Photo Flash: First Look At HAIRSPRAY At San Diego Musical Theatre

Here is a first look at production photos for San Diego Musical Theatre's production of the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical HAIRSPRAY, which opened on Saturday night!

Hairspray, winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Book, is a family-friendly musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Hairspray will be directed by J. Scott Lapp (SDMT's First Date, The Prince of Egypt, Bonnie & Clyde), with choreography by Jill Gorrie (SDMT's Singin' in the Rain, 42nd Street, Damn Yankees), and music direction by Don Le Master. Hairspray runs August 3 - September 2, 2018 at the historic Horton Grand Theatre, with press opening on Saturday, August 4 at 8:00 PM.

It's 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, and quirky, plus-sized, teenage Tracy Turnblad has One Dream: to dance on The Corny Collins Show. When she gets put in detention with the African-American students in the school, they teach her some of their dance moves, and her newfound groove wins her a spot on Corny's show. Overnight, Tracy transforms from a nobody into a star, and uses her newfound influence to advocate for racial integration on the television show. With the help of the teenage heartthrob Link, host Corny Collins, and Motormouth Maybelle, Tracy overcomes the odds and succeeds in her mission to integrate The Corny Collins Show. Tony Award-winning Hairspray continues to be one of the most widely produced musicals today, not only because of its wit and charm, but also because of the beautiful message of acceptance and progress that it portrays.

The cast is led by Bethany Slomka (Tracy Turnblad), John Massey* (Edna Turnblad), Steve Gunderson* (Wilbur Turnblad), Nickolas Eiter (Link Larkin), Emma Nossal (Penny Pingleton), Kenneth Mosley (Seaweed J. Stubbs), Lauren King Thompson (Amber Von Tussle), Eboni Muse (Motormouth Maybelle), Eileen Bowman* (Velma Von Tussle), Zackary Scot Wolfe (Corny Collins), Debra Wanger (Female Authority Figure), Janae Parson (Little Inez), and Taylor Henderson, Marisa Moenho, and Renata Moenho (The Dynamites). The ensemble includes: Zy'Heem Downey, Madeline Edwards, Kiara Geolina, Kyle Leatherbury, Dylan Nalbandian, Joy Newbegin, Dallas Perry, Susanna Vaughn, and Austin Wright.

The creative team for Hairspray includes: J. Scott Lapp (Director), Jill Gorrie (Choreographer), Don LeMaster (Music Director), Rachel Mink (Assistant to the Director), Michelle Miles (Lighting Design), Janet Pitcher (Costume Design), Mike Buckley (Set Design), Peter Herman (Wig/Hair Design), Heather Longfellow (Properties Design), Kevin Anthenill (Sound Design), Neil Dale (Production Manager), Steve Longfellow (Technical Director), and Marie Jahelka* (Stage Manager).

Performances for Hairspray run August 3 - September 2, 2018 at the Horton Grand Theatre in San Diego's Gaslamp district. Showtimes for Hairspray are Wednesdays at 7:30 PM, Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM. For more information on Hairspray and SDMT's 2018 Season, call the box office at (858) 560-5740 or visit www.sdmt.org.