Indiana University continues its incredible 2024/2025 theater season with Legally Blonde!! Legally Blonde: The Musical is a fast-paced, feel-good show that tells the story of Elle Woods, a fashionable UCLA sorority president whose life takes an unexpected turn when she decides to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School. What begins as a quest to win him back turns into a powerful journey of self-growth, confidence, and unexpected success. With a pop-inspired score, bold choreography, and plenty of heart, the musical challenges stereotypes and celebrates staying true to yourself. Elle’s charm, wit, and determination win over skeptics and audiences alike as she proves that being smart doesn’t mean giving up what makes you unique. Packed with humor, heart, and empowering messages, Legally Blonde is a pink-powered reminder that you’re stronger than you think.
DJ Gray (Director) is a Professor of Practice, and Associate Area Head for the B.F.A. Musical Theatre program at Indiana University. She is a performer, director and choreographer. She performed on Broadway in The Producers and was the Associate Choreographer with the Tony Award winning show The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, (On and Off-Broadway, Non-Equity National Tour), and Associate Choreographer with Tony nominated XANADU (Broadway and National Tour). She assisted staging Sondheim on Sondheim (Studio 54) and Merrily We Roll Along, (Encores!). Internationally, DJ served as an assistant Choreographer for 42nd Street in Seoul, Korea, and Associate choreographer for Xanadu in Japan. For Regional Theatre, she has enjoyed both directing and choreographing at Barrington Stage, North Shore, McCoy and Rigby, Northern Stage, Candlelight Pavilion, Musical Theater West, Moonlight Stage, and Florida Studio Theater. Her TV choreography credits includes the Emmy nominated Stephen Colbert’s Christmas Special, and the episode “Dance Party”. She choreographed for the reality TV show Instant Beauty Pageant, several episodes for the Emmy award winning series The New Electric Company, NBC’s The Year Without a Santa Claus, and a live action show for Adult Swim, “Fat Guy Stuck in the Internet”. She also made and appearance on The View, teaching Whoopi Goldberg the material she was to perform for her debut performance in Xanadu on Broadway.
Nikki Snelson (Choreographer) has been working on Broadway and beyond as an actress, creator, director, choreographer and educator for the last 30 years. As an actress, Ms Snelson is most recognized for her performance of Brooke Wyndam in the original Broadway and MTV cast of LEGALLY BLONDE. While at the Palace in LB, she was a part of the deliciously campy “Search for the New Elle Woods” on MTV. Nikki originated the role of Winnie Tate in the Broadway revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (starring Bernadette Peters). She was also seen on Broadway in SWEET CHARITY (starring Christina Applegate). Nikki spent several years on National Tours as “Cassie” in A Chorus Line and “Susan” in TICK, TICK, BOOM! She also performed in the Broadway National Tours of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, SHOW BOAT and HELLO, DOLLY with Carol Channing. Snelson originated the role of The Mad Hatter in Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland, played Velma in CHICAGO at Maine State Theater and Sally Bowles in CABARET at The Napa Valley Opera House. On the big screen, Nikki was featured in the groundbreaking documentary EVERY LITTLE STEP as well in the major motion pictures REEFER MADNESS and ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. On the small screen, Nikki has been seen on Desperate Housewives and All My Children. She received her training in Musical Theatre from Boston Conservatory after growing up in St Louis and making her professional debut at the St Louis Muny. Most recently, Nikki directed and choreographed legally blonde at the Kansas City starlight. Ms Snelson has directed, choreographed, and taught ALL over the world including: Argentina, Chile, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Ireland, Scotland, Paris, London and many more. She is an artist in residence at Singapore’s famed theater school,Lasalle College of the Arts. Her directing credits include: MAMMA MIA, HOLIDAY INN, ALL SHOOK UP, WORLD GOES ROUND, GYPSY, WEDDING SINGER, PAJAMA GAME, CABARET, CHICAGO, JOSEPH and A CHORUS LINE. Nikki has choreographed for Elton John’s Life Ball in Vienna, The Young and the Restless, The Miss America Pageant and the “The Funny Dance Show” on E! Ms Snelson is the voice and CGI likeness of “Annie” in RockStar Games’ MIDNIGHT CLUB-LOS ANGELES. in the spring, Nikki will work on beauty and the beast at vanguard university and the prom at university of california-irvine. Nikki resides in Orange County, California with her husband and 5 year old son. Nikki is the CEO of Musical Theatre Mayhem, a triple threat workshop experience featuring Broadway’s biggest stars!
