FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 31, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 41
buzz
Bayside resident stars in ‘Legally Blonde
– The Musical’ at Hofstra University
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
A Bayside resident and Hofstra
University student is ready to hit the stage
in his newest role in “Legally Blonde –
Th e Musical.”
Hofstra senior Sam Kaufman is currently
starring as Professor Callahan in his
college’s production of the award-nominated
Broadway show. Th e show follows
sorority girl Elle Woods, who enrolls in
Harvard Law to win back the aff ections of
her ex-boyfriend. Th rough her struggles
with peers, professors and her ex, the protagonist
learns her true potential and sets
out to prove herself to the world.
Th e fi rst performance of the show was
on Friday, Oct. 25. Additional performances
will be on Friday, Nov. 1, at 8
p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m.; and
Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m.
Kaufman started his performing career
doing commercials when he was 2 and
3 years old. He went to a performing
arts high school, where he appeared in
productions of “Romeo and Juliet” and
“Ragtime,” as well as other shows in summer
camp.
“And I’ve continued to perform up until
now, my senior year of college,” said
Kaufman, who has appeared in shows
like “Th e 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee,” “Hamlet,” “Hair” and “Th e
Dream of a Common Language.”
In his latest role, he plays Professor
Callahan, a professor at Harvard Law and
one of the show’s main antagonists.
“Professor Callahan is a very imposing
character. He holds a lot of power. He’s the
law professor at Harvard University and
he takes a lot of pride in it. He’s maybe not
the nicest guy or the most morally right
but he knows what the law is and what he
can get out of it,” Kaufman said.
To prepare for the role, Kaufman
told QNS that he approached playing
Professor Callahan like any character he
would play.
“I just saw the areas in which I could
connect to him and just enjoy playing
him,” he said.
Hofstra senior Camryn Graves as Elle
Woods and Irving as Bruiser.
Auditions for the show began at the end
of his junior year, where students were
asked to prepare a comedic, contemporary
monologue and a 32-bar cut of musical
theater song. Kaufman recalls auditioning
with “All I Care About is Love”
from “Chicago.”
“Th en callbacks were a week or so later.
Th en a week or so aft er callbacks, we did
a dance call for some parts, like Professor
Callahan,” he shared.
When the school’s Department of
Drama and Dance put up the cast list, he
saw that he got the part.
“I am very excited. Musicals are always
a lot of fun,” Kaufman told QNS. “Th e
last one I was in was ‘Hair’ about two
years ago, but this one is really just a fun
time for the whole family. It’s a great energy
and I really can’t wait to do it tonight.”
He added, “Th e cast of the show has
worked so incredibly hard, especially
Camryn who’s playing Elle Woods. She
is doing an outstanding job and I think I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention that.”
Kaufman, who majors in performance
with a minor in musical theater, said that
he intends to pursue acting aft er graduating.
He considers himself “pretty wellversed”
in both fi lm and theater and plans
to “travel between both worlds.”
“It’s just so fun to get a part, memorize
the lines and get a reaction. Just fi nd the
fun of it, even if you have a part with two
lines. I’ve had parts with two or three lines
at Hofstra and I just fi nd a way to have fun
with it and really just enjoy every minute
on stage. It’s really just an incredible experience
for me,” Kaufman said.
“Legally Blonde – Th e Musical” is currently
playing at Hofstra’s Toni and Martin
Sosnoff Th eater at the John Cranford
Adams Playhouse. Tickets are $10 or $8
for seniors 65 and older. Members of the
Hofstra community are eligible for two
free tickets with a current HofstraCard.
For tickets and information, call the
Hofstra Box Offi ce at 516-463-6644 or
purchase tickets online at www.hofstratickets.
com. If seats are still available on
the day of the performance, tickets will
be sold at the door beginning 90 minutes
prior to showtime.
Free tickets for members of the Hofstra
community must be picked up at the box
offi ce; they are not available online.
Hofstra senior Camryn Graves as Elle Woods and Irving as Bruiser.
Lead photo courtesy of Sam Kaufman. Promotional photo courtesy of Hofstra University
The Bayside resident currently stars as Professor Callahan in “Legally Blonde – The Musical”
/www.hofst-ratickets.com
/www.hofst-ratickets.com
/www.hofst-ratickets.com
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
