Nikki Snelson
Encyclopedia
Nikki Snelson is an American
actress, who works mainly in stage musicals.
. Snelson's first major role on Broadway
came as "Winnie Tate" in the 1999 Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
, opposite Bernadette Peters
. She also appeared on Broadway in the revival of Sweet Charity
in 2005, starring Christina Applegate
.
In 2007, Snelson originated the role of exercise queen "Brooke Wyndam" in the world premiere of the musical Legally Blonde: The Musical
in San Francisco. She is perhaps best known for the role, which she brought to Broadway at the Palace Theatre later that year. She can be heard on the cast recording of the show, and was also in the MTV Broadcast, as well as the reality casting show Legally Blonde - The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods
.
In 2008, she left the company of Legally Blonde to join the National tour of A Chorus Line
, as "Cassie", starting in May 2008. She was requested to audition for the role of Cassie, after she had tried out the role of Val for the Broadway revival before. She then appeared in 42nd Street
at The Muny
in St. Louis in June 2009, opposite Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli
.
Snelson originated the role of the Mad Hatter
in the world premiere of the new Frank Wildhorn
musical Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure
. The musical had its world premiere on November 24, 2009 in previews and officially December 5, 2009 at The David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
, Florida, and opened at the Alley Theatre
, Houston on January 15, 2010. While the plot of the show was reviewed poorly (though the production good), Snelson received great reviews for her portrayal, which featured her performing difficult choreography (by Marguerite Derricks
) while singing "high energy" Wildhorn tunes. Tampa Bay Online says Snelson "gives a knock-out performance." Variety
added that Snelson played the Hatter "deliciously wicked." However, before its Broadway production, the musical's creators altered the role of the Hatter drastically, including taking out the dancing, cutting out the sarcastic dialogues , as well as replacing her signature song "Nick of Time," and decided to replace Snelson. In an interview following this, Snelson said "it was a wonderful experience for me, and I will forever be heartbroken."
She took part in a reading of a new musical Sphinx Winx on March 15, 2010 in New York. The musical has music and lyrics by Kenneth Hitchner, Jr. and a book by Phillip Capice, Bob Keuch and Anne Hitchner.
Television and Film
Snelson has appeared in several television shows, including as a guest on Desperate Housewives
(2005) and as "Chelsea" on ABC's All My Children
(2004).
Snelson played herself in the movie Every Little Step and auditioned for the part of Val, but did not get the part.
She was offered a role in the CW's Valentine
, but her contract with the Chorus Line national tour forbid her from leaving, as the producers threatened to sue.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, who works mainly in stage musicals.
Biography
Snelson is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and received her training at the Boston ConservatoryBoston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory is a performing arts conservatory located in the Fenway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater...
. Snelson's first major role on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
came as "Winnie Tate" in the 1999 Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
, opposite Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
. She also appeared on Broadway in the revival of Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria...
in 2005, starring Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate is an American actress. She is best known for playing Kelly Bundy on the Fox sitcom Married... with Children. Since then, she has established a film and television career, winning a Primetime Emmy and earning Tony and Golden Globe nominations...
.
In 2007, Snelson originated the role of exercise queen "Brooke Wyndam" in the world premiere of the musical Legally Blonde: The Musical
Legally Blonde (musical)
Legally Blonde is a musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to...
in San Francisco. She is perhaps best known for the role, which she brought to Broadway at the Palace Theatre later that year. She can be heard on the cast recording of the show, and was also in the MTV Broadcast, as well as the reality casting show Legally Blonde - The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods
Legally Blonde - The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods
Legally Blonde — The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods is an MTV program created in order to cast an actress to replace Laura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde – The Musical...
.
In 2008, she left the company of Legally Blonde to join the National tour of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
, as "Cassie", starting in May 2008. She was requested to audition for the role of Cassie, after she had tried out the role of Val for the Broadway revival before. She then appeared in 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
at The Muny
The Muny
The Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
in St. Louis in June 2009, opposite Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli is an American actor and singer born in Hempstead, New York. He is best known for originating the lead dual title roles in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk...
.
Snelson originated the role of the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Hatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll...
in the world premiere of the new Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn is an American composer known for both his musicals and popular songs. He is most known for his musical Jekyll & Hyde, which ran four years on Broadway, and for writing the #1 International Hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" for Whitney Houston.-Early years:Wildhorn was born in...
musical Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure
Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure
Wonderland: A New Alice, formerly called Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure, is a musical with a book by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd, lyrics by Murphy, and music by Frank Wildhorn...
. The musical had its world premiere on November 24, 2009 in previews and officially December 5, 2009 at The David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Florida, and opened at the Alley Theatre
Alley Theatre
The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning indoor theatre in Downtown Houston, Texas, and hosts two stages. The "Hubbard" is the main stage with seating for 824; the more intimate "Neuhaus" seats 310. Nine towers and open-air terraces give the Alley Theatre a castle-like quality. Inside, a staircase...
, Houston on January 15, 2010. While the plot of the show was reviewed poorly (though the production good), Snelson received great reviews for her portrayal, which featured her performing difficult choreography (by Marguerite Derricks
Marguerite Derricks
Marguerite Pomerhn-Derricks, professionally known as Marguerite Derricks, is a multi award-winning choreographer, ballerina and actress born in Buffalo, New York in 1961....
) while singing "high energy" Wildhorn tunes. Tampa Bay Online says Snelson "gives a knock-out performance." Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
added that Snelson played the Hatter "deliciously wicked." However, before its Broadway production, the musical's creators altered the role of the Hatter drastically, including taking out the dancing, cutting out the sarcastic dialogues , as well as replacing her signature song "Nick of Time," and decided to replace Snelson. In an interview following this, Snelson said "it was a wonderful experience for me, and I will forever be heartbroken."
She took part in a reading of a new musical Sphinx Winx on March 15, 2010 in New York. The musical has music and lyrics by Kenneth Hitchner, Jr. and a book by Phillip Capice, Bob Keuch and Anne Hitchner.
Television and Film
Snelson has appeared in several television shows, including as a guest on Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
(2005) and as "Chelsea" on ABC's All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
(2004).
Snelson played herself in the movie Every Little Step and auditioned for the part of Val, but did not get the part.
She was offered a role in the CW's Valentine
Valentine (TV series)
Valentine is a romantic comedy/drama television series created by Kevin Murphy, who also serves as executive producer alongside Courtney Conte. The show is produced by Media Rights Capital. It premiered on October 5, 2008 at 8:00pm on The CW Television Network and Citytv in Canada and after four...
, but her contract with the Chorus Line national tour forbid her from leaving, as the producers threatened to sue.