We’ve had a lot of great dogs on the production but Mugzy is definitely the best
He gets the biggest cheer in Legally Blonde... but all he wants is a doggie treat
THE Gaiety has been home to many a pivotal moment in Irish theatre. One such moment, back in 1987, was memorable for less artistic reasons. As an audience looked on and Act One came to a close, Alan Devlin was halfway through his closing song when he broke character in the most spectacular way.
In his role as Admiral Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore, he sang: ‘I grew so rich that I was sent/ by a pocket borough into Parliament/ I always voted at my Party’s call, And I never thought of thinking for myself at all. I thought so little they rewarded me/ by making me the ruler of the Queen’s navy. Ah, f*** it, I can’t do it, I’m going home.’
To stunned silence, he made his way off stage, leaving the audience torn between thinking he really had given up and believing it was a modern take on a classic.
But when a stand-in arrived out for the second act, they were left in little doubt – well, that and the fact that he’d left his stage microphone switched on and could be heard ordering a pint in nearby Neary’s.
It all begs the question: when stage actors can prove so fallible, why on earth would theatre directors even consider working with animals?
As it happens, Mugzy, the canine star of Legally Blonde: The Musical, is a director’s dream to work with.
Save for a quick towel down – well, he did walk all the way to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from his home in Phibsboro, along with his owner, Shelli Garland – he needs no hair, make-up or any pre-show grooming. Though he has his own backstage dressing room, he has no diva-like rider requirements. And Shelli brings all the snacks and accoutrements he needs.
A big Tupperware container of carrot pieces, his absolute favourite, is never far from hand.
While the threeyear-old bulldog does relatively little during the musical – he has two brief appearances and a bow in front of the audience – there’s no doubting that he gets the biggest cheer of the night.
Not that any of this fazes Mugzy, named after a minor character from the Bugs Bunny cartoons, in the slightest.
From the second he shows up at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, cast and crew alike are in thrall to him. It’s safe to assume that he commands this sort of attention wherever he goes.
Less than an hour before the Legally Blonde cast takes to the stage for opening night in Dublin, the vibe is decidedly relaxed.
Rita Simons, who plays Paulette Bonafonte, even has time to play with her newest co-star onstage as lighting and props technicians mill about.
Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Legally Blonde has already played to packed-out audiences in the UK, but much of the relaxed vibe has to do with the calming power of the cast’s two canines: Mugzy, who plays Rufus, and Bruisey, the Chihuahua who players Elle Woods’ beloved pet Bruiser.
‘Dogs absolutely change the atmosphere backstage,’ observes David Barrett, who plays Elle’s leading man Emmet in the show. ‘People focus on them and forget about their own nerves. Bruisey was out here earlier, and everyone just wants to play with her.’
Attention, adulation, opening night nerves: Mugzy takes all of it in his stride, perhaps more concerned about where his next snack is coming from.
‘Everything he does is literally motivated by getting snacks,’ laughs Shelli.
Yet it’s precisely Mugzy’s cool demeanour that landed him the part at an open audition in Dublin. Back in February, producers issued a casting call for a bulldog to star in the hit show. The chihuahua part was already sorted from the outset: Bruisey tours with the production, and is cared for on the road by David, with whom she typically lives. It was also David’s job to find the perfect Rufus in the Dublin auditions.
Of the idea to cast a local dog in each city on the tour, David adds: ‘We thought it would be a nice way to get the community involved. You travel through a city and sometimes you pass by without making a mark. It was also about encouraging people who don’t necessarily come to the theatre to get involved.
‘It’s something different for a lot of dog owners.’ As it happens, Shelli – a Trinity College PhD student originally from Michigan – is already a huge fan of the theatre, and was already aware that Legally Blonde was coming to Dublin. She heard the ad for an open audition, and realised that producers were looking for bulldogs for the hit musical.
‘It’s one of my favourite mov-
ies,’ she enthuses. ‘I just knew he would be perfect for the part.’
Yet Mugzy, who is already a rising Instagram star – check out @ the adv entire s of mugzy– had to beat off another dozen or so bulldogs to land the role.
‘At the audition, they put us all on a big pink runway, and we had to walk the dogs up and down and make him sit,’ explains Shelli. ‘In the second part of the audition, they had it whittled down to four dogs.
‘They did the same thing again but the dogs’ moms and dads were not around. David then took Mugzy and had me call him down off the leash and then had me step aside for David, to make sure he would go to other people and listen to other people.’
Adds David: ‘You can see for yourself, he’s so calm and responsive to demands. He had the right look, but also the right temperament. It’s important that the dog is relaxed in weird situations and isn’t too boisterous.’
When David had to choose a star from the four, it was Mugzy’s relaxed demeanour and the fact that he was the most obedient of the auditionees that inched him towards stardom.
‘I remember a photographer wanted to take a photo of all of the audition dogs on the pink carpet, and the plan was for us to place the dogs on the carpet so that a photographer could take the pictures,’ recalls Shelli.
‘Well, it took 20 minutes. The whole time, Mugzy was looking around at the others like, ‘‘dudes, get it together! The sooner we get through this bit, the sooner we get to have a snack!’’ In spite of all the chaos, he was definitely the most chilled.’
In the end, Mugzy’s star turn on opening night goes without a hitch. After a quick pre-show briefing by company manager Natalie Cole, Mugzy hits his mark both times, emerging from the onstage caravan right on cue.
This, alas, is not necessarily a foregone conclusion: in other cities on the Legally Blonde tour, bulldogs have escaped the caravan, or have decided not to bother coming out at all. Another de-leaded himself and wandered around the stage, mid-musical.
‘We’ve had a lot of great dogs on the production so far, but Mugzy is definitely a standout,’ says David.
And, of course, they don’t serve dogs in Neary’s, meaning that at least one potential theatrical disaster is already, thankfully, averted.