When the rights to their production of “Legally Blonde” were pulled four days before auditions, Old Rochester Regional’s summer theater made a quick change from blonde to Berlin.

With “Legally Blonde” set to hit the stage all over the northeast, it meant ORR was restricted from doing the play.

“Anyone within one hundred miles of a performances had their rights pulled,” said ORR Director Paul Sardinha.

Now with “Legally Blonde” turned into illegally blonde, Sardinha was kind of relieved.

“‘Legally Blonde’ is a very wonderful show, but it really is an awful lot of work, and there’s nothing memorable about it,” he said.

But still, he had to think fast. The show must go on!

Sardinha regrouped and decided to bring back the Irving Berlin Revue, something he and Assistant Director Sheila Furtado had organized for the Marion Art Center in 1995.

At first, the top cast, comprised of ORR graduates, was disappointed.

“I think with this one everyone was underestimating it. They didn’t think it was going to be as fun. No one thought it was going to be what it has become,” said Lucas Parker, class of 2012.

Chris Tippins, who graduated in June, agreed.

“I expect people will get the same reaction I did, which is a new appreciation of the songs from the 20s and 30s which are really the foundation of traditional American music,” said Tippins. “After doing all these songs, I think they’re incredibly fun.”

The graduates said they love coming back to do the summer program, which only happens every three years.

“I’ve done a couple of shows in college. It’s very different,” said Katie Holden, a theater major. “It’s still fun, but having Paul as a director and coming back here with this group of kids, it’s something you can’t really get no matter what college you go to.”

Tippins said he joined the drama club his junior year. “I really regretted not doing it my first two years, but instead of wishing that I did it, I can do it now,” he said.

In just four weeks, the 46 students who make up the cast and crew have learned almost 50 songs from Irving Berlin’s repertoire, including “White Christmas,” “God Bless America,” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

After their first run through of all the songs, Sardinha said he was surprised by the quality of the performance.

“They were brilliant. They were exhausted, and they surpassed anything that I thought they could do,” said Sardinha.

While the cast doesn’t have to get into character, they’ve had a huge learning curve.

When asked the toughest part of singing Berlin’s songs, the cast responded in chorus “harmonize!”

“It’s not just an easy three-part harmony,” said 2012 graduate Jack Thomas.

And although they’ve practically crammed Irving Berlin’s entire career into a month of evening practices, the students said somehow everything always comes together by opening night.

“It’s the closest thing you can get to actual magic,” said Tippins.

The Irving Berlin Revue is Aug. 1, 2, and 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. at the ORR theater.

General admission is $15. Students and senior citizens tickets are $12. Tickets are on sale at the Marion General Store, Plumb Corner Market, and Pen & Pendulum.

Call 774-265-0081 for more information.