After a two-year wait, movie icon Elle Woods is bending and snapping her way to the Conexus Arts Centre in Legally Blonde the Musical.

Originally scheduled for March 2020, the show was cancelled during the initial uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. But according to performer Hannah MacMurchy, the nearly 40-member cast has been rewarded for its patience.

“This show was supposed to be at the [University of Regina] Riddell Centre two years ago,” said MacMurchy, who plays the lead role. “But now, we’re at the Conexus Arts Centre, and that’s where people who are the real deal do their shows, so it feels cool to be recognized as a serious and professional show.”

Based on the 2001 film of the same name, Legally Blonde the Musical tells the story of Elle Woods, a California girl who is dumped by her boyfriend when he is accepted to Harvard Law School. Chasing true love, Woods also applies for Harvard, surprising everyone with her talent and intelligence, including herself.

WATCH: Performer Hannah MacMurchy explains the true message of Legally Blonde. MacMurchy plays the role of Elle Woods in Sterling Productions’ Legally Blonde the Musical, which runs March 22-24 at the Conexus Arts Centre.

Playing Woods has been a dream come true for MacMurchy.

“When I found out about this show, I really wanted to get the role of Elle Woods,” said MacMurchy. “I started practising six months prior to auditions to make sure I knew the character and every single song inside-out.”

Legally Blonde the Musical is produced by Sterling Productions, a Regina-based community musical theatre company active since 2014. This year, Sterling Productions became the resident theatre company of the Conexus Arts Centre, granting them performance space on the mainstage for the first time. Previously this season, Sterling Productions presented The Rocky Horror Show and SpongeBob the Musical.

Artistic director Shanna-Marie Jones said the partnership has helped the company grow.

“When the pandemic shut everything down, we had a moment to reflect on where the company was going,” said Jones. “Looking at what the rest of the city offered, we patterned our programming completely differently from anything else in the city so that we were offering something new.”

Performer Nicole Hebert has volunteered in over 10 musicals with Sterling Productions, both backstage and onstage. This experience has helped her ensure that each production is special and unique.

“I don’t ever go in with expectations,” said Hebert. “For me, it’s not actually being on stage that’s special. It’s the work that goes into the project before you even go on stage.”

Hebert believes that personal growth is at the heart of the musical theatre experience.

“Theatre brings out parts of you that you want to hide and parts of you that are meant to be shared,” said Hebert. “That’s what makes each show, each performance and each project really special.”

For Jones, having Legally Blonde queued for production for two years has guaranteed a unique experience.

“It is really wild, because sometimes you work through something and think, didn’t I do this? And you don’t know if it was in 2022 or 2020,” said Jones.

“The show itself has grown and changed. Being a very organic director, I work with my actors, and since half of them are new, it’s a whole new show and a whole new interpretation.”

MacMurchy is looking forward to showing off the hard work of the whole cast.

“I’m so excited to show everyone what a great job we’ve done,” said MacMurchy.

Legally Blonde the Musical runs March 22-24. Tickets can be purchased through the Conexus Arts Centre website.