Interview: Chatting with Katy Geraghty Star of HAIRSPRAY at The Muny
Geraghty Makes Her Triumphant Muny Return Playing the Plucky Tracy Turnblad
When Hairspray opens the Muny’s 108th season, Katy Geraghty will don Tracy Turnblad’s bow adorned bouffant wig for the 5th time in her acting career. The scene stealing Geraghty turned in memorably hilarious performances at The Muny as Mary Patrick in Sister Act and as Bridget in Bring it On over the past few seasons.
When asked how she would adapt her approach to playing Tracy for the massive Muny stage, the diminutive Geraghty told Broadway World that she is not a subtle actor. She laughed saying, “If I am being completely honest, I think I’ve always been playing Tracy for 11,000 people, but now I will have the audience to match it!”
Geraghty calls herself a proud plus-size performer. “There are an obnoxiously small number of roles for people who look like me. It has been a really wonderful gift to get to play Tracy as many times as I have.” She calls this opportunity to play Tracy once again her swan song.
“I’ve always known that the role is perfect for me because I’m a really good dancer, I have a bright pop sound when I sing, and I’m funny,” she says with unfeigned humility. “It feels like this part was tailor made for me.”
Geraghty recalls doing two back-to-back productions of Hairspray. The first in 2018 at a regional theater on Long Island, followed by a year long stint at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. “I am no stranger to the wig, and I am beyond thrilled to get to play this part again!”
The dynamic actor booked her Broadway debut in just 36-hours after graduating from college. “Groundhog Day was a Cinderella type moment.” She remembered how difficult the work was, “It was wild,” she said. “The tech-heavy show had five turntables, and it was really hard. I’m glad I was only 22 when I did that show. It was right for me at the time. I’m not sure I could do that show now, but it was an amazing experience.”
She refers to her cast mates in Groundhog Day as neighborly because they had to wish each other good morning and happy holiday over-and-over each performance. “It kind of felt like we were all living in this nice little hometown.”
Neighborly is the word she also uses when describing The Muny audience. “The people of St. Louis are so kind at the stage door each night. The Muny has started to feel like a hometown theater to me.” She said, “Working here feels tight knit and close in the warmest of ways.”
Geraghty made her Muny debut in 2023 fresh off playing Little Red in the star-studded Broadway revival and the national tour of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. That also marked the fifth time she had played Little Red. “I felt prepared for the role, but I was not ready to take on working with the big names in that cast. It felt heady.” Geraghty said she was wowed getting to work with the titans of the industry in that production, but she remembers thinking that every single person in that cast was kinder than they were talented.
She speaks kindly of the memories she has from her two previous experiences working in St Louis. “It’s hard to get out and explore the city when standing up a show at The Muny. The work is so all encompassing. But I do remember having some great BBQ and I cannot wait to go back to Yellowbelly.”
“Like I said before, The Muny has become my hometown theater. Getting to lead Hairspray at The Muny feels healing in a really beautiful way.” She then told a story about how she felt when she didn’t win the part of Tracy in regional production near her own hometown in Massachusetts. “It was painful to be passed over for the role. I was experienced, had already made my Broadway debut, and felt ready to take on the part. Things just didn’t go my way. It hurt and still stings sometimes.”
For this production of Hairspray, Geraghty is leading an exceptionally talented cast. Her co-star is Richard Kind, the legendary star of stage, film, and television. Kind will play Tracy’s larger-than-life mother Edna Turnblad.
“My God! What a cast to lead,” she exclaimed! “I’m thrilled. It is a tall order, but good work only produces more good work. That’s something that I learned while working on Into the Woods.” She said she is excited for that to happen with this cast, especially when considering the limited time they have to get the show ready.
Geraghty says she is so very excited to bring this show to The Muny audience. “Hairspray is a really good time. You will laugh your face off. But you will also walk out of the theater thinking about something that will prompt conversations with the people in your life. It will stick with you.”
Individual Tickets for Hairspray and the other six season shows are on sale now at The Muny box office and online. Hairspray runs from June 15 – 21, 2026. Visit muny.org for more information or click the ticket link below.
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