Marissa Perry Takes Over For Durig As Tracy in 'Hairspray'

The producers of Hairspray, winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, have announced that Marissa Perry will take over the role of Tracy Turnblad on Tuesday, April 15, at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52 Street.   (Shannon Durig plays Tracy through Sunday, April 13.)
 
Marissa Perry played Tracy Turnblad in one of the first regional theatre productions of Hairspray at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont.  Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (songwriters) saw her performance at the playhouse and encouraged her to audition for the Broadway production where she was immediately offered the understudy role of Tracy.  With a few performances under her belt, and after waiting in the wings for her turn to shine, she will officially take over the starring role this week.  Perry follows the four memorable Tracy's before her; Best Actress Tony-Award winner and current contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Marissa Jaret Winokur, soap opera star and Daytime Emmy Award nominee Kathy Brier, Carly Jibson who is back on Broadway in John Water's latest musical to hit the stage, Cry-Baby? and Shannon Durig who recently played over 1,000 performances as Broadway's favorite hair-hopper.
 

In Hairspray it's 1962—the '50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion—to dance.  She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity.  But can a plus-size trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her 'do?  Only in Hairspray!  Welcome to the '60s!
 
Hairspray is based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, who serves as a creative consultant on the musical comedy.  It features a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, and a score by five-time Academy Award nominee Marc Shaiman (who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.  Hairspray is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell; scenic design is by David Rockwell; costume design is by William Ivey Long; lighting design is by Kenneth Posner; and sound design is by Steve C. Kennedy.
 
Hairspray, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on Broadway in August 2007, is the winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards, including best musical, best actor (Harvey Fierstein), best actress (Marissa Jaret Winokur), best featured actor (Dick Latessa), best score (Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman), best book (Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan), best director (Jack O'Brien), and best costume design (William Ivey Long).  Hairspray also swept every one of the year's best musical awards, winning, in addition to the Tony, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Drama League Award.
 
Hairspray is produced by Margo Lion; Adam Epstein; The Baruch×Viertel×Routh×Frankel Group; James D. Stern/Douglas L. Meyer; Rick Steiner/Frederic H. Mayerson; SEL & GFO; New Line Cinema, in association with Live Nation; A. Gordon/E. McAllister; D. Harris/M. Swinsky; J. & B. Osher.
 
Hairspray plays Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm; Sunday at 3pm, at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52 Street. 
 
For ticket information, phone Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100, or for group sales, phone 212-302-7000 or 800-677-1164.  Hairspray offers the ShowTrans system for foreign-speaking audience members in the following languages: French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.  Same-day, lottery tickets are sold at the box office for seats in the first row of the orchestra.  For more information about Hairspray, please consult the Hairspray website at www.hairsprayonbroadway.com.