About the Show
Hairspray is a dazzling musical adaptation of a 1988 film by indie filmmaker John Waters. The musical exploded onto the Broadway stage in 2002 and ran more than 2600 performances, closing just last year, although national tours continue. It garnered 9 Tony awards in 2003, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Book. It was adapted into a successful film version in 2007 starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, and Christopher Walken.
It's Baltimore in 1962. Tracy Turnblad, an overweight but outgoing teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show, a local teen dance show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin, the dreamy lead dancer, much to her mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the stuck up dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her scheming mother Velma. Tracy decides it's not fair that her black friends like Seaweed and Little Inez can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and sets out to integrate the show. Along the way she has to turn her mother into a modern 60s woman, get out of jail, steal Link away from Amber, and prevent a race riot, all without denting her 'do.
Principal characters
- Tracy Turnblad, the feisty heroine of the story, about 16, she is overweight, but a good dancer, outgoing and eternally optimistic.
- Edna Turnblad, 40-45, Tracy's acerbic, overweight, but good-hearted mother. This is a drag role.
- Amber Von Tussle, 16-18, bratty, selfish but beautiful resident princess of The Corny Collins Show, despite her lack of talent. She is willing to do anything to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant.
- Velma Von Tussle, 40s, Amber's well-preserved but scheming mother and producer of The Corny Collins Show, she's a former beauty queen who pushes her daughter to seek the stardom that she never had.
- Penny Pingleton, about 16, Tracy's slightly dorky, but devoted and perky best friend. Falls in love with Seaweed.
- Link Larkin, 17-18, A teenage heartthrob and one of The Corny Collins Show Council Members, who falls in love with Tracy.
- Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs, 40s (African-American), the owner of a downtown record shop and the host of "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show, self-described as "big, blonde and beautiful".
- Seaweed Stubbs, 16-17 (African-American), Maybelle's son and a hip "Negro Day" dancer who falls in love with Penny.
- Wilbur Turnblad, 40s-50s, Tracy’s goofy father, who owns the Har-De-Har Hut joke shop and is still madly in love with his wife, Edna. He encourages Tracy to follow her dreams.
- Little Inez, 10-13 (African-American), Seaweed's younger sister, who tries to audition for The Corny Collins Show but is turned away because she is black.
- Corny Collins, late 20s, The charismatic and cocky host of The Corny Collins Show. He's a smooth emcee who secretly chafes at the social restrictions put on his show.
- Prudy Pingleton, 40s, Penny's priggish and overprotective mother.
- Mr. Pinky, 30s-40s, owner of the Hefty Hideaway, a local clothing store and beauty shop for plus-size women.
- Mr. Spritzer, 50s-60s, President of Ultra Clutch and sponsor of the Corny Collins Show. Conservative and close-minded.
|
