ShenanArts Produces The State Premiere Of HAIRSPRAY 8/12-22

ShenanArts is ecstatic to announce the first production in our new performance venue! We are honored to present the non-equity, Virginia-State premier of the recent Broadway smash-hit musical, HAIRSPRAY!

HAIRSPRAY has delighted audiences by sweeping them away to 1960's Baltimore, where the 50's are out and change is in the air. Our lovable plus-sized heroine, Tracy Turnblad (Justine Juart), has a passion for dancing, dreams to perform on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and to be noticed by the show's resident hunk, Link Larkin (Colton Berry). She is instantly met with disapproval from all angles. Her mother, Edna (Bob Wright), hopes that she will follow in her footsteps and open a coin-operated laundromat. The TV Station's producer, Velma VonTussle (Lauren Preski), refuses to allow an overweight dancer on the show she created to feature her conceited daughter, Amber (Sara Mienhofer). She wins a coveted spot on the show and overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity. She soon finds a growing fan-base, lead by her father, Wilbur (Barbara Spilman Lawson), the "Corny Collins Show" host (Hank Fitzgerald) and her best friend, Penny (Blair Wingfield). The naysayers only increase the tension after Tracy meets her new friends Seaweed (Adrian Cubbage), his mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Matthew Johnson) and his sister, Little Inez (Kaylah Blair) and sets out to integrate the show. Can the larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program's reigning princess, integrate the television show, and find true love (singing and dancing all the while, of course!) without mussing her hair?

HAIRSPRAY is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters. The show's hilarious book is penned by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan and ingenious music is by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. Featuring high-energy performances by Sam Baron, Victoria Berry, Storm Burks, Kyla Daniel, Nancy Houseknecht, Cassy Maxton, Steven McCauley, Darian Payne, Matthew Riley, Michael Riley, Erica Snook, Audrey Stadler, Lindsey Walters, Britany Wentz, and Hannah Woodrum, with witty direction and colorful design by Colton Berry, dazzling choreography by Lindsey Walters and superb music direction by Jane Volke, this production is sure to be a plus-sized hit!

HAIRSPRAY runs August 12 through 22 with Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.

Tickets are on sale NOW at www.shenanarts.org!

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