Broadway version of ‘Legally Blonde’ opened in 2007 and was nominated for seven Tony Awards. The show made its West End debut in London in 2010, winning three Laurence Olivier Awards. Since then, the musical has been produced in countries including Australia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, China, Sweden, Brazil and Spain.

 Zony nominee Matthew Karton as Kyle O’Boyle with previous Zony winner Mel Nicholson as Paulette Bonafonté, and Manu the dog who plays Rufus. Photo / Alisha Taylor

The musical follows Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. However, as she navigates her new academic world Elle discovers her passion for law and successfully defends fitness mogul Brooke Wyndham in a high-profile murder trial. Throughout the show, Elle’s determination and spirited sense of self surprises those who doubt her abilities.

“If you want to see Morgan shine in her role as Elle Woods, don’t miss ‘Legally Blonde – The Musical’,” Henderson said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s nominated again in 2026 for this role. She’s absolutely nailing bringing the delightful, hilarious and heartfelt character to life.”

Legally Blonde opens this Saturday July 26 and runs until Saturday August 2 at Baycourt. To buy tickets go to www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/legally-blonde-the-musical/tauranga