HAIRSPRAY Dances Into Spring Theatre This Month

Rehearsals are underway for the sensational musical Hairspray at Spring Theatre -- and while the unforgettable songs, sensational dancing and overall "pizazz" of the show provides more than enough to fill an evening, members of Spring's artistic team believe there's a much deeper reason to produce this show.

Hairspray, which opens on July 30th at the HanesBrands Theatre in Winston-Salem, is set in 1962, and promises to be a family-friendly musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs, but also some important themes of reality that hope to hit home.

"It has, at its core, a constant pulse of anti-discrimination in its heart that will continue to be relevant as we grow as a community and a species", says Dan Beckmann, Artistic Director of Spring Theatre. "One of the primary reasons we chose to produce this show was to shine a spotlight on many of the black artists who lend themselves to Spring, and to tell a story that will always need telling".

CJ Albee, the show's Music Director, added, "even as the complexity of race relations, self love, and classism continue to evolve, there is definitely value in seeing a story that involves people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds coming together to realize a common goal. Spring Theatre, now midway through their 10th season, focuses on celebrating the younger generation of performers. The cast's oldest member is 20 years old, and the youngest is 13. But these young performers go through the same rehearsal process that performers of any age would: "Watching the cast make discoveries and grow is my favorite part", says Hairspray's director, Chad Edwards. "This age group has a great energy and enthusiasm and they are mostly fearless. Also, it's really great to see them bond as a group and collaborate as a cast, and to discover new friendships".

Choreographer Jordan Booker-Medley has already been challenging the cast with some new moves in rehearsals. "I love the music, and an opportunity to revisit the time through movement", said Jordan. "There was such an interesting thing happening in dance during the 60's, and I can't wait to bring some of that to the forefront".

Founded in 2011, Spring Theatre was built to cultivate people of courage and communities of joy through youth-inspired theatrical experiences. Spring Theatre helps established and aspiring theatre artists reach their full artistic potential through mentoring, main stage productions, theatre camps, workshops, and master classes. As a result, Spring Theatre's youth are confident community members who are prepared for leadership roles including, but not limited to, performing, writing, directing, and staging their own productions. The family of Spring Theatre fuels the creative spirit of the entire Triad and beyond.

You can catch Spring Theatre's Hairspray at the HanesBrands Theatre on Friday, July 30th at 7pm, Saturday, July 31st at 2pm and 7pm and Sunday, August 1st at 2pm. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now. The ticket link can be accessed on www.SpringTheatre.org. At this time, masks are required for all audience members.

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