Beverly, MA: The award winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) will conclude its 2006 Musical Season with the Regional Theater Premiere of HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s big fat smash hit. NSMT is the first regional theater in the country to create an original production of this 1960’s musical comedy for its audiences. Playing from October 24 – November 19, 2006, Press Night is scheduled for October 26 at 7:30pm. Comcast is the presenting sponsor of the 2006 Musical Series.
“North Shore Music Theatre is honored to produce the regional theater premiere of Hairspray,” said Jon Kimbell, NSMT’s Artistic Director and Executive Producer. “We have built a strong reputation both regionally and nationally for taking Broadway musicals and tailoring them for the regional theater market. The licensing companies who grant us these exclusive rights trust our integrity and artistic vision. From the orchestrations to the costumes to the casting and the production values, it’s a process we are proud of and a responsibility we take very seriously.”
Based on the 1988 John Waters film, audiences will journey back to 1960’s Baltimore and join our heroin Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big dreams and even bigger hair. She’ll do whatever it takes to claim a spot on a popular television dance show, win the heart of Link Larkin, and turn the town upside down in her efforts to racially integrate television. HAIRSPRAY, winner of 8 Tony® Awards, features a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman.
HAIRSPRAY will star
Paul C. Vogt as Edna Turnblad, the role he recently played in the Las Vegas production of the show. Audiences will remember Paul from his seasons on “MADtv” and as the breakout star of NBC's “The Rerun Show” in which he played another Edna; Mrs. Edna Garrett from “The Facts of Life.” He recently appeared in Garry Marshall's Happy Days: The Family Musical! and made his opera debut in LA Opera’s production, The Grand Duchess. In addition to many regional theatre credits, he can be seen in the films Princess Diaries 2, Good Boy, and Raising Helen. Other television credits include “Maximum Bob,” “Hannah Montana,” “Arrested Development,” “Reno 911,” and “Chicago Hope.”
Playing the heroine Tracy Turnblad will be
Bridie Carroll, a 2005 Boston Conservatory graduate. Bridie has recently been seen in regional productions of Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie), 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), and I Love A Piano (Sadie). Other credits include: City of Angels (Oolie/ Donna), The Rivals (Lucy), You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Lucy), Anything Goes (Bonnie), and Forward (original cast recording). She received a BFA cum laude from The Boston Conservatory in 2005.
HAIRSPRAY also includes the special voiceover talent of 7NEWS Anchor Randy Price. Randy has been with 7NEWS since 1998 and is widely recognized for his professional and personal accomplishments. He was the only Boston news anchor to have his own nightly news magazine program, and was the first Boston TV journalist to anchor news programs on two different Boston stations. No stranger to the stage, Randy has appeared at NSMT with the Holiday Pops.
The supporting cast of HAIRSPRAY features Inga Ballard (Motormouth Mabel), David Coffee (Harriman F. Spritzer, Principal, Mr. Pinky, Guard) Dick Decareau (Wilbur Turnblad), Todd Dubail (Corny Collins), Valerie Fagan (Prudy Pingleton/Gym Teacher/Matron), David Larson (Link Larkin), Deb Lyons (Velma Von Tussle), Sarah Elizabeth Nischwitz (Penny Pingleton), Dashaun Young (Seaweed) and Dana Zihlman (Amber Von Tussle).
The cast of 29 also includes Jamie Buxton, Allison Blackwell, Kevin Curtis, Mike Evariste, Amy Hillner, Michael Jablonski, Lisa Kassay, Colleen Longshaw, Shua Potter, Franklyn Warfield, Kara Tameika Watkins, Steven Wenslawski and Curtiss Wesley.
HAIRSPRAY will also showcase three local young performers. Thirteen year old Simone Senibaldi, of Everett, MA will be featured as Little Inez. Natasha Ashworth, of Rowley, MA, and Michael Taglieri, of Newburyport, MA, will be part of the ensemble.
The creative team for HAIRSPRAY includes Barry Ivan (Director/Choreographer), Dale Rieling (Musical Director), Howard C. Jones (Scenic Designer), William Ivey Long (Original Costume Design), Jack Mehler (Lighting Designer), John A. Stone (Sound Design), Gerard Kelly (Hair and Wig Design), Bethany Ford (Production Stage Manager), Alicia D. Reece (Assistant Stage Manager), Brian Cimmet (Assistant Musical Director), David Kaley (Costume Coordinator / Wardrobe Supervisor) and Alison Franck & Matt Schreiber (Casting).
Tickets for HAIRSPRAY are priced from $75 to $40: Senior & Youth Discounts and Rush Tickets are Available. Performances are October 24 – November 19, 2006, Tue – Thurs at 7:30pm, Fri & Sat at 8pm, matinees Wed at 1:30pm, Sat and Sun at 2pm. For tickets: www.nsmt.org, (978) 232-7200, or in person at 62 Dunham Rd. Beverly, MA 01915. HAIRSPRAY is sponsored by Danversbank.
