This April, Memorial Union will be filled with pizazz, puppies and lots of pink.

After many years, the University Theatre is finally heading back to Shannon Hall, this time to perform its latest production, “Legally Blonde.”

With a cast of 33, not including the two live dogs, “Legally Blonde” will be the second musical performed in Shannon Hall. The first theatre company to use the renovated space was the Four Seasons Theatre when it performed “Kiss Me Kate” in August 2014. However, “Legally Blonde” will be the first production in the newly renovated Union Theatre.

“This is a really big production. This is one of the biggest productions that UT has done in 20 years,” Jeremy Mendoza, a senior at University of Wisconsin Madison, said. “This is our first production back in the Memorial Union Theatre since ‘Rocky Horror’ (2011).”

According to the musical’s Production Stage Manager, Traci Gaydos, “Legally Blonde” was chosen for its large cast and stage design.

There is a vast variety of 28 different stage locations in “Legally Blonde” that range from college lecture halls to courtrooms. In addition to this, many of the cast members have been assigned to more than one role in the production, calling for a great amount of costume changes at a rapid pace.

When UT finally decided to reserve the stage at Memorial Union, the crew began contemplating which production would appropriately fill such a big venue.

This large auditorium not only gives the cast and crew a bigger stage to work with, but also allows them to make use of technology and set changes for the production.

Another unique element of this UT production is the directorial duo from out of town.

Both Director Pam Kriger and Musical Director Scott Foss are guests from outside the Madison area and have been brought in to take on the task of turning “Legally Blonde” into a highly professional production for the UT.

Cast member Megan Hofschulte thinks hiring directors from outside of Madison is beneficial to the theatre program as a whole.

“It’s just refreshing,” she said. “They bring their own things [from] outside of the school to us. [They bring] new ideas we didn’t think of.”

Hofschulte, who will play the lead character, Elle Woods, said Kriger has been preparing her, as well as the entire cast, to be the best they can be no matter how close or far away opening night is.

“We’ve only been in rehearsal for not even two weeks and right after [we] learn a song, [Kriger] will give [us] acting notes about it,” the star said.

With the hard work involved with producing such a big musical, Kriger’s encouragement for constant improvement does not come without appreciation from the staff around her.

Throughout Gaydos’ years of working in theatre, each show has come with a large workload that can be difficult to get through. However, something is different to her about “Legally Blonde.” Gaydos said each time she walks into a rehearsal for the show, she gets chills.

“For the first time in a long time, we’re doing something enormous, we’re doing something really challenging [and] we’re doing something really fun.”

Legally Blonde

Preview Wednesday April 29- 7:30 p.m.

Opening Night Thursday April 30- 7:30 p.m.

Friday May 1- 7:30 p.m.

NO SATURDAY MAY 2         

Sunday May 3- 2:00 p.m.