HAIRSPRAY! Opens at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse is pleased to present the regional professional premiere of Hairspray! The smash Broadway hit that was awarded eight Tony Awards, takes you to Baltimore in 1962 and tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, a girl with big hair, a big heart, and a big passion to dance. When she unexpectedly wins a television dance contest, she becomes a teen idol who turns the whole town upside down. In this fast-paced musical, the good guys and girls win out in the end. Great music, great dancing, great story - Hairspray is for tweens, teens, Moms, Dads, grandmas and grandpas.

The exuberant Tracy Turnblad will be played by LenaMary Amato, who is returning to the role after starring in two regional Theater Productions of the show. Darryl Winslow will take on the larger-than-life Edna Turnblad. Ithaca College alumni Jonathan Burke and Tim Quartier will play the roles of the hip dancer, Seaweed, and teenage heartthrob, Link Larkin, respectively. Current Syracuse University Musical Theater students Mary Claire King to play the perpetually punishEd Penny and Aisling Halpin as Shelley with Syracuse University Musical Theater program alumna, Lauren Devine, playing the bratty and selfish Amber. Brian Runbeck, who played the ever-intoxicated Elisha Whitney from MGR's smash-hit production of Anything Goes will play the role of Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's jokester father.

Returning this year is director and choreographer, Kate Swan, previously of Meet Me in St. Louis, with Mark Goodman as musical director for his 17th season at MGR. Featuring the show-stopping tunes "I Can Hear the Bells," "Welcome to the 60s," "Without Love," and "You Can't Stop the Beat" - you won't want to miss this glittery, upbeat show running through July 20th!

General Admission Tickets are $37-$43. Discounts are available for Seniors (62+), Students (w/ID), and Youth (under 18). Group rates are available for parties of 15 or more. For tickets and information on the upcoming season, contact Merry-Go-Round Box Office at 315-255-1785, toll-free at 1-800-457-8897, or visit The Playhouse online at www.merry-go-round.com.

Performances are Monday through Saturday evenings with select matinees. Curtain times are Monday-Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm; Matinees, when available, are at 2:00pm. For a complete performance schedule, visit www.merry-go-round.com.

The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, widely known as "Broadway in the Finger Lakes" is located in Emerson Park in Auburn, NY. The not-for-profit professional theatre company produces six musical productions annually. The 2011 Season, sponsored by M&T Bank, includes:
Anything Goes, Hairspray, Cooking with the Calamari Sisters, 42nd Street, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, and The Marvelous Wonderettes.

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