Musical Theatre West's Hairspray Opens Next Week

Musical Theatre West has announced that it will open its 59th Season with the mega-hit HAIRSPRAY at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. HAIRSPRAY previews October 28 and runs for fourteen performances through November 13, 2011.

The Musical Theatre West cast of HAIRSPRAY features: Jim J. Bullock (Broadway/Nat'l Tour: HAIRSPRAY; Film: SPACEBALLS, KISSING JESSICA STEIN; TV: TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, ALF, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) as Edna Turnblad; David Engel (Broadway: SEUSSICAL, PUTTING IT TOGETHER, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES; Off Broadway: FOREVER PLAID Original Cast, MTW: THE FULL MONTY, THE PRODUCERS, THE ANDREWS BROTHERS, Forbidden Broadway, CRAZY FOR YOU, LA CAGE) as Corny Collins; Todrick D. Hall (Broadway: MEMPHIS, THE COLOR PURPLE; Nat'l Tour: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST; MTW: THE WEDDING SINGER; TV: AMERICAN IDOL'S SEASON 9) as Seaweed; Derek Klena (Regional: CARRIE, THE MUSICAL, HAIRSPRAY, Happy Days, CINDERELLA, JOSEPH..., ALL SHOOK UP; TV: AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 10) as Link; Tracy Lore (N.Y. and National Tour: PETER PAN; MTW: THE PRODUCERS, ALL SHOOK UP (Ovation Nom.), THE FULL MONTY, ME & MY GIRL, THE Will Rogers FOLLIES; Regional: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE) as Velma Von Tussle; Barry Pearl (Broadway: THE PRODUCERS, BABY IT'S YOU, BYE BYE BIRDIE; MTW: ALL SHOOK UP, OLIVER!, KISS ME, KATE; Regional: Happy Days: A NEW MUSICAL; Film: GREASE) as Wilbur Turnblad; LAUREN SMOLKA (Regional: HAIRSPRAY, RAGTIME, ASSASSINS, ALL SHOOK UP) as Amber Von Tussle; Gwen Stewart (Broadway: RENT, STARMITES, BIG RIVER; MTW: ALL SHOOK UP (Ovation Award Winner) as Motormouth Maybelle; ERIN WATKINS (Regional: SPELLING BEE) as Penny and introducing VICTORIA MORGAN (Regional: HAIRSPRAY, CITY OF ANGELS, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE) as Tracy Turnblad.

HAIRSPRAY, based on the John Waters camp classic film of the same name, is the story of big dreams, big girls and big hair! Typical teenager Tracy Turnblad is obsessed with The Corny Collins Show and teen heartthrob, Link Larkin. Though rejected at the Corny Collins auditions, Tracy shows off some moves at the Sophomore Hop, where Corny Collins gives her a place on his show. Tracy is soon launched to stardom, and once on the show, changes the face of 1960s Baltimore forever. The HAIRSPRAY creative team - composer Marc Shaiman, lyricists Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and librettists Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan - won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Musical. HAIRSPRAY will be directed by Larry Raben, with choreography by Lee Martino and musical direction by Dennis Castellano.

HAIRSPRAY opened in 2002 on Broadway and had 2,642 performances at the Neil Simon Theatre. With music by Marc Shaiman, Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Williams and book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, HAIRSPRAY and its feel-good, upbeat score includes the songs "Good Morning Baltimore," "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" and "You Can't Stop the Beat."

HAIRSPRAY runs at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach, CA - October 28-November 13, 2011.

Tickets for HAIRSPRAY are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.musical.org or by phone at 562-856-1999 x4. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Musical Theatre West Box Office located at 4350 E. 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804 from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The performance schedule for HAIRSPRAY is Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (no 2pm October 29), Sundays at 2 p.m., (with a 7 p.m. performance added on Nov. 6th). Tickets start at $20. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. Prices are subject to change without notice. Group rates are available for 15 or more. Musical Theatre West performs at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center located at 6200 E. Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815.

HAIRSPRAY is the first show of Musical Theatre West's 2011-2012 Season and is made possible through the generous contributions of Associate Producers Richard Neri & Kurt Schulzman.

Musical Theatre West's 2011-2012 Season Sponsors are the Ackerman Family/Evalyn M. Bauer Foundation and Ken and Dottie Reiner.

For more information on Musical Theatre West's production of HAIRSPRAY, please visit www.musical.org.

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