Teen Idol Ashley Parker Angel Joins Hairspray as Link

The producers of Hairspray, winner of eight Tony Awards® including Best Musical, have announced that teen idol Ashley Parker Angel will make his Broadway debut as dreamy Link Larkin on Friday, January 19 at the Neil Simon Theatre.

Ashley Parker Angel became a breakout star on the ABC series "Making the Band." The show chronicled the formation of his multi-platinum recording group O-Town, most widely recognized for the smash hit "All or Nothing." Ashley has toured internationally, recently appeared in his own MTV series "There and Back," and last year released his solo album Soundtrack to Your Life. His single "Let You Go" achieved the highest debut on Billboard's hot singles chart of any artist in 2006 and spent weeks at number one on MTV's "TRL."

Also joining the Hairspray cast are Brynn O'Malley as Amber Von Tussle on Friday, January 19 and Susan Mosher as the Female Authority Figure on Tuesday, January 16.

About Hairspray

In Hairspray it's 1962—the '50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion—to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a plus-size trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her 'do? Only in Hairspray! Welcome to the '60s!

Hairspray is based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, who serves as a creative consultant on the musical comedy. It features a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, and a score by five-time Academy Award nominee Marc Shaiman (who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Hairspray is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell; scenic design is by David Rockwell; costume design is by William Ivey Long; lighting design is by Kenneth Posner; and sound design is by Steve C. Kennedy.

Hairspray, which celebrates its fifth anniversary on Broadway in August 2007, is the winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards, including best musical, best actor (Harvey Fierstein), best actress (Marissa Jaret Winokur), best featured actor (Dick Latessa), best score (Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman), best book (Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan), best director (Jack O'Brien), and best costume design (William Ivey Long). Hairspray also swept every one of the year's best musical awards, winning, in addition to the Tony, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Drama League Award.

Hairspray currently stars Shannon Durig as Tracy Turnblad, Blake Hammond as Edna Turnblad, Diana DeGarmo as Penny Pingleton, Stephen DeRosa as Wilbur Turnblad, Darlene Love as Motormouth Maybelle, Tevin Campbell as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Jonathan Dokuchitz as Corny Collins, Lisa Jolley as Female Authority Figure, Isabel Keating as Velma Von Tussle, Tara Macri as Amber Von Tussle, Kevin Meaney as Male Authority Figure, Naturi Naughton as Inez, and Aaron Tzveit as Link Larkin.

Hairspray is produced by Margo Lion; Adam Epstein; The Baruch×Viertel×Routh×Frankel Group; James D. Stern/Douglas L. Meyer; Rick Steiner/Frederic H. Mayerson; SEL & GFO; New Line Cinema, in association with Live Nation; A. Gordon/E. McAllister; D. Harris/M. Swinsky; J. & B. Osher.

Hairspray plays Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm; Sunday at 3pm, at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52 Street.

For ticket information, phone Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100, or for group sales, phone 212-302-7000 or 800-677-1164. Hairspray offers the ShowTrans system for foreign-speaking audience members in the following languages: French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Same-day, lottery tickets are sold at the box office for seats in the first row of the orchestra. For more information about Hairspray, please consult the Hairspray website at www.hairsprayonbroadway.com.