Photos: HAIRSPRAY at San Francisco Playhouse
Bill English directs the Tony Award-winning musical, now running through September 12.
San Francisco Playhouse has released production photos from its new production of Hairspray, now running through September 12. Check out the photos below!
Closing the company's 2025-26 season, the Tony Award-winning musical is directed by San Francisco Playhouse Artistic Director Bill English, with associate direction by Phaedra Tillery-Boughton, music direction by Dave Dobrusky, and choreography by Phoenyx Rose.
Set in 1962 Baltimore, Hairspray follows Tracy Turnblad, a dance-loving teenager whose dream of appearing on The Corny Collins Show leads her to challenge racial segregation on television. Featuring a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, the musical includes beloved songs such as "Good Morning Baltimore," "Welcome to the '60s," "I Know Where I've Been," and "You Can't Stop the Beat."
"This production leans into the story's racial politics and cultural satire, examining Baltimore's fight for integration through our contemporary lens," English said. "In an era marked by polarization, erasure, and the lingering shadows of racist ideology, Hairspray becomes more than a feel-good musical. It's a defiant, joyful call to resistance, where dancing is protest and inclusion is revolutionary."
The production stars Ella Ruth Francis as Tracy Turnblad, making her San Francisco Playhouse debut after award-winning performances at Los Altos Stage Company, New Conservatory Theatre Center, and San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Trevor March returns to the Playhouse as Link Larkin following his appearance in Into the Woods. His previous credits include San Jose Stage Company, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Pacific Conservatory Theatre, Disney Cruise Line, and Princess Cruise Line.
Based on John Waters' 1988 film, Hairspray premiered at Seattle's The 5th Avenue Theatre before opening on Broadway, where it won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for more than eight years. The musical later enjoyed a successful West End production, a hit 2007 film adaptation, and NBC's live television presentation.
Hairspray continues at San Francisco Playhouse through September 12.
Photo Credit: Jessica Palopoli
The Cast of HAIRSPRAY
Anese Jade, Kaila Dyson, and Cai Rodis
Trevor March, Ella Ruth Francis
The Cast of HAIRSPRAY
Jeannine Anderson, Ella Ruth Francis, Kaila Dyson, Anese Jade, Samantha Rich, and Sanaiya Johnson
Sanaiya Johnson, Alison Ewings, Matthew Letton, Hunter Yocom
Ella Ruth Francis and The Cast of HAIRSPRAY
Mackenzie Macdonald, Alison Ewing
Samantha Rich, Rebecca Pingree
The Cast of HAIRSPRAY
Sierra Bolar, Ella Ruth Francis, and Gwen Tessman
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