Ray Fellman (Music Director) originally from the NYC area, serves as a music director, vocal coach, and voice teacher, for Indiana University’s BFA in Musical Theatre Program. He has conducted over 60 musicals off broadway, regionally and internationally, and performed in over 100 cabaret shows in major clubs in NYC and around the world. Career highlights include Stephen Schwartz’s Captain Louie (Little Schubert Theater/National Tour), which included a performance on The Today Show. Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, and West Side Story for Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador directed by Chia Patiño. Regionally, the O’Neill National Music Theatre Conference, the Fulton Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, and Indiana Repertory Theatre. Ray’s cabaret work garnered him a Backstage Magazine Bistro Award for his work as music director of The After Party at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. In addition, he has performed at Feinstein’s, The Algonquin, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, BB King’s, and the Duplex Cabaret Theatre in NYC. As a stage performer Ray has sung with such opera companies as Florida Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and New Orleans Opera, and been a featured soloist with multiple symphony orchestras including the St Louis Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony. Vocal coaching and arranging credits include upcoming The Parenting on HBO Max, the film Ben is Back starring Julia Roberts, HBO’s Sharp Objects starring Amy Adams, and Twentieth Century Fox film Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Edgar Ramirez.
Joining the Creative Team is:
Molly Lenig: Stage Manager
Tessa Wittenbaum: Asst. Stage Manager
Sophie Frank: Asst. Stage Manager
Frankie Martinez: Technical Director
Abby Bilson: Scenic Designer
Oliver Stark: Asst. Scenic Designer
Nic Gwin: Lighting Designer
Bri Stoneburner: Sound Designer
Katelyn Lopez: Costume Designer
Ash Cossey: Props Manager
Megan Lederman: Dramaturg
Payton Mead: Asst. Dramaturg
Gretchen Hall: Dialect Coach
Nick Boisvert: Scenic Charge
Jeff Baldwin: Department TD
Reed Simiele: Head Electrician
Allen Hahn: Lighting Supervisor
Andrew Hopson: Sound Supervisor
Wig Manager: Christopher Simanton
Wig Designer: Andrew Elliot
Katy Plaziak: Asst. Choreographer and Cast Member
Jonah Broscow: Asst. Music Director
The Cast includes IU’s B.F.A. undergraduate musical theatre students Jayla Austin-Duarte, Mackenzie Bunzel-Hardie, Sophia Chan, Jake Decker, Adia Dant, Jocylon Evans, Lucy Ferguson, Molly Higgins, Justin Katin, Brady McGuire, Devin McDuffy, Eduardo Palapa, Trey Perlut, Katy Plaziak, Bella Porreca, Alanna Porter, Laura Rong, Isa Rodriquez, Ben Sanderson, Ryan Skurnak, Mia L’oren Stewart, Lauren Strick, Claire Summers, and Evan Vaughan. The cast also includes M.F.A acting student Eric Thompson.
Music and Lyrics by Laurence 0’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Book by Heather Hach
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture
Original Production by Hal Luftig, Fox Theatricals, Dori Bernstein, James L. Nederlander: Independent Presenters Network, Roy Furman, Amanda Lipitz, Broadway Asia, Barbara Whitman, FWPM Group, Hendel/Wiesenfeld, Goldberg/Binder, Stern/Meyer, Lane/Comley, Bartner-Jenkins/Nocciolino and Warren Trepp: Produced in association with MGM Onstage, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber.
Ages: Ages 10 and up. Family-Friendly with mild language/innuendo
