Stage legend directs student blondes
Nikki Snelson in the University of Adelaide's Scott Theatre, where she will direct and choreograph Legally Blonde the Musical. Photo: The University of Adelaide.
Fifteen years after Legally Blonde the Musical took Broadway by storm, the University of Adelaide’s Music Theatre class of 2022 will take on the smash hit, under the guidance of a stage legend.
Nikki Snelson, who played the role of Brooke Wyndham in the original Broadway production of Legally Blonde the Musical, will direct and choreograph the show.
“I could not be more excited to be here in Adelaide working on Legally Blonde with the incredible young artists of the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide,” she said.
“This cast is perfect for each role - they are doing such a spectacular job of bringing to life each character.”
Ms Snelson received her training in musical theatre from the Boston Conservatory, and has since directed, choreographed, and taught all over the world, from Argentina to Paris, New Zealand to Scotland, Singapore to London, and more.
“I could not be more excited to be here in Adelaide working on Legally Blonde with the incredible young artists of the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide. This cast is perfect for each role - they are doing such a spectacular job of bringing to life each character.”Director and choreographer, Nikki Snelson
With a career spanning 25 years, the American native has extensive Broadway experience, including roles in Annie Get Your Gun and Sweet Charity, as well as Legally Blonde the Musical in which she played the young widow and accused murderer whom the main character Elle Woods defends in court. She’s also toured in A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, Hello Dolly, and Jonathan Larson’s tick tick…BOOM!.
April Beak, who will be stepping into the fabulous shoes of lead character Elle Woods, with Obie O'Brien the Chihuahua. Photo: The University of Adelaide.
The Elder Conservatorium of Music welcomed its first cohort of students to the music theatre discipline in 2019, and they have since produced Spring Awakening, Cabaret, Mamma Mia, and Les Misérables. The 2022 graduating class is ready for their next challenge – performing Legally Blonde, the pink, pop music masterpiece.
As well as performing in the cast, the Bachelor of Music Theatre students also run the off-stage production elements as part of their studies. In teams, the students organise their own marketing, hair and makeup, costuming, props, and stage management, as well as completing student internships as assistant to the director, assistant to the music director, and dance captain.
Legally Blonde the Musical, directed and choreographed by Nikki Snelson, and musically directed by Martin Cheney, will be playing at the Scott Theatre from September 29 to October 2, including both day and night performances.