New Hairspray and Producers Touring Companies to Launch Next Season

NETworks will send off new national tours of The Producers and Hairspray in the 2006-2007 theatre season.

While no specifics have been confirmed for either tour, a number of US and Canadian markets have announced that they will play host to The Producers--including some in Calgary, Alberta, Colorado Springs, CO, Edmonton, Alberta, Vancouver, and Ft. Myers, FL. A current Equity national tour of Hairspray will conclude this summer, while The Producers has also sent out other Equity touring companies in the past.Both The Producers and Hairspray won Tony Awards for Best Musical--in 2001 and 2003, respectively. The Producers, which concerns the attempts of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom to make money off Broadway flop Springtime for Hitler, features a score by Mel Brooks (who wrote the film on which it is based) and a book by Thomas Meehan and Brooks. Susan Stroman directed and choreographed the show for Broadway. Meehan, with Mark O'Donnell, penned Hairspray's book. Based on the John Waters film, the musical features a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, Hairspray recounts how overweight heroine Tracy Turnblad fights segregation in '60s Baltimore, becomes a TV dance show star and wins the heart of the boy she loves.

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