The lights, the thunderous applause, the dancing – it can be disorientating for anyone taking to the stage for the first time from May 11.
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One debutant in the upcoming Orange Theatre Company show Legally Blonde: The Musical will have more reason than most to be quaking in her boots at the thought of being on stage – Panda the chihuahua.
After three months of training, she’s going to play the part of protagonist Elle’s best friend, Bruiser.
Her trainer, Deb Colman, is no stranger to training dogs.
She has nine of them at home, and has been a professional dog and puppy trainer for 16 years – “the best job in the world”, as she calls it.
“I love dogs … people pay me to play with puppies and it’s amazing,” she said.
She has also trained therapy dogs for trauma victims with PTSD and returned soldiers.
This is her first time training a dog for the stage, and says it has been “challenging” but hopes Panda is up for the challenge.
Bruiser is a key role on the stage, and Panda had to learn several new tricks, including barking.
“She has a whole conversation with one of the actors, so we had to teach her to bark,” Mrs Colman said.
Panda also struggled due to her size, with Chihuahuas often difficult to train due to their size.
I had to train her to get used to the sounds and the noise on stage and also to work with different people so it’s been a challenge but fun.
- Debi Colman
“They’re small and can be quite worried about things and I had to train her to get used to the sounds and the noise on stage and also to work with different people so it’s been a challenge but fun.”
Panda also has to have a run across the stage on her own.
“A few of my friends are involved with the show and mentioned to me they were doing the production… I mentioned that I could help out,” she said.
“It’s been loads of fun, they are the most dedicated, amazing group of people. By the time we go on stage on the 11th, we will have done six months worth of training … it’s just an amazing vibe.”
Legally Blonde starts showing at the Orange Civic Theatre on May 11, with seven shows over the following two weeks.
Tickets are available from Ticketek at start at $52.50 for adults